Do you think the built-in cd/dvd will be fazed out anytime soon?

[NoSmokingBandit]

Think about it, they just released the "Mini Server" that has no optical drive.

Thats because its a server. Its not meant to be used like the mini, which does have an optical drive. Nothing revolutionary here.

 

[mscriv]

I understand its "intended" use, but we consumers don't always use things as they are "intended" now do we? And you and I both know there will be people who buy this Mini for the extra drive space knowing that if they need optical use every now and then that they can attach an external optical drive for that purpose. The point is Apple now makes two consumer targeted computers that do not come with a standard optical drive. Moves like this are the "slight nudges" to which I was referring in my previous post. Behold my Nostradamus skills and take it as fact that this trend will grow in the future.

 

[apolloa]

It would be a ridiculous idea and IMO they would loose sales because of it. Everyone else is using bluray, then we have the next optical storage after this, and you think they should get rid of all optical drives?

 

[cfitz7111]

SD Cards is the next wave. Harder, not impossible, to crack as far as copy protection, studios already move large files on them.

 

[reallynotnick]

A hello kitty refrigerator magnet can take down an SD card. Wont hurt a cd, though.

Since when the hell do magnets effect solid state memory????? Please get your facts straight, the hello kitty magnet will probably scratch the CD and the SD card will be fine.

But yeah I can't wait to get rid of the optical drive, make more room for more powerful processors and GPUs and a bigger batteries, hell you could put more ports on the other side too if you wanted.
Just imagine a 13in MBP with desecrate graphics and a quad core processor!

I like the MBA but I would rather use the extra space to make the laptop more powerful instead of smaller.