how do you get by with no dvd?

[IlikeMacsSoMuch]

Hi!
I'm an IT consultant and most of my work I do on my 2008 MBP, a few of my clients are on windows so sometimes I use my dvd reader. Soon there will be a new MBP and I saw that it might not have a dvd reader , just like the macbook air.

I carry a lot of tools besides my computer so as lazy as it sounds, I don't want to add the extra weight of an external dvd reader.

So those of you who use bootcamp in their macbook air, how do you get by without a dvd?

In a year or so I won't have anymore windows clients and windows is the only reason why I need a dvd right now.

Anyway thanks for the advices in advance and excuse my english it is not my native language.

 

[KylePowers]

You don't need a Superdrive to use bootcamp. You can use Bootcamp to format a USB stick with a Windows .iso and install from that way.

I haven't used a disc in many, many years. Digital distribution is the future and it would not surprise me at all for the MBP to drop its Superdrive.

Nonetheless though, an external Superdrive is only like .74lbs

 

[BigMcGuire]

May not be directly related but - I'm an IT guy too and have used a Dell Latitude D830 laptop for the last 3 years. I took out the DVD/CD drive to put in a secondary battery so I could get good battery life. I never used the CD/DVD drive. I always used Daemon Tools for a virtual drive and got an ISO of the dvd/cd that I wanted on an external drive. So I'd carry around all my CDs and DVDs as ISOs and mount them via Daemon Tools in Windows. Almost everything I buy today is downloadable (Microsoft Office 2011/2012 for my Macbook) - I haven't had to use a DVD/CD in forever. I converted all the ones I did use to ISOs awhile back. Just buy a really big USB drive or an external drive.

That said, I use an old version of Daemon Tools Lite - I hear they're adware loaded now. :/.

And more related to your problem --- if you have desktop computers on the LAN - you can map their CD/DVD drive to your computer and use it.

 

[Bear]

Hi!
I'm an IT consultant and most of my work I do on my 2008 MBP, a few of my clients are on windows so sometimes I use my dvd reader. Soon there will be a new MBP and I saw that it might not have a dvd reader , just like the macbook air.

Do these customers hand you discs at their site that need to be read there? If that's the case might that not also be true of other customers?

A better question is... will the specs of the Air be enough for what you do as a consultant? Especially ram and disk space.

I carry a lot of tools besides my computer so as lazy as it sounds, I don't want to add the extra weight of an external dvd reader.

Yes, some people do need an optical drive on a daily basic and so it's still weight in your bag as you said. Too many people seem to forget this fact when they look at the weight of the Air.

 

[negativzero]

I got a superdrive in the off-chance i need to use it.

 

[paulrbeers]

USB Flash drives. I do have an external DVD that I use for ripping DVD's, but that stays at home. When out with clients, we solely use USB drives. They are faster and everyone has USB ports these days.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Admittedly, there are times where I do miss it.

 

[DDustiNN]

Honestly I haven't used my DVD drive in over a year on my old laptop... everything is download and/or USB now. I just got the Macbook Air last month and I have not once needed the CD drive yet. Anything I install is just downloaded (even Windows 7 as a .iso file, just put on USB drive).

I think CD/DVD drives are going the way of the floppy disk pretty soon, which is already evident based on all the new "ultrabook" computers coming out.

 

[blueroom]

I just had my MacBook DVD drive repaired. Almost didn't bother as it gets very little use.

 

[KPOM]

I think optical drive use in general will wane rapidly, particularly after the release of Windows 8, which will have its own app store. I purchased the external Superdrive with my original MacBook Air 4 years ago, and while I used to use it more, over the last 2 years I've used it primarily to reinstall Windows when I upgrade or change my Boot Camp setup (I have Windows 7 on a DVD and haven't bothered to make a USB key). The few Windows programs I use are also mostly CD-based so it helps, too.

On the Mac side, moving applications to a new Mac is so simple, and I'm buying more from the App Store, anyway, so I doubt I'll ever need to use an optical drive to install a Mac application again.

 

[Hankcah]

I totally understand your logic BUT there are better work arounds.

It's just as easy to use a USB drive to share files. If they are at work, then if you have access to a Shared Network, that would work too.

I know Micro Center has deals on USB thumb drives. Maybe buy about a few of them to use just in case. Just give them your thumb drive to use instead of a CD. You may be special for a short time, but everyone will understand why.

 

[IlikeMacsSoMuch]

You don't need a Superdrive to use bootcamp. You can use Bootcamp to format a USB stick with a Windows .iso and install from that way.

I haven't used a disc in many, many years. Digital distribution is the future and it would not surprise me at all for the MBP to drop its Superdrive.

Nonetheless though, an external Superdrive is only like .74lbs

Thanks for the reply
I saw somewhere that Windows 8 will have something like the Appstore, that could do it, if it weren't for windows I would never use the dvd drive.

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May not be directly related but - I'm an IT guy too and have used a Dell Latitude D830 laptop for the last 3 years. I took out the DVD/CD drive to put in a secondary battery so I could get good battery life. I never used the CD/DVD drive. I always used Daemon Tools for a virtual drive and got an ISO of the dvd/cd that I wanted on an external drive. So I'd carry around all my CDs and DVDs as ISOs and mount them via Daemon Tools in Windows. Almost everything I buy today is downloadable (Microsoft Office 2011/2012 for my Macbook) - I haven't had to use a DVD/CD in forever. I converted all the ones I did use to ISOs awhile back. Just buy a really big USB drive or an external drive.

That said, I use an old version of Daemon Tools Lite - I hear they're adware loaded now. :/.

And more related to your problem --- if you have desktop computers on the LAN - you can map their CD/DVD drive to your computer and use it.

I've never used Daemon tools, I'll look into it, thanks!

----------

I totally understand your logic BUT there are better work arounds.

It's just as easy to use a USB drive to share files. If they are at work, then if you have access to a Shared Network, that would work too.

I know Micro Center has deals on USB thumb drives. Maybe buy about a few of them to use just in case. Just give them your thumb drive to use instead of a CD. You may be special for a short time, but everyone will understand why.

Most of my clients think I'm special because I know how to set up a printer, so a usb thumb drive will make me a freak!

good idea thanks

----------

Do these customers hand you discs at their site that need to be read there? If that's the case might that not also be true of other customers?

A better question is... will the specs of the Air be enough for what you do as a consultant? Especially ram and disk space.

Yes, some people do need an optical drive on a daily basic and so it's still weight in your bag as you said. Too many people seem to forget this fact when they look at the weight of the Air.

No the Macbook air would not suffice for my needs, I will buy a new MBP, and I saw that it might come without a dvd drive just like the Air, that is why I posted here.

Thanks for the reply

 

[n8236]

USB optical.

 

[IlikeMacsSoMuch]

I got a superdrive in the off-chance i need to use it.

That's what I would do if the next MBP comes without it, I just don't want to carry it everywhere

----------

USB Flash drives. I do have an external DVD that I use for ripping DVD's, but that stays at home. When out with clients, we solely use USB drives. They are faster and everyone has USB ports these days.

I'll look into that, thanks

----------

Thanks to all of you for the replies!

I guess there's no reason to hold on to a dvd drive anymore!

 

[Moonjumper]

That's what I would do if the next MBP comes without it, I just don't want to carry it everywhere

When there is an internal optical drive, everyone has to carry it everywhere. An external drive is optional.

I know there is the extra hassle of a separate object, but with many users needing an optical drive rarely or not at all, dropping it seems like a reasonable decision.

 

[deepakvrao]

I just bought an ext drive yesterday for ripping CDs, and transferring some of my surgery videos [which are recorded on a HDD and transferred to DVDs] onto my Air for editing. Other than these uses, I really will not use an optical drive at all.

 

[LordVic]

I haven't used a CD /DVD drive in probably 3-4 years since i last installed windows 7 on my desktop at home.

unless there's a specific requirement to use disc based media, For the most part everything else has gone completely online and digital. In fact, it's a huge criteria for me. If your product isn't available through digital distribution, Your product isn't right for me.

 

[Boyd01]

I bought the external Apple drive when I got my MBA two weeks ago. When I got home, I was asking myself "why"? It is still in the shrinkwrap. Have been thinking about returning it, but will probably just keep it in case I want to rip some DVD's or CD's, or possibly to install Windows.

But really, I don't think I will miss the lack of an internal DVD drive at all.

 

[prvt.donut]

IT consultant and asking how people get by without a DVD drive? weird?

Hehehe!

I have used a Lenovo x61 for the past few years as a network engineer. I could never imagine using a Macbook Pro. It is too heavy and big.

It doesn't have a built in DVD drive. There are times i need to use it, but it is rare, usually i need to burn a bootable live linux tool, but that is even getting less and less as most distros are available in bootable usb format now too.

 

[za9ra22]

Since the MBA doesn't have an optical drive, it has the ability to access the drives on compatible Windows and Mac systems within the same network. I suspect that if the MBP starts shipping without an optical, it will gain this same ability.

Simply open a Finder window, and by default, any shareable optical drives on remote systems will appear under 'Devices' in the source list on the left. Since this appears to use Bonjour to find the remote drive(s) all it should require of the remote system is that it is running Bonjour - which can be downloaded from Apple.

My MBA can see the optical in my 27" iMac at work, and 24" iMac at home that way, and use it for almost any purpose a fitted drive would be used for. The only obvious exception is that as far as I know, a remote drive can't be used for booting the system.

 

[JHUFrank]

That's what I would do if the next MBP comes without it, I just don't want to carry it everywhere

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I'll look into that, thanks

----------

Thanks to all of you for the replies!

I guess there's no reason to hold on to a dvd drive anymore!

I just can't imagine carrying a MBP everywhere. You think a usb DVD drive is heavy, wait till you latch onto a MBP!

----------

IT consultant and asking how people get by without a DVD drive? weird?

Hehehe!

I have used a Lenovo x61 for the past few years as a network engineer. I could never imagine using a Macbook Pro. It is too heavy and big.

It doesn't have a built in DVD drive. There are times i need to use it, but it is rare, usually i need to burn a bootable live linux tool, but that is even getting less and less as most distros are available in bootable usb format now too.

Amen brother. Before my MBA, I carried an X60. I absolutely love the X series laptops. The current Airs are the only thing close in quality and weight. Lugging a big laptop up on a ladder for one of those awkward Cisco switch configs??? No way, give me something light.

 

[ericDylan]

I am almost certain that the MBP will have a DVD drive. The DVD drive is one of only a few remaining differences between the MBP and MBA.

Now that the MBA has an updated processor and a better screen, the list of differences is dwindling and the MBA's popularity is increasing. Battery life, optical drives, and thickness are the only obvious differences.

 

[prvt.donut]

I am almost certain that the MBP will have a DVD drive. The DVD drive is one of only a few remaining differences between the MBP and MBA.

Now that the MBA has an updated processor and a better screen, the list of differences is dwindling and the MBA's popularity is increasing. Battery life, optical drives, and thickness are the only obvious differences.

I would (like/hope to) think of it more like the iMac vs Mac Pro.

MBA is designed to not be upgradeable, but the Mac Pro is designed to have parts changed and upgraded whenever needed. I would like the Macbook Pro to follow a similar vein. Use SSD, but stick with 2.5" easy-swap drives so that drives can be imaged and changed easily.
Upgradeable RAM, a user changeable GPU standard would be amazing, but that never took off....