No optical drive in new iMac

[Brien]

Looks like the last domino has fallen. The Mac Pro and non-retina MBP's don't really count, IMO, since they will likely not survive the next round of refreshes/updates.

Kinda crazy how fast Apple was able to eliminate them from their ecosystem. I wonder how long until the PC side does the same, considering Sony, Asus, etc. are still putting Bluray drives in their higher-end notebooks.

 

[bmunge]

Smart by Apple. They want you to live in their ecosystem for media and they sell no media that requires an optical drive. This is their way of pushing movie and tv show purchases to iTunes.

 

[HurtinMinorKey]

Smart by Apple. They want you to live in their ecosystem for media and they sell no media that requires an optical drive. This is their way of pushing movie and tv show purchases to iTunes.

Except nothing on iTUnes gives me close to the quality of Blu-Ray. What's the point of having a great monitor if I'm stuck watching sub 10Mbps video?

 

[Brien]

Except nothing on iTUnes gives me close to the quality of Blu-Ray. What's the point of having a great monitor if I'm stuck watching sub 10Mbps video?

Eh... Given the push to 4k UHD and forthcoming profile 4.0 to support it, I think Bluray/physical media is quickly being relegated to a videophile thing.

 

[RenoG]

Except nothing on iTUnes gives me close to the quality of Blu-Ray. What's the point of having a great monitor if I'm stuck watching sub 10Mbps video?

Get off the computer and go have a seat in the conforts of your living room and relax man. Blu Ray should only be viewed on a 50 inch or larger TV with a minimum of a 3.1 sound system. You simply can't be that much of a nerd, or are you...

 

[HurtinMinorKey]

Eh... Given the push to 4k UHD and forthcoming profile 4.0 to support it, I think Bluray/physical media is quickly being relegated to a videophile thing.

1.) 4K is at least 3 years away from the practical market.(ill have a new iMac then)

2.) 4K is going to be even more reliant on physical media. With efficient codecs, blu-ray quality 1080p is 27Mbps, up to 50GB for a movie. Are you telling me that we'll be streaming 200GB 4K movie files in a few years? Hells no.

 

[TwoBytes]

They'll probably come on HDs. By that time, prices will come down.. Large software from certain companies comes on HD so why not.

 

[Brien]

1.) 4K is at least 3 years away from the practical market.(ill have a new iMac then)

2.) 4K is going to be even more reliant on physical media. With efficient codecs, blu-ray quality 1080p is 27Mbps, up to 50GB for a movie. Are you telling me that we'll be streaming 200GB 4K movie files in a few years? Hells no.

No, I think you misunderstood. What I was trying to say is I don't think most people "care" about 4k and will be content with the quality streaming movies offer. People who do care will continue to purchase discs and players, as we have for the past 20 years.

 

[theRAMman]

and of course, if you do want an optical drive, apple are very happy to sell you their ludicrously expensive superdrive

 

[newfoundglory]

I have the 2010 Mac mini server (thats over 2 years old !! - no optical drive)

I have the 2011 MacBook Pro (with an optical drive i've never used)

I have a 2011 Mac mini server (again - no optical drive)

Whats the big deal?

Optical media is dying, like the floppy disk.

If you are concerned about this, learn how to use Disk Utility?

 

[dranakin]

Since there's no built-in optical drive, will they be selling a standalone drive that would attach to the iMac via a cable (probably Thunderbolt)? I seem to recall something like that for the Macbook Air.

 

[iHailCarlo]

Who really needs the drive anyway, i have hardly used mine. Everything I get is off the internet, the last time I bought a disc based movie was when the The Dark Knight came out and of course Diamond Edition Disney Blu Rays for my daughters, but thats it. Everything is downloadable now, and you can even load onto a thumb drive for that matter too.

 

[george-brooks]

Looks like the last domino has fallen. The Mac Pro and non-retina MBP's don't really count, IMO, since they will likely not survive the next round of refreshes/updates.

Kinda crazy how fast Apple was able to eliminate them from their ecosystem. I wonder how long until the PC side does the same, considering Sony, Asus, etc. are still putting Bluray drives in their higher-end notebooks.

I agree that the cMBP is going away soon, but not the Mac Pro. Especially with this new iMac update. Apple has made the gap bigger between consumer machines and professional machines, and there are simply too many professionals who need mac pros to force them to use an iMac. Apple will lose their entire professional customer base if they drop the mac pro.

 

[nuckinfutz]

1.) 4K is at least 3 years away from the practical market.(ill have a new iMac then)

2.) 4K is going to be even more reliant on physical media. With efficient codecs, blu-ray quality 1080p is 27Mbps, up to 50GB for a movie. Are you telling me that we'll be streaming 200GB 4K movie files in a few years? Hells no.

4K isn't going to be reliant on physical media. Broadband speeds are increasing in metropolitan areas and h.265 is under the process of being ratified. HEVC (High Efficiency Video Codec) will reduce today's bitrates by roughly 40-50% or allow double the resolution at today's nitrate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Efficiency_Video_Coding
http://www.h265.net

Blu-ray is 50GB for a movie because it must include multiple language tracks, subtitles, audio and more for worldwide distribution. Downloads only need target the intended audience and can strip out the needless cruft.

Ding dong the disk is dead!

 

[topmounter]

Thank goodness... the optical drive in my 24" iMac has always been both noisy and unreliable.

I'd much rather keep a USB Super Drive (clean and safe) in my desk drawer for use w/ my iMac or my MBA for the VERY RARE occasion that I ever need it.

 

[Liffey]

I want to rip albums to FLAC.

That's about all I'll miss, really.

 

[flynz4]

Since there's no built-in optical drive, will they be selling a standalone drive that would attach to the iMac via a cable (probably Thunderbolt)? I seem to recall something like that for the Macbook Air.

They already sell the Superdrive. It does not need to be TB. DVDs are so slow it doesn't even need to be USB 2.0.

/Jim

 

[Apple fanboy]

Looks like the last domino has fallen. The Mac Pro and non-retina MBP's don't really count, IMO, since they will likely not survive the next round of refreshes/updates.

Kinda crazy how fast Apple was able to eliminate them from their ecosystem. I wonder how long until the PC side does the same, considering Sony, Asus, etc. are still putting Bluray drives in their higher-end notebooks.

Can't see Sony dropping the Blueray somehow! You do realise they stick one in a Playstation 3 at a loss just to make sure they don't end up with another Betermax!

 

[dancj]

I've only had my iMac for a coule of months and I've used the optical drive loads. This makes me glad I've got he previous generation.

 

[HurtinMinorKey]

Blu-ray is 50GB for a movie because it must include multiple language tracks, subtitles, audio and more for worldwide distribution. Downloads only need target the intended audience and can strip out the needless cruft.

Ding dong the disk is dead!

Dude, Audio tracks have nothing to do with size. A high def track running at 300Kbps would only take 300MB at the very most.

If you don't know, or can't tell the difference between blu-ray 1080 and downloaded HD than I can't help you. And when you quadruple the data required to get to 4K video, you have something that won't be practical to download.

Seriously have you ever watched something on Blu-Ray?

 

[flynz4]

Dude, Audio tracks have nothing to do with size. A high def track running at 300Kbps would only take 300MB at the very most.

If you don't know, or can't tell the difference between blu-ray 1080 and downloaded HD than I can't help you. And when you quadruple the data required to get to 4K video, you have something that won't be practical to download.

Seriously have you ever watched something on Blu-Ray?

Your argument is that people care more about quality... than they care about the disadvantages of physical media.

You could be right (especially in the short term)... but I do not think so in the long run. Look at the audio industry... physical CDs were abandoned in favor crappy MP3's. I do not notice any CD stores anymore... and video stores are quickly becoming extinct.

Like it or not... I think physical media is dying.

/Jim

 

[Apple fanboy]

Your argument is that people care more about quality... than they care about the disadvantages of physical media.

You could be right (especially in the short term)... but I do not think so in the long run. Look at the audio industry... physical CDs were abandoned in favor crappy MP3's. I do not notice any CD stores anymore... and video stores are quickly becoming extinct.

Like it or not... I think physical media is dying.

/Jim

I buy all my music digitally (yes buy not steal). But always buy DVD's rather than download. Why?
Well a track only takes seconds to download and cost a few pence. A Film would take me a lot longer, tie up more hard drive and mean I was limited on where I could watch it. I have an Apple TV in the lounge but nowhere else.
The physical DVD is alive and kicking for a few more years yet, whatever apple do.

 

[Cockney Rebel]

I'm sweet with this for two reasons:

1: I have a brand new USB SuperDrive which was bought for a rMBP which I returned because it arrived with dents (I actually had to return 2 of the things!)

2: I hate the fact that with the iMac if something goes wrong with it, you have to send the whole machine away for repair. The SuperDrive being external is one less thing to have to worry about because if it dies/goes wrong ... you just replace it with anther one!

I'm am completely happy about this ...

 

[nuckinfutz]

Dude, Audio tracks have nothing to do with size. A high def track running at 300Kbps would only take 300MB at the very most.

If you don't know, or can't tell the difference between blu-ray 1080 and downloaded HD than I can't help you. And when you quadruple the data required to get to 4K video, you have something that won't be practical to download.

Seriously have you ever watched something on Blu-Ray?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc

Dolby Digital - 640 kbps
Linear PCM - 27Mbps
Dolby True HD - 18.64Mbps

Again you have multiple language tracks on the typical Blu-ray so if you're delivering English, French, German and Italian you've got to take the codec you use and multiple that track by the amount of languages you're supporting. Those files get REALLY large.

I own several Blu-ray movies and it is the superior video technology but even run of the mill 4k coming is going to outdo the best Blu-ray can offer today.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

Who really needs the drive anyway, i have hardly used mine. Everything I get is off the internet, the last time I bought a disc based movie was when the The Dark Knight came out and of course Diamond Edition Disney Blu Rays for my daughters, but thats it. Everything is downloadable now, and you can even load onto a thumb drive for that matter too.

I see your point but this was still a little too early for some of us, including me. Near me now, I have a stack of new CDs I bought from Amazon.com with music that was not available on iTunes nor Amazon downloads, old King Crimson and some other stuff I really like. I need to be able to rip those to iTunes using an optical drive. Fortunately, my 2011 iMac has one.

I also have a library of DVD TV show to watch and I like doing this with the 27" iMac in my bedroom in the evening so I don't disturb my precious parrots who need their beauty rest, with the television going keeping them awake.

I know the move to digital media is the way to go and generally speaking I embrace it too with new purchases where possible. The time of transition means a lot of people can still use the older tech is the thing. So while you see no use for it personally, others such as myself do have use for it still.

Hopefully, by the time I am shopping for my next new iMac it'll be less of an issue. I'll have watched all the old shows and ripped all the CDs. If not, I guess I'll need to spring for an external optical drive then.