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Will the iMac lose its optical drive in the next 12 months?
- Thread starter YanniDepp
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It's definitely coming. Look what they did with the new Mini though, they pulled the optical drive, but that allowed for more options--faster processors, dual hard drives, upgraded graphics cards, and a lower price point.
If you (or anyone) needs to burn physical discs, there are plenty of external options available. There are also a lot of people who want Blu Ray capability--along with a lot of people who don't care about things like that. By removing the optical drive altogether, it lets the end user decide what they want or need without building space/cost consuming options that are quickly fading from necessity into the machine.
It might become a little bit more inconvenient to burn home movies to disc, but with room for upgraded CPU's & GPU's they will become a whole lot easier to create in the first place.
I doubt it will happen in the next 12 months, they can sort-of justify it in a Macbook Air or a Mini due to the size. That argument doesn't hold up as much in an iMac as theres a lot more internal volume in the current model.
I think it will happen eventually though, possibly in the next big design change or the one after (in an attempt by Apple make the iMac even thinner) Thats just a guess though and my personal opinion.
Luckily though you can still get external optical drives!
The best answer I can tell you is that I don't know.
My personal opinion is that it will happen, eventually. When that is, no one really knows other than the people at Apple working on the iMac.
My personal opinion is that it will happen, eventually. When that is, no one really knows other than the people at Apple working on the iMac.
Optical Drives Imac
I can see this happening, and it might not be such a bad thing if you think about it.
Card reader, Optical drive (takes most space) can all be dealt with by A) adding more USB ports and B) supplying as an option.
Okay, I can hear you screaming about Apple profit.....But it does make sense.
It won't affect those of us who already have drives, and if they can add something with extra functionality then I'd be happy.
Antway, this baby is supposed to be my last...
I can see this happening, and it might not be such a bad thing if you think about it.
Card reader, Optical drive (takes most space) can all be dealt with by A) adding more USB ports and B) supplying as an option.
Okay, I can hear you screaming about Apple profit.....But it does make sense.
It won't affect those of us who already have drives, and if they can add something with extra functionality then I'd be happy.
Antway, this baby is supposed to be my last...
My guess is yes, it will be gone in the next refresh. I'm thinking that now Apple has a way to restore with a DVD, it'll remove the "outdated" optical drives from their computers. Maybe the new model Mac Pro will save some space by removing it as well.
Apple could have done all that stuff with the 2010 Mini's but didn't. The space the ODD took up in the 2011 Mini is still empty, unless its the Server Mini.
Apple could have done all that stuff with the 2010 Mini's but didn't. The space the ODD took up in the 2011 Mini is still empty, unless its the Server Mini.
highly doubt it will lose the optical drive that soon. the ones that have lost it have such smaller form factors. There's no excuse in a spatial sense to remove the optical drive from such a large all in one form factor.
Not anytime soon.
MBP def will in next revision; space is at a premium - more options would become available. The iMac already has dual HDD/SSD and discrete graphics.
MBP def will in next revision; space is at a premium - more options would become available. The iMac already has dual HDD/SSD and discrete graphics.
Sandy Bridge processors weren't available in 2010, they could have made a minor upgrade, but it would've increased cost without adding much performance.
The 2011's offer a lot of options. You're right, if you want it packed to the gills you'll buy the server model, or do it yourself. But you have multiple choices throughout for BTO. The server does represent the best value of them all for anyone looking for upgraded performance.