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I dont see it gone for at least 10 years as there are a lot of people in areas of the united states that dont have the ability to use broadband internet they use a telephone dial up for there internet...


I think someone's due for an upgrade!!!
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If Apple really is against adopting Blu-Ray, the need for optical drives is diminishing faster for them than for other laptop makers. I'm guessing they will start phasing it out in the next couple years.

Hopefully, as other people are saying, they will start giving an option for an optical drive or an extra hard drive bay in the next refresh. That would be a good phase out procedure and keep people on both sides of the fence happy.
 
I don't think so. Perhaps there will start to be an option for a optical drive-less MBP soon, which will feature dual HDD or dual SSDs (kind of like the Mac Mini Server version).

I know people who use the optical drive all the time, usually for movies.

In other words, they may slowly start to be phased out, but there won't be a sudden change where they are no longer included.
 
I dont need to upgrade i have a mid 2010 macbook pro 13 and a late 09 mac mini. my thing is why force people that need the optical as they dont have the ability to have broadband for netflix and the apple tv streaming and downloading with the old apple tv as it would take days for movies for them to download or even stream. plus have you used a usb or firewire based optical drive i have on a netbook and it was clucky i would rather have it in the computer
 
Giving customers the option to choose for themselves is the most appealing. I'm not sure if it can be done without a significant price hike ($30-50) to a single, modular design. With the millions of Macs that are produced annually it must be a logistical nightmare to add another customization to the significant drive bay that current holds an optical drive. Regardless of how much customers would love this option, sometimes it just doesn't make business sense. My 2 cents.
 
I think the optical drives will still be with us until the next Macbook hardware refresh. A dual HDD/SSD option along with better graphics and bigger battery would be awesome. Especially in the 13" factor and then Apple can include a second fan too for better cooling when the up the CPU and GPU. Definetely looking forward for the 1440x900 13" too :).
 
I think the optical drives will still be with us until the next Macbook hardware refresh. A dual HDD/SSD option along with better graphics and bigger battery would be awesome. Especially in the 13" factor and then Apple can include a second fan too for better cooling when the up the CPU and GPU. Definetely looking forward for the 1440x900 13" too :).

Then it could rightfully claim back its PRO status.

C2D, integrated graphics... nothing much Pro about the current 13"
 
A dual HDD/SSD option along with better graphics and bigger battery would be awesome. Especially in the 13" factor and then Apple can include a second fan too for better cooling when the up the CPU and GPU. Definetely looking forward for the 1440x900 13" too :).

lol how much space do you think the optical drive consumes?

You can have another hard drive (heck you could do that right now).
You can have a bigger battery.
You could have a longer PCB and another fan.

But not all three. It's physically impossible with the current layout.
 
Why not a 32gb boot disk for system, scratch and apps...then a platter for standard storage? Cheap and easy. Eliminate the od, go i3 or i5 and better gpu.
 
I think someone's due for an upgrade!!!
a155_a7g.jpg

I still have dialup, 24kbps dialup and there is no other option for me except satellite which is $80 a month and $500 for the equipment.

Apple will never let you choose a superdrive vs something else because that would require a whole new set of unibodies without the slot in the side. Pretty much requiring twice the inventory to keep both available. Some of you need to understand how they are made, you cant just take stuff out and throw something else in like using cut and paste...
 
I still have dialup, 24kbps dialup and there is no other option for me except satellite which is $80 a month and $500 for the equipment.

Apple will never let you choose a superdrive vs something else because that would require a whole new set of unibodies without the slot in the side. Pretty much requiring twice the inventory to keep both available. Some of you need to understand how they are made, you cant just take stuff out and throw something else in like using cut and paste...

unfortunately Apple is well known for leaving users behind if that opens a larger market for them. so you might be out of luck in a year. also apple will make the point that you can have a MBP without OD but with an external Superdrive or an iMac.

I'm surprised that the satellite option is only $80/month considering that standard internet cable is around $40. what is the speed with satellite?
 
well last time i heard it was bad for either download or upload cant remember i think its the one that is download it takes 24 hours to stream a movie as its like under the lowest of the low broadband speed
 
I dont know what the speeds are, you can look the two companies up - Hughesnet and I think Windstream. There are cheaper packages of it but they are useless, the $80 one is the only one that can support console gaming and they werent 100% positive that it could. No point in getting a little faster internet for that price if I cant do what I need/want with it.
 
lol how much space do you think the optical drive consumes?

You can have another hard drive (heck you could do that right now).
You can have a bigger battery.
You could have a longer PCB and another fan.

But not all three. It's physically impossible with the current layout.

I wouldn't say that. The OD takes up more space than you think. Almost as much as the logic board. There is still quite a bit of space left even after adding a second had drive. Lots of wasted space even from the optibay adapter. Besides the PCB can shrink a bit more.

I'd like to see the logic board sit in the back and stretch left to right so there can be ports on both sides with 2 fans. 2 HDD/SSDs in each of the front corners and then the custom battery can be in the middle so there will even balance and symmetry since that is what Jobs likes anyways :p.
 
I really hope they get rid of it in a separate line of Macbook Pros or a special one-off MBP. But I doubt any time soon will they ever get rid of the Superdrive.
 
My guess is April. It'd be a huge MBP line upgrade. I bought the new Air last month and the SuperDrive, and barely use the SuperDrive. So, im glad I didn't get the MBP because it would have been a waste of space for me.
 
We should probably wait and see how the Mac App Store and the new Software-on-USB-Drive (from factory) thing works out first.

This. I think Apple will be testing the waters with the mac app store in order to create an enviroment that will make user comfortable without the optical drive before actually phasing it out across the Pro line.
 
This. I think Apple will be testing the waters with the mac app store in order to create an enviroment that will make user comfortable without the optical drive before actually phasing it out across the Pro line.

Regarding the ODD... I don't know how much more "comfortable" users need to be than what they already are today. As of now, you either use the damn thing or you don't. Heavy users will never let it to go and those that use it sparingly will get an external or do without it entirely.

But my guess is that Apple won't remove it unless they need the room for something else that users will use all the time and greatly enhances the MBP. (Other than longer battery life or a thinner body). SSD+HD combo perhaps.
 
How would you listen to your newly bought CD then? If you have no dedicated stereo you're screwed AND don't come with the "blabla you can buy the album on itunes blabla", mp3 at 256kbps or even 320kbps? No thanks.
 
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