Death of built-in optical for macbooks?
Would you care if in-built optical was removed from the entire macbook line?
I barely ever use mine these days and would happly go for the external drive option instead (or the new remote drive option - forget the name).
If the optical drive was to go:
- would you prefer a thinner form factor?
- would you prefer a bigger/second battery?
- would you prefer a increased storage?
I can see different possibilities dependent on the macbook type...all positive.
Get rid of it I say
I barely ever use mine these days and would happly go for the external drive option instead (or the new remote drive option - forget the name).
If the optical drive was to go:
- would you prefer a thinner form factor?
- would you prefer a bigger/second battery?
- would you prefer a increased storage?
I can see different possibilities dependent on the macbook type...all positive.
Get rid of it I say
Comments
More importantly...I want to be able to install programs that require an optical drive...without wondering if theres gonna be another pc on my network to be able to do such a thing. I still feel optical drives are very important and without them id feel limited. Besides the macbook pro is only 1" thick and has a dvd burner in it...im sure they can manage to get it even thinner.
No, keep it in the main computers, your iMacs, your Pros, your MB and your MBP. When the day does come that we can truly see a transition away from optical media (should that ever occur) then Apple will drop it from the laptops entirely.
I have an external DVD/RW anyway, so I'm not sure I would miss the internal drive that much.
Nway if u you dont use optical drive, what do you use your MB for? If your reason is because you want it to be thinner then you might as well get the MBA. Geez
I buy 10-20 CDs per month. How else am I gonna get them on my Mac?
You can transfer it wirelessly to your MBA via another PC (must have wireless network card)/Apple product (all Apple desktop and laptop has build in WiFi)!!! Sigh.....so inconvenient.
And with 1 usb port, it make stuffs even more inconvenient.
You can transfer it wirelessly to your MBA via another PC (must have wireless network card)/Apple product (all Apple desktop and laptop has build in WiFi)!!! Sigh.....so inconvenient.
And with 1 usb port, it make stuffs even more inconvenient.
And is all you have is the one computer your fubar, plus your answer isn't a solution it's an excuse. The idea of loosing optical is unrealistic, and exceedingly expensive. Optical will switch to Blu Ray not to Zer0 optical.
There seems to be a concerted effort by both Microsoft and Apple to kill optical media in favor of digital downloads. That’s great for their financial bottom-lines, but bad for the rest of us (at least at this stage of media storage development). Apple has really disappointed me in this regard. Where are the Blu-ray drives that Apple has talked about integrating into their computers since Macworld 2005? Where are the software upgrades that will allow us to record our high definition video to HDM? There seems to be a conflict of interest within Apple regarding the business direction it should take. It is thinking less like a computer company and more like a downloadable Blockbuster for the “Y” generation.
No thanks. We are not there yet. As a creative professional specializing in photography and video, I NEED optical media for archiving my content as well as burning video for personal and professional use. There are simply too many reasons that would require me to use my optical media device.
I hate to say this, but I personally hope the MBA and AppleTV fails miserably. Not because I think they are poor ideas, but because Apple has lost sight of what the consumers want/need versus what they and Microsoft are trying to force on us.
What a ridiculous idea.
There seems to be a concerted effort by both Microsoft and Apple to kill optical media in favor of digital downloads. That’s great for their financial bottom-lines, but bad for the rest of us (at least at this stage of media storage development). Apple has really disappointed me in this regard. Where are the Blu-ray drives that Apple has talked about integrating into their computers since Macworld 2005? Where are the software upgrades that will allow us to record our high definition video to HDM? There seems to be a conflict of interest within Apple regarding the business direction it should take. It is thinking less like a computer company and more like a downloadable Blockbuster for the “Y” generation.
No thanks. We are not there yet. As a creative professional specializing in photography and video, I NEED optical media for archiving my content as well as burning video for personal and professional use. There are simply too many reasons that would require me to use my optical media device.
I hate to say this, but I personally hope the MBA and AppleTV fails miserably. Not because I think they are poor ideas, but because Apple has lost sight of what the consumers want versus what they and Microsoft are trying to force on us.
Apple said Macs would have Blu Ray drives in 2005? I don't recall Apple ever saying anything about that, but I guess you do.
Blu ray drives are not practical yet. As I went into this earlier in the thread. Although this is not Apples fault. #1 Blu Ray only burns at 2X speed, and the drives are $400.00. If you want to install one there is nothing stopping you. But at $14.00 a pop for a 25GB disk, and having to worry about burn failures I wouldn't attempt it. Also. @ 2X speed the original Superdrive would burn themselves out if using for prolonged periods of time, and a single 4GB disk at 2X burn speed took Over 2 hours to burn. Imaging trying to burn a 25 or 50 GB disk. The drive will likely be dead after just a few disks. Anyway. I just don't think I'll be getting a BRD until they are at 8x burn speed.
Apple said Macs would have Blu Ray drives in 2005? I don't recall Apple ever saying anything about that, but I guess you do.
Blu-ray Disc Association Welcomes Apple to Its Board of Directors
CUPERTINO, California—March 10, 2005—The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced that Apple® will become a member of the consortium’s Board of Directors. Apple has been a leader in driving consumer adoption of DVD authoring since January 2001, with the introduction of its SuperDrive™, the industry’s first high-volume CD- and DVD-burning drive, and its revolutionary iDVD® and DVD Studio Pro® software applications. Apple is also helping bring High Definition (HD) to market with a complete line of HD content creation tools for consumers and professionals alike including iMovie® HD, Final Cut® Express HD and Final Cut Pro® HD editing software.
Additionally the next release of Apple’s QuickTime® software, QuickTime 7, will feature the MPEG developed H.264 Advanced Video Codec (AVC) which has been adopted for high definition DVDs. Apple will release QuickTime 7 in conjunction with the release of Mac OS® X version 10.4 “Tiger,” the fifth major version of Mac OS X that will ship in the first half of 2005.
“Apple is pleased to join the Blu-ray Disc Association board as part of our efforts to drive consumer adoption of HD,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Consumers are already creating stunning HD content with Apple’s leading video editing applications like iMovie HD and are anxiously awaiting a way to burn their own high def DVDs.”
“Apple has a long history of technical innovation around DVD hardware and software, and their support of the Blu-ray Disc format is a testament to their commitment of ongoing innovation. The Blu-ray Disc format provides the immense capacity and the revolutionary functionality that Apple’s loyal customer base will be sure to enjoy,” said Maureen Weber, chief BDA spokesperson and general manager of HP's Optical Storage Solutions Business. “We’re thrilled about Apple joining our 16-member board, and we look forward to working with them on the development and promotion of the Blu-ray Disc format.”
I think there may be a misunderstanding. I didn't say Apple would integrate BD drives into their hardware sometime in 2005, only that they were committed to doing so in the immediate future. Well, it's been almost three years since that initial statement and Apple is still dragging their feet on this.
The same way I rip multiple DVD's each week: on my external optical drive. It's both faster and quieter then the internal drives found in all the MacBooks, which by the way, are pretty crappy drives to begin with.
You need an internal optical drive; I don't. I would actually like the BTO on the MacBooks.
Blu-ray Disc Association Welcomes Apple to Its Board of Directors
I think there may be a misunderstanding. I didn't say Apple would integrate BD drives into their hardware sometime in 2005, only that they were committed to doing so in the immediate future. Well, it's been almost three years since that initial statement and Apple is still dragging their feet on this.
And I'm saying Apple isn't dragging their feet on anything. The drives are not practical at this time. Chances are they are going to be prone to breakdowns. They are also too expensive as is the media. Apple isn't going intentionally install a product that they know will cause more user vs. Apple lawsuits. There is nothing stopping you from putting a Blu Ray drive in your Mac your self.
"I buy 10-20 CDs per month. How else am I gonna get them on my Mac?"
The same way I rip multiple DVD's each week: on my external optical drive. It's both faster and quieter then the internal drives found in all the MacBooks, which by the way, are pretty crappy drives to begin with.
You need an internal optical drive; I don't. I would actually like the BTO on the MacBooks.
Who says he wants to lug a drive with him everywhere that he wants to use an optical disk? Why should he be forced to do that? Because you do it? I personally hate Apple AIO policy when it comes to desktops, but I think it's the only way to produce a laptop. They are travel oriented products. The less things to carry the better.
And I'm saying Apple isn't dragging their feet on anything. The drives are not practical at this time. Chances are they are going to be prone to breakdowns. They are also too expensive as is the media. Apple isn't going intentionally install a product that they know will cause more user vs. Apple lawsuits. There is nothing stopping you from putting a Blu Ray drive in your Mac your self.
Not practical? No offense, but let me be the judge of that. Sure, the discs are outrageously expensive, but for my professional applications, I still find a need for them. There are thousands of us that have been anxiously waiting for BD drives since early 2007. I bought my first BD drive in November 2006. Besides, it’s people such as myself that will eventually drive down the cost of blank HDM discs.
And no, I don’t want to install such a drive myself. A BTO option could easily be incorporated into a build configuration queue to allow folks such as you to opt for the standard superdrive.
Additionally, my primary anger towards Apple is not its lack of hardware support, but software. There are always external drives from other companies that I can go to. However, as a Final Cut Studio user, that routinely edits HD video, to have no means to burn the final product to HD disc is unacceptable. What good is editing in HD if there is no way to view it on my HDTV?
You can transfer it wirelessly to your MBA via another PC (must have wireless network card)/Apple product (all Apple desktop and laptop has build in WiFi)!!! Sigh.....so inconvenient.
And with 1 usb port, it make stuffs even more inconvenient.
This response is baffling.
On the one hand, you called out justinf's idea "stupid", then when someone agreed because they have a need to transfer data/music from CDs to their computer you shoot them down too (even going so far as to dragging the MBA into this thread, which it's explicitly not about).
Someone has already raised the extremely valid point that a person's *only* computer may, in fact, be their Macbook and they don't need it for its "ultra portability" but more for it's "all-in-one" form factor. That means that your advice re: using another computer to aid in transferring data is useless.
So, in light of your flip=flopping sides I'm curious whether your posts are serious, or what your reasoning is.
Not practical? No offense, but let me be the judge of that. ................................
Be the judge of it. Is it practical to buy a new $400.00 BR Drive after you burn 3 BD's in a row? You be the judge. If you want practicality buy one. What's your problem? Are your arms painted on?
Be the judge of it. Is it practical to buy a new $400.00 BR Drive after you burn 3 BD's in a row? You be the judge. If you want practicality buy one.
{sigh} onlooker, this is getting silly. I have never had a drive failure with any of my drives nor have I heard anyone bring this up as a potential concern or problem with HDM hardware. Not saying that it can?t happen, but it seems, in this case, that you are making the proverbial mountain out a simple molehill.
What's your problem? Are your arms painted on?
Huh? Discussion over.