I may expect that in the upcoming years this trend may continue with the other laptops. Just as Apple killed the floppy disk, it is killing the optical drive, one step at a time. I'd rather have a smaller and lighter laptop or more disk or battery capacity, than an optical drive. So I hope this is a trend that will continue and all other manufacturers will follow.
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zaterdag 23 oktober 2010
Apple is killing off the optical drive just like the floppy disk
With the release of the new MacBook Air we are one step closer to killing off the cd-rom and the dvd. As with the previous MacBook Air, this device has no optical drive. And that is a good thing. People do not need an optical drive. You have the network and you have USB disks. They are faster, more reliable and have more capacity.
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Don't see any point in this. Can't tell how many flash drives i have killed by now.
Must be well over 10. Flash isn't always as reliable as you might be told. Or i'm just too much of a Power User.
Thin design may be sexy to some point, but what about flexibility and connectivity ? Can't say i like Apples Computers although i like their iPhone.
Apples computers always had that feeling for me of paying waaaaaay too much for less power you get elsewhere and the lack of software compared to Linux or especially Windows.
Personally i'd compare the MBA to a Porsche Competition upgrade: paying more money for less. Don't see any point in that...if i want my windscreen wipers removed i do that on my own and not pay porsche 20.000€ for "weight saving measures"
A DVD-Drive per today is a must have for me.
There is a difference between the type of flash used in USB sticks and SSD drives. USB devices use cheaper flash that have a limited amount of write cycles. It depend on your usage of these drives how long they will last. A small USB Hard drive may sometimes be more reliable in that regard or use higher quality sticks.
Why are DVDs so important to you? What do you use them for?
Regarding apple vs. Windows: the question is nog how much software is available. It is abouw the avalability of software you need. i personally don't need much software, most of it is shipped with the mac and what i do need is available.
I admit that you may get more horsepower for the same money but horsepower or specs alone isn't the whole story.
It is also about how stuff work and build quality.
Hi,
well, i know that there is a difference between those two. I myself am already using 3 different SSDs (Vertex 2, Intel X25-G2 and a Patriot Torx M28).
I like SSDs but i don't favor USB Sticks to DVDs for example if it comes to installing a OS or when you go to a friend and he's got that new album you wanted to get too.
Then a DVD Drive is nice to have so you can rip the music.
DVDs to me are easier to handle for installing a OS. Linux doesn't make it easy being installed from a USB Stick.
About the apple topic: for me they are bullshitting people mostly. My Mom has been Applist since the IILC and i grew up with them as well, but paying 2700€ for a Macbook Pro which then had less power than my Acer for 1949€ is just not acceptable.
Now take another thing into that calculation: her notebook exploded literally when the accu died + her DVD Drive is already dead the second time.
Warranty is one year for a 2700€ luxury notebook ??? Are these idiots kidding me ? Then they wanted her to pay 49€ to open "a case" + 380€ for the DVD Drive and 88€ per hour for exchanging it.
After threatening with lawyers they at least changed the accu for free, but thats about it.
Don't see a point in buying a product like this at all even though it looks nice. Looks are not everything, especially when you need your Laptop for work like she does.
Now she's buying herself a nice looking Acer with aluminium parts, 3 times the power of a Macbook and for about 1900€ she gets way more out of it.
PS: my acer is still running without flaws since 4 years now. Don't like the case...its cheap, but hey, it works.
The only 2 advantages i'd admit to a mac are its ease of use and the looks. The rest is just not worth the money.
And build quality ? Take a look into apples history of epic fails. You'll see that their quality does not outperform real business hardware like the IBM Notebooks then.
PPS: Interesting blog of yours. Just migrating from a QNAP TS809 to a selfmade server using MDADM and cryptsetup :)
Was searching for some help and user experiences.
This one is not hard to call. Though there will be always a niche-market for DVDs/Bluray drives in computing, the majority of users simply won't need a DVD drive and from a cost/benefit perspective it's not hard to see why manufactures including the OEMs will eventually depreciate the whole drive all together. DVDs start to feel like 'old technology' and a clumsy way to backup files compared to NAS/ and online backup tools. So yeah, let's pull the trigger :)
@Benjamn
The two examples you provide when a DVD is required are:
1. Installing an operating system
2. ripping CD's or DVD's.
At least Mac OS X is going to be sold on USB disks I recall. I don't know for sure but Windows 7 can also easily be installed from USB, and Linux is not a mac-like experience, but it is not that difficult. There are some tools for this. But still, it is not as easy as a ready-to-use DVD. However, installation times will drop siginificantly with removable flash devices. Optical media have a horrendous latency that makes them horribly slow. It is just a matter of time.
Regarding ripping of audio CD's or Video. All my audio and video is digital or obtained in a digital format (itunes, or other sources). How often is it required to rip a CD or DVD. And would it suit your needs if you would have an external optical drive that you could attach only when necessary? For me it would.
I literally never see anybody use their DVD/CDrom drives.
Regarding the mac hardware you were discussing. That's a case of bad luck I guess. Based on reports on consumer satisfaction, Apple wins hands down over all other manufacturers. Especially acer, which in Holland is a synonym for very low quality and high return rate hardware.
I know a guy who had to use his warranty two times but he is still happy.
Because macs just work and the whole build quality and robustness is outstanding.
You live only once. Do you want to spend that life on messing with low-quality stuff that causes suffering. Or do you want to enjoy using computers?
@iBurger
It isn't really a special observation, but I just long to see this medium die. The sooner the better.
External drives, flash based, are the future. And that's not difficult to see.
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