external CD DVD drive for my new M1 iMac

We are getting Mrs AJ a new iMac soon and I am considering this external unit:

OWC Mercury Pro 24X Super-Multi DVD/CD Burner/Reader External Optical Drive with M-DISC Support

Its specs are modern including USB-3 speed. It costs about the same as Apple's geriatric USB-2 SuperDrive (SD) which has not been updated since 2012. 😳

In addition:

• Tray-loading optical drives are far more reliable than slot-load drives like the Apple SD
• The one I'm considering has an independent power supply; the Super Drive does not. Many SuperDrive complaints we see here are due to low-power issues caused by the SD's only power source being as USB port on the host computer.
• The shared power/data cord on the SD cannot be easily repaired should your puppy chew through the cable. You'll be buying a new drive if that happens
• The separate power and data cables used on most external power supplies are user-replaceable for the cost of about 2-3 trips to the local barista. And the puppy does not need to find a new home.
• The one I'm considering is is considerably faster than the Apple SD.

Like the SD, you will need the USB to USB-adaptor fo the one I'm considering as tbirdvet points out:

USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

or

OWC USB-A to USB-C (USB 3) Adapter Cable

I usually prefer Apple stuff but cannot in good conscience recommend the badly outdated SD to owners of newer Macs.

I'd suggest looking at Pioneer optical drives. I have one of them and it works perfectly on both of my iMacs. (The newer version of the one I have is the BDR-XD08S; and it includes a USB-C cable.)

Most drives will work. You may need a USB-A to USB-C adapter similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Anker-High-Speed-Transfer-Notebook/dp/B08HZ6PS61/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2P5D6A2Z67DVQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FMFUWKc99e3bkyWg9QaXz4v5Nh5aTGQuzyIGFp1cwX_TNnAU-7O5xaRBN-EwHfVgxLnPQxgPApB_juM8fD6oFyi5j-9S2SPgKRxcY9tMNO0iJ_QUAf6eO0lRVY6LrDwryyb4T3OCMkaeI_g9A2o2TiXbMy6N5rH8vtfIsZ9bNpXZ09HZZ6iEiIeW7rmpWtmm1j0ziMQimFc9JPlzAtBW3VkgSiYjs5qpXcg8hX3jcqw.vbkIFnpCH20yLVElZ1Z581SoklRmuWnxYPtCXIpBE2w&dib_tag=se&keywords=usba+to+usbc+adapter&qid=1705755304&sprefix=usba+to+usbc+adapter%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-4.