Q: No DVD drive in new iMac ???

Then buy a machine with a DVD drive, most likely that will be a Windows machine.

Apple offers me plenty. Still would use it over Windows because of iMovie and FCPX. But Apple also excelled in making things user-friendly. Now one had to buy a few extra attachments that were once standard.

Very deep.   I do not live in the future and I am glad so see that you have the environment to do so.

My business is in the bright light of the day.

Appreciate the input.

Apple's solution of buy extra attachments may be a solution, but to be honest, a very messy one. 

People got hooked on Macs for their all in one presense, neat, tidy and uncluttered.   Able to fit into a normal tidy home without dominating the environment.  

Your solution, while practical, meets none of these qualities and I suspect most people would prefer to avoid the congestion. I will pony up the money, I suppose.

I've discussed the new iMac in numerous Mac forums, and many think the new iMac

is dysfunctional.  People are astonished to find that this "all in one" has no

optical drive, and feel that it was removed prematurely, for the sake of pushing

consumers towards purchasing more content from apple.  The argument that the

optical drive is antiquated is ludicrous.  There are still $billions in sales of

videos, audio, and software.  I often use the the super drive in my 2011 iMac to

rip CD's, burn movies, burn playlists, give photos and videos to friends, etc.

Of course you can buy an external drive, and hang one more ugly piece of

equipment from you iMac, but you shouldn't have to.

And the SD card reader is located on the back?  Really?  Now that's convenient.

And no USB ports in a convenient location either?  That's ridiculous.  I have

two USB extension cables running from the back of my iMac, just so I can have

quick access to a USB port.  Most people I've conversed with don't give a crap

about how thin the new iMac is -- It still looks the same from the front.

Give me 1" iMac with an optical drive and some conveniently placed ports, and

then I'll consider purchasing one.  I plan on keeping my 2011 for as long as

possible.

Yes, and they don't place all of the USB ports and SD card slots on the back like Apple.

Brilliant!

Maybe Apple has deemed that USB ports and SD card slots are antiquated like optical disks.  Then you will REALLY have to purchase all of your digital content online from vendors like, oh I don't know -- Apple.

You actually like how Apple gutted iMovie 10?  I am still astonished that in iMovie 10, you enter Preferences, and there are literally 2 options!  Gutted is not the word.  Oh that's right -- Streamlined, like all of the other iLife applications.

zB

You are assuming that your requirements are important, but they are only important to you. I have seen your threads on 'other boards', and the reactions of the moderators of those boards.

Buy an external drive and move on, or don't, just use what you have, or send feedback to Apple, maybe they will take note of you. Or there is always Windows, mired as they are in the past they will be right up your alley.

Happy New Year (if you can live with 'new')

zBernie2 wrote:

 

Yes, and they don't place all of the USB ports and SD card slots on the back like Apple.

 

Brilliant!

 

Maybe Apple has deemed that USB ports and SD card slots are antiquated like optical disks.  Then you will REALLY have to purchase all of your digital content online from vendors like, oh I don't know -- Apple.

Never seen an external drive with USB ports and card slots on the back zB

Perhaps you can enlighten us.

Csound1 is easily confused.  I was referring to the all-in-one computer.  Apple is the ONLY manufacturer that does not place ANY USB ports and or SD card slots in a convenient location, i.e., they are ALL on the back of the new iMac.  Very convenient -- For Apple!

But of course Apple juice drinking devotes will make excuses for this, along with the premature demise of the optical drive.

zBernie2 

The argument that the optical drive is antiquated is ludicrous.  There are still $billions in sales of videos, audio, and software.

Apple reflects the market demand for optical, which outside of data archiving is smaller and smaller and smaller every quarter.

Most movie content has moved online.

almost ALL audio content has moved online.

nearly 100% of software has moved online.

That "billions" in sales you refer to in Vid/ Audio/ Software,...  collectively between all 3, is now 80% online

Suggest checking facts before making  claims.

There is still 100s of millions in demand for reel to reel tape backup too, ....this however also doesnt imply or relate to the consumer market.

I think if zB did that PlotinusVeritas then he would have absolutely noting to say.

Wouldn't that be loverly?

Allan

You are the one making baseless claims.

Six Reasons Why DVDs Still Make Money -- And Won't Die Anytime Soon

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dadehayes/2013/07/08/six-reasons-why-dvds-still-make -money-and-wont-die-anytime-soon/

Well Allan,    its a lack of the realization of what things are, and that a super-thick Panasonic (which makes the superdrive) doesnt go with the superthin form factor of the Imac.

Having repaired many Superdrives, they are rather complex, several moving parts, loader, laser assy and screw-rail

Superdrive

Often is the case that the laser lens gets dirty, and no easy way to clean it since its a slot loader.

Fewer the parts, the more reliable, as such the Imac is better off logically without an internal Superdrive.

The sensible option is to remove the HIGH failure point from the Imac,..... being the Superdrive and make it external....so in case the superdrive has an issue, you dont need to service the entire Imac. This is logical, this is sensible, this is best for the consumer.

Since I probably burn more DVD blanks (data archives and distributions of same) than everyone in this thread collectively most likely, ....burning around 300 DVD a month with 3 replicators 1 x 8 towers I know the value of DVDs  

I currently have 6000+  JVC Taiyo Yuden blanks awaiting future burning.  

However most consumer and Prosumer DVD use is data archiving or commercial production for limited use (weddings, archival footage, archiving vital data).

People who dont realize that while DVDs are extremely vital for this limited market (as I mention 4 or 5 pages ago) , the 95% bulk of overall DVD use has gone online.

or as meant 80% of commercial Audio / Video / Software

Such a disconnect on the part of some to realize this fact is just a lack of research.

zBernie2

I suggest you read your own article, most of which is about BLURAY.... Apple never has had a bluray player/ burner....

as such your example is about someting that never was IN any Apple product ever made.

againt, do research.

The main use and currently only "developing" (expanding) market for single/dual layer DVD use is for data archiving important media

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6031

DVD professional archival media

Drawbacks:

1. DVD single-layer disks are limited to 4.7Gigabytes of data.

2. DVD media are, given rough handling, prone to scratches and light-degradation if not stored correctly.

Advantages:

1. Archival DVD professional blank media is rated for in excess of 100+ years.

2. DVD is not subject to mechanical breakdown.

3. DVD archival media is not subject to ferromagnetic degradation.

4. DVD archival media correctly sleeved and stored is currently a supreme storage method of archiving vital data.

5. DVD media is once written and therefore free of data corruption if the write is correct.

6. DVD media is the perfect ideal for “freezing” and isolating old copies of data for reference in case newer generations of data become corrupted and an older copy is needed to revert to.

7. Best-idealized 4^th platform redundancy for data protection.

8. *Level-3 (highest) security of your vital data. 

[*Level-4 data security under development as once-written metallic plates and synthetic sapphire and likewise ultra-long-term data storage]

Hey PlotinusVeritas, I am on your side.

I agree with what you are saying. I think that Apple plan to do away with optical drive is another one of their decision where they are just ahead of everyone else like they were with the floppies.

Allan