Q: No DVD drive in new iMac ???

I feel like they jumped the gun way too soon on the technology leap. Yes someone earlier said the 1998 no floppy drive nightmare. Which was a nightmare. When 99% of software is still on disks, and the software you own and want to install on a new machine is all on disks, it is pretty freaking problematic to have to buy ALL new software via VSSD all over again just because apple wants to be ahead of the curve too soon. I get it and I get the design idea but it's too early, no one has the money to just buy their entire software library all over again especially us production people. And people wonder why there is rampant internet piracy, this is not going to help one bit.

noyaloco wrote:

 

I feel like they jumped the gun way too soon on the technology leap.

Some people do, others don't, it's an opinion.

noyaloco wrote:

 

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When 99% of software is still on disks, and the software you own and want to install on a new machine is all on disks, it is pretty freaking problematic to have to buy ALL new software via VSSD all over again just because apple wants to be ahead of the curve too soon. I get it and I get the design idea but it's too early, no one has the money to just buy their entire software library all over again especially us production people.

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Why would anyone in their right mind pay perhaps thousands of dollars to get their software delivered on a new media when a $50 portable USB DVD drive would allow them to install from their original DVDs?  Makes no sense to me.

Being that tax refunds are due soon, I had planned on purchasing a new iMac to replace my 3 year old iMac.  I went onto the Apple Store web site to check them out.  I noticed the 27" monitor was thin and sweet looking, but I asked myself, "Where did they fit in the DVD/CD/(Blueray maybe?) drive?"  I did a search inquiry regarding the new iMac and read that there was no DVD/CD/nor blueray drive. That *****! I enjoy watching DVD movies I rent from "Redbox" on my iMac. I also prefer software on a CD. The 27" touch screen computers I've seen at "Best Buy" are looking really good right now.

mardiv73 wrote:

The 27" touch screen computers I've seen at "Best Buy" are looking really good right now.

If all you do is watch DvD's, why not just get a DvD player for your telly ?

Otherwise, get yourself an iMac. For a start the displays are a million times better than a PC monitor. I bought a Dell Ultrasharp for my Macbook Pro because of the rave reviews and the fact that it was half the price of an Apple Thunderbolt. I wholly regret it now because the Dell just never gets the brightness, crispness of colour accuracy of the Mac. I've tried a million different calibrations and the quality's just dull.

Get yourself a new iMac and stick a DvD drive onto it.

I think doing away with the dvd is a mistake too. I have programs and games on dvd and would not want to use external drives to achieve the results. Sleak design is one thing - practicality is another. I, for one, will not be purchasing a new imac.

This lack of a DVD/Blueray Drive is worrying.  I've just looked at the game Farcry 3 on the PSN website (for my PS3).

I found there the full game available as a download from that site.  The BDR version I can get in my local supermarket for £39.95.  On PSN the same game to download was about 30% dearer - a stonking £59.99! 

You can see where this is going can't you?  If they can remove the competition, the Disk Distributors, they'll be able to charge full price - and then some - for always.  No more us being able to wait until the price drops a bit, or for when someone like Asda/Walmart get a batch in with a smaller profit margin to pass on us.

El Deanio wrote:

 

This lack of a DVD/Blueray Drive is worrying.  I've just looked at the game Farcry 3 on the PSN website (for my PS3).

 

I found there the full game available as a download from that site.  The BDR version I can get in my local supermarket for £39.95.  On PSN the same game to download was about 30% dearer - a stonking £59.99! 

 

You can see where this is going can't you?  If they can remove the competition, the Disk Distributors, they'll be able to charge full price - and then some - for always.  No more us being able to wait until the price drops a bit, or for when someone like Asda/Walmart get a batch in with a smaller profit margin to pass on us.

I don't want a DVD drive, waste of money for me, but apparently you would like Apple to include them in the machine and therefore force me to buy one just because you want one. I suggest that you buy the external drive, then you pay for it.

Csound1 wrote:

I don't want a DVD drive, waste of money for me, but apparently you would like Apple to include them in the machine and therefore force me to buy one just because you want one. I suggest that you buy the external drive, then you pay for it.

Excellent post !!

Best post of the whole thread. Jeezz, why can't people understand this. I don't want one either - the ancient mechanical, moving part, plastic peice of junk that can only hold 7Gb.

AMEN to that and let it be the end of it !

Just ignore indigopete and csound1 -- I'm fairly certain they work for apple and are trying to sabotoge this thread by obsessively trying to convince people they do not need an internal optical drive -- Or conveniently accessible SD card reader, or USB port.   We know we can buy an external drive, but the key word here is "convenience".

The fact of the matter is, the vast majority of people discussing the premature demise of the internal optical drive in the iMac are of the same opinion, that they are still useful for numerous purposes, and apple has was in fact premature in discontinuing the drive as an option.  Many others also share your opinion that it is a ploy by apple to push people into making purchase from their stores.

I've discussed this issue with dozens of people in various forums, who as I said, have the same opinion.  I hope apple is listening.

Greetings Csound1

I often find your posts enlightening but on this occasion I think you are wrong.

Had Apple made some obvious allowance for the fact that some facilities were missing from the new iMac your argument would have held water ... but they didn't. Indeed they raised the comparative price AND reduced the content.

We must wait to see the effect this has on future sales, just as we must wait to see the incidence of breakage and reparation costs with the new ultra thin case.

Regards,  71

zBernie2 wrote:

I'm fairly certain they work for apple and are trying to sabotoge this thread by obsessively trying to convince people they do not need an internal optical drive

Hi zBernie. Actually I don't work for Apple. I'm a self employed database applications developer and I've mainly worked on the Mac for the last 22 years.

The point about DvD's is not that they are no longer relevant - there are millions of people who still want to watch movies on their PCs.

It's that the machinery involved is a complete liability to a well functioning integrated PC. Every aspect of the computer has advaned in the last 20 years (since optical drives have been in common use). Components have advanced in terms of reliability, capacity, size and design.

Every component that is EXCEPT for the optical drive . The only thing it's any use for nowadays is watching movies.

Keeping it as a integral component in the new iMacs would be about as sensible as Boeing putting a 2-ton cast iron stove in the Dreamliner just to heat the in flight meals.

I'm sorry but stuff moves on - it's academic - and a simple question of industrial design. The thing doesn't fit in the case any longer. So what do you expect them to do - redesign the entire case JUST so it can house a DvD drive ? The component that LEAST used by LEAST users for LESS time than any other ? (i.e. the hard drive - the CPU - the monitor)

I say no thanks, and I can understand why movie watchers feel it's marginally easier to stick a DvD in the actual machine rather than something attached to the machine. However that slight convenience no longer justifies the compromises required in reliability, cost and space.

You are completely mistaken with your assertion that the only thing the optical drives are used for is watching movies.  Many in this thread including myself have stated they use the optical drive for various purposes, including but not limited to:

-Rip CD's and DVD's

-Burn home movies and photos for friends and family

-Burn play lists to play in their cars

-Used in the enterprise for long term archiving of data

-Watching movies

-Installing software from CD or DVD

And then they place the SD card reader on the back?  Really?  Most people I've conversed with don't care how thin it is -- They want user friendly functionality.

Give me a 1" think iMac with a conveniently accessible USB 3 port, SD card reader, and optical drive.

Just another data point. The new machines can't run Snow Leopard, making them expensive iOS devices and minimizing their ability to act as computers, catering to the toy crowd.

When I suggested a computer that I assumed would have an optical drive (it didn't even cross my mind, that's the macbook air right?) and then when I found out later that it didn't; I was upset confused and irritated. Apple c'mon; Coverflow - now Optical Drives, >:( STOP NOW.