Q: No DVD drive in new iMac ???

i got a refurb. I want the dvd drive and I want the firewire. When this dies I'll get a used 2011 or if apple has them, a refurb of the same model. I moved over from a MacPro, which was the only kind of mac I ever owned, because Apple didn't update it. I really like Mac OS but I am no fan of their hardware. From the very first, when Steve and Steve argued about how Apple computers should or should not be accessible and upgradeable, the wrong Steve won in my personal opinion. The lack of ability to upgrade video cards to any on the market made the MacPro a much less useable machine. It always bothered me. The inability to open an iMac and work on it kills me. I have both windows and mac computers but vastly, vastly prefer the mac and am happy to put up with the shortcomings. At least I am at this point. When any friends ask about my rec. for an imac I recommend a 2011 refurb.

Optical media is certainly deminishing, but the fact remains Apple was premature eliminating the drive from the new iMac.

That's your opinion, and you are completely right!

There is good news coming!

Technology experts are working on a movie storage system where YOU have physical possession of the movie.

This system stores the movie digitally on an optical disk system that will not be dependent upon a congested, complicated, and fragile network.

Because all of the data is stored only a few feet from your television, all the bottlenecks are removed.  Performance and reliability are virtually flawless.

Further, the system will not utilize any form of security codes, authentications, or passwords. Once the optical disc is purchased it can be moved around freely at will, and can even be lent or given to friends and neighbors with zero hassles.

If you have ever read Steve Jobs (God Rest his soul) book. He was obsessed with smaller, thinner, and more streamlined devices. The new iMac is the only way to achieve this philosophy (allbeit sadly in the case of the iMac "All-In-One"). Keyboards, mice, speakers, and printers are all wireless now.

Maybe someone needs to come out with a wireless DVD/BluRay Burner? Apple, are you listening?

Not going to happen.

Everyone thought that Apple might upgrade the drives for Blu-ray compatibilty and use, but that didn't happen,,either.

I was looking forward to that upgrade and was surprised as everyone else when Apple completely removed it entirely in favor of the iPad-like slimline design.

The problem with the internal SuperDrive was, in the previous iMac designs, was the vertical orientation of these drives made them more prone to physical damage and failure and damaging media, as well.

Spinning media drives mounted in this fashion do not spin in an even, uniform fashion. The discs tend to wobble significantly, like helicopter blades, at high RPMs sometimes doing damage to the disc or to the LED lasers.

Heat was, probably, another factor that had an effect on their reliability and premature failure.

Optical drives, even the slot loading ones, are designed to work in a flat, horizontal orientation, not a vertical one.

Many SuperDrive failures have and still happen in these past generation designed iMacs.

My internal SuperDrive is on the way out in my iMac, and hopefully will get replaced under AppleCare.

Not sure if this is the first time for this or not as I bought this iMac used, so I do not know its repair history.

The decision to remove the optical drive may have been based solely on reliability and repair/replacement issues.

They were just not reliable and robust enough drives being mounted in this fashion inside the aluminum enclosure.

I think it's better to have the drive be an add-on. You now have an easier option to buy a cheaper drive that, if it fails, is cheaper and easier to replace and swap out OR you can purchase a higher quality drive and even a Blu-ray drive that will be of higher quality or more reliable.

I don't think it was Apple's way of saying CDs or DVDs are a dead technology.

My feeling is that rotating media, in whatever new technology will still be around, conservatively, for another 5 years, or so. It may be around longer, but in a smaller format. But the current format is still going to be here for some time. The next version of Blu-ray technology is right around the corner. And, ye old standard DVD is still with us.

Ziatron wrote:

 

Further, the system will not utilize any form of security codes, authentications, or passwords. Once the optical disc is purchased it can be moved around freely at will, and can even be lent or given to friends and neighbors with zero hassles.

OMG - don't get me on about flippin' passwords please!

Ziatron wrote:

 

There is good news coming!

 

Technology experts are working on a movie storage system where YOU have physical possession of the movie.

 

This system stores the movie digitally on an optical disk system that will not be dependent upon a congested, complicated, and fragile network.

 

Because all of the data is stored only a few feet from your television, all the bottlenecks are removed.  Performance and reliability are virtually flawless.

 

Further, the system will not utilize any form of security codes, authentications, or passwords. Once the optical disc is purchased it can be moved around freely at will, and can even be lent or given to friends and neighbors with zero hassles.

Attribution please.

Csound1 wrote:

 

Ziatron wrote:

 

There is good news coming!

 

Technology experts are working on a movie storage system where YOU have physical possession of the movie.

 

This system stores the movie digitally on an optical disk system that will not be dependent upon a congested, complicated, and fragile network.

 

Because all of the data is stored only a few feet from your television, all the bottlenecks are removed.  Performance and reliability are virtually flawless.

 

Further, the system will not utilize any form of security codes, authentications, or passwords. Once the optical disc is purchased it can be moved around freely at will, and can even be lent or given to friends and neighbors with zero hassles.

Attribution please.

Himself, perhaps.   He posted the same exact text in Feb, March, April, July, August, and Nov of last year.

crh24 wrote:

 

Csound1 wrote:

 

Ziatron wrote:

 

There is good news coming!

 

Technology experts are working on a movie storage system where YOU have physical possession of the movie.

 

This system stores the movie digitally on an optical disk system that will not be dependent upon a congested, complicated, and fragile network.

 

Because all of the data is stored only a few feet from your television, all the bottlenecks are removed.  Performance and reliability are virtually flawless.

 

Further, the system will not utilize any form of security codes, authentications, or passwords. Once the optical disc is purchased it can be moved around freely at will, and can even be lent or given to friends and neighbors with zero hassles.

Attribution please.

Himself, perhaps.   He posted the same exact text in Feb, March, April, July, August, and Nov of last year.

Must still be 'in the mail'

MichelPM wrote:

 

Not going to happen.

Everyone thought that Apple might upgrade the drives for Blu-ray compatibilty and use, but that didn't happen,,either.

I was looking forward to that upgrade and was surprised as everyone else when Apple completely removed it entirely in favor of the iPad-like slimline design.

The problem with the internal SuperDrive was, in the previous iMac designs, was the vertical orientation of these drives made them more prone to physical damage and failure and damaging media, as well.

Spinning media drives mounted in this fashion do not spin in an even, uniform fashion. The discs tend to wobble significantly, like helicopter blades, at high RPMs sometimes doing damage to the disc or to the LED lasers.

Heat was, probably, another factor that had an effect on their reliability and premature failure.

Optical drives, even the slot loading ones, are designed to work in a flat, horizontal orientation, not a vertical one.

Many SuperDrive failures have and still happen in these past generation designed iMacs.

My internal SuperDrive is on the way out in my iMac, and hopefully will get replaced under AppleCare.

Not sure if this is the first time for this or not as I bought this iMac used, so I do not know its repair history.

The decision to remove the optical drive may have been based solely on reliability and repair/replacement issues.

They were just not reliable and robust enough drives being mounted in this fashion inside the aluminum enclosure.

I think it's better to have the drive be an add-on. You now have an easier option to buy a cheaper drive that, if it fails, is cheaper and easier to replace and swap out OR you can purchase a higher quality drive and even a Blu-ray drive that will be of higher quality or more reliable.

I don't think it was Apple's way of saying CDs or DVDs are a dead technology.

My feeling is that rotating media, in whatever new technology will still be around, conservatively, for another 5 years, or so. It may be around longer, but in a smaller format. But the current format is still going to be here for some time. The next version of Blu-ray technology is right around the corner. And, ye old standard DVD is still with us.

 

Yep. What you say makes sense. Actually I can think of somewhere else to put an optical drive (albeit a thin one) in an iMac as thin as the latest one.

For what it’s worth, my own iMac was five years old back in November 2012. The internal optical drive stopped working around that time.

Csound1 wrote:

 

Ziatron wrote:

 

There is good news coming!

 

Technology experts are working on a movie storage system where YOU have physical possession of the movie.

 

This system stores the movie digitally on an optical disk system that will not be dependent upon a congested, complicated, and fragile network.

 

Because all of the data is stored only a few feet from your television, all the bottlenecks are removed.  Performance and reliability are virtually flawless.

 

Further, the system will not utilize any form of security codes, authentications, or passwords. Once the optical disc is purchased it can be moved around freely at will, and can even be lent or given to friends and neighbors with zero hassles.

Attribution please.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729101.900-lost-in-the-cloud-how-safe-ar e-your-online-possessions.html?full=true&print=true

Tht link requires an account to be made prior to viewing, as you already have an account copy and paste the text here.

You are confused and evidently ignorant of the fact that the vast majority think omitting the optical drive was a boondoggle.

Now go google this:

"New imac no optical drive"

Blast!

It took about 4 pages of A4 to print out.  I'm loath to copy it here because it's probably copyright material and I'm sure I will need their permission.

Have you tried registering?  It's free as far as I know.  I had a year's paid subscription a couple of years ago in which I got the printed copy every week and access to this site.  I just needed to register with my subs code.  When the sub expired a year later the paper copy stopped of course but I still get to go online where I can read the stuff for up to seven days I think.  So I guess if you register you may find the same.

The issue is

• 02 April 2013 by Douglas Heaven
• Magazine issue 2910.

zBernie2 wrote:

 

You are confused and evidently ignorant

You already know that I place no credibility in you whatsoever, you are wasting your time with your pithy little insults.