You can buy a laptop with a CD drive or without a CD drive. In this article, we have added real facts that explain why new laptops do not come with a DC drive.
Are Laptops Still Made With CD Drive? You can buy laptops with a CD drive, and these are the good ones with the best working capacity. However, these CD drives are becoming obsolete with time because there are other better means of storing and transferring files available like external hard drives, USB flash drives, and cloud-based storage options like iCloud.
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Are Laptops Still Made With CD Drive?
New technology continuously replaces old technology. In the modern era, where new technology is growing at a lightning pace, and laptops are becoming obsolete.
You can save and download everything online. Therefore the CD/DVD will be obsolete very soon, and its faith will be the same as what happened to the floppy disk around twenty years ago.
In the past, laptop CD drives were beneficial for users; they are diminishing with time. Many companies are replacing them with new technology because of their weight and large sizes.
There are usually two types of disk drives. The first one is the optical drive, and the other is a digital drive that is replacing the first one.
Why laptops still need an optical drive?
There are different reasons why we still need laptops with optical drives. These are the following:
CD drive can play old multimedia files
Sometimes you need to mesmerize yourself with old memories like listening to music, watch old movies, etc. These are the essential component of the PC world for a long time.
Now its need is frequently decreasing. Optical drives that include CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs, are read by this drive. In my suggestion, new means should not completely replace it.
You have a mood to listen to music. You receive some CD from the concert or an artist, and in some programs like Vera-crypt, you need this tool.
Laptop with this tool available with time, but it is fading away. The solution is that you need to buy an external optical drive separately and use it whenever you want at home. Many people use the 17-inch laptop with a DVD drive.
For storing data
For transferring data, I see that optical discs are obsolete because of low data transfer rates. However, for archival purposes, DVDs and Blu-ray are still good.
If you care and want to store your data for a long time on some reliable storage media, then M-disc and certain Blu-rays are very stable for storing data for a long time.
It is the new standard for digital data archival as it will not fade or deteriorate with time.
M-Disc has efficient bandwidth and better audio and video quality. You can use them offline without internet availability.
If you are using a slow internet connection or in the absence of an internet facility, this is ideal for you as an entertainment option.
Install Windows from the disc
You can see that people mostly install windows by purchasing the operating system (OS) CDs. Without a CD drive, it is time taking and costly for you to install OS and application software on your laptop.
You need a large capacity device like a USB Flash drive to load the ISO files of OS software, almost 8GB, then running it during startup.
CD of windows 10 is available, and it is the most preferable and popular legal way to install and run this operating system. If you need it again, then you can easily use it.
Installation of Drivers from the disc
If you set a new laptop, then install the drivers directly from the disc. Different CDs are also available in the market; you buy the CD and use it when you need it.
Drivers also available online, but sometimes you need them before the internet connection, so you must use these optical drives.
Why do laptops not have CD drives anymore?
With the fastest developments of the latest technologies, there are many reasons and alternates available to abandon optical drives. These are the following:
Out-dated drives
At the starting phase twenty to thirty years ago, these the best option for the people and become a trend. Its demand in the market has become a top trend.
With time, you observe that CDs and DVDs are out of phase. If you do not use it in your lifetimes, then it is useless for you in the future.
You cannot install video games with these optical drives in the Windows(10) operating system. It will difficult for you to find it in the stores because its availability is decreasing continuously.
Disturbance of front panel style
Optical drives mostly look clumsy as compared to the neat and clean design without them. It causes a mess in your front panel style. In the new systems, you observe that they do not support these drives.
External optical drives
You focus on external drives like portable hard disks and USBs for data transfer. USB 3.0 is available with hundreds of Mbps transfer rate. In your music system, it is an excellent and practical addition. If you still think that you do not need it, a USB Flash drive best for you to buy for long-term use.
Costly
In the market, the cost increases gradually due to RAM storage. While decent hardware is less costly as compared to a faster computer.
A computer with digital drives mostly preferable then optical drives. It also increases the weight of a laptop that makes it difficult for you to carry it.
Decrease space
Laptops, smartphones, and tablets less in size in comparison to optical drives like CDs, DVDs.
The physical space requirement gradually decreases for these drives. Brands do not use them because they occupy too much space.
Most people use tablets, so these contain less capacity for the CD drives. Many manufacturers exempted this function from their technology.
Less storage capacity
The capacity of hard drives increases gradually. It generally goes toward Terabytes.
In computers, storage capacity is high. At the beginning of optical drives, it contains enough storage capacity that competes with the magnetic media. The storage capacity of the DVD hardware is 4.7GB.
While in the Blue-ray, the storage capacity is high, around 200GB. However, these cannot compete with hard disks and solid-state drives with terabytes of capacity and hundreds of Mbps data transfer rates.
Less portability
Due to the high portability and affordable prices of digital storage devices, CD drives have become worthless for us nowadays. In Terabytes, they contain faster access to your data, and their price is also reasonable.
Floppy technology
Floppy technology also diminished, and USB flash drives are in use in these drives. USB flash drive with a good storage capacity store most of your data cost-effective within your budget.
They are also called solid-state technology. They are a little bit expensive but affordable. People purchase them, and they have even replaced the hard drives. They consist of low power consumption components, and their durability is also good.
Non-physical media
Demand for physical media is decreasing. There is a high requirement for online music libraries for use with music players in smartphones. With the popularity of services like Netflix, people do not need a DVD drive on their laptops.
Movies can download or purchase by an online system from digital distribution channels like Steam, iTunes, Origin, etc. The Software applications install by these online systems.
It also applies to the software installation. You don’t need to install the software manually.
Different formats
In formats, CDs, DVDs, and Blu- ray need more improvement. Your customers need adoption in format. Customers also dissatisfy with the Blu-ray because there is no advancement in its format.
In old systems, new discs cannot play. Companies need to make changes for the software like Apple that does not support the Blu-ray program.
What replaces the CD drives on laptops?
Cloud-computing
Cloud computing is best for your system operation. Your system software is running without any storage because the application runs on the cloud.
For this, you do not need to buy costly laptops or high memory systems with the best performance.
Your computer runs faster, provides unlimited storage capacity. Its only drawback is that you need a constant internet connection.
Online services
The availability of online services like Google Drive, Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu makes it convenient for your systems to download and process music, audio, videos, and movies. These optical drives become useless for consumers.
Social media sites
Peoples stores bulk of CDs in which they collect many pictures for this they need an optical drive. With this drive, you face difficulties to deliver your photos to others.
First, you add it to the disc then distribute it. It is a time taking and inconvenient procedure for you. You should remove your irritation by using Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, these available social media sites.
You can transfer your photos and videos in the fastest way to your friends, family, and relatives.
Light in weight
Manufacturers make adoption in their software technologies. They have removed the floppy drive and optical drive( CDs, DVDs) from the hardware. It makes their devices light and smart. It is also less expensive and affordable for customers.
Conclusion
Due to more physical space requirements, lower storage capacity, and lower speeds, modern laptops and PCs are dropping CD drives as affordable alternatives with lots of brilliant features are available.
There is little reason to have CD drives with portable equipment like laptops where space is a valuable commodity.