Comments on: Apple OS X files refer to redesigned iMac, Mac Pro models, possibly without optical drives

By: GM

GM — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 03:17:20 +0000

By: Ezzyme

Ezzyme — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 10:39:56 +0000

Just replaced the optical drive in my 2008 Mac Mini. Now wondering about the drive in my 2007 iMac.

By: Fuzz Wilkens

Fuzz Wilkens — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:36:18 +0000

I use an optical drive once a month and am glad that it’s external as it saves on weight and size.

Now I wish my iPhone and iPad had an optical drive

By: Fuzz Wilkens

Fuzz Wilkens — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:33:28 +0000

That is something Phil Schiller would say.

By: zbernie

zbernie — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:07:51 +0000

I bought a 15″ MBP retina without the optical drive, and now I wish I had waited for the version with the optical drive. It’s a nuisance not having an internal drive. Other than that complaint, I love the new MBP!

By: MGallagher

MGallagher — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:59:22 +0000

U think an external DVD drive is an issue? Lol. Wait until u see how much they will charge u 4 ram and SSD upgrades. Ram and SSD prices have dropped significantly and are predicted to drop even further. But guess what? Apple dont recognized current market prices for ram and SSD Products. They only recoognize……the Apple price. Apple dont care that an 512gb SSD can be had for $379 , or that 8gb of Ram(single module) can be had for $52. They will charge you close to $700 for the SSD and $200 for the 8gb of Ram. How they get away with this?

WE AS THE CONSUMERS LET THEM.

Hey, if you cant pay Apple’s prices without bitchin you either cant afford it or not a true Apple fan.

By: Predrag

Predrag — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:33:19 +0000

Copy/Paste, font changes, OS changes are software changes, and here, we’re discussing Apple hardware (as monolithic as Apple is, two different groups are responsible for hardware and software).

Since the inception of the iMac, the goal of Apple’s industrial design team (with Jonathan Ive at the helm) has been to create sleek, thin design. As LCD panels became a viable option for display, the iMac went through several iterations (desk lamp, white plastic, several alu versions), each thinner than the previous. Even though iMac sits there on the desk, we should NOT understimate the importance of the thin design.

Apple likely knows very well how many people need (or use) their optical drive. I have no doubt that, among iMac owners, this number has dropped down to below 5%. They likely also have reliable data on how often this drive is used, and I am pretty sure this is less than once per year for most of those remaining 5%.

So, putting an optical disc into a device, knowing that vast majority will never use it, and of those that will, it sill happen no more than five times in the life of the computer, makes little sense economically.

I have always thought that I need an optical drive in my Macs. I never bought a MBA because it didn’t have an optical drive. A month ago, I have replaced my two-year old iMac with a new one. Before selling the old iMac, I had ti make sure all works, so I tested the optical drive, realising that it was the first time in its lifetime that I have actually tried to use it.

Over the past six years, I have used optical discs twice. And I have three Macs. After this realisation, I decided that my next portable will be a MBA, and I’ll be happy that Apple eliminated an unnecessary piece of hardware from the iMac line (if they actually decide to do it), that I won’t ever bother using anyway.

By: Dumbass

Dumbass — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:33:14 +0000

So you’re saying they should have the hardware engineers programming instead. Brilliant.

By: phil

phil — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:29:38 +0000

Deleting Optical Drives is NOT any mac user has been screaming for. Frankly while U are using the Imac it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference how think it is. This is a solution looking for a problem. The Apple Staff people have gone off the edge…why not update programs that have been not been updated since OS 7 such as copy and paste? How about adding the ability to change, enlarge and color fonts in Addressbook and Apple Mail…? Stick with the basics.

By: MacFreek

MacFreek — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:50:32 +0000

I certainly hope that there are more design changes, additional features, and improved functions than just removal of the optical drive.

By: Yoyo

Yoyo — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 08:09:28 +0000

With no tray loading discs they can make the pro horizontally mountable and rack space wide and voila, xserve mac pro all in one replacement!!

By: GM

GM — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:48:31 +0000

You’re not alone in your thinking. Too many of the Kool-Aid drinkers just follow along. Good for you.

By: vanfruniken

vanfruniken — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:28:46 +0000

Given that optical drives tend to become unreliable over time (more than half of the Macs I’ve had ended up with an unusable internal drive), it is always a good idea to keep a recent external USB optical drive around. You can plug into any computer and it provides support to the latest optical drive formats and speeds.

By: Bandit Bill

Bandit Bill — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 06:02:37 +0000

13″ MacBook “It’s more than enough for Anything”

except:
-editing HD video and dozens of other pro tasks
Same goes for the current 15″ non Retina models arguably the Retina Display model as well.

By: eric•woe

eric•woe — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 05:09:00 +0000

I wonder if the super-slim iMac might be the prototype for the new Apple TV? As Michael K noted, it would be easy to hang on a surface (if there hinge/base was detachable…) and your iMac would become yr new Apple TV mega-media screen…

By: Armand Welsh

Armand Welsh — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 04:28:31 +0000

iCommentsif had a 17″ laptop. Then I got tired of the bulk and went with the 13″ MacBook. It’s more than enough for Anything except running windows. But then why would I do that????

By: silverhawk1

silverhawk1 — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 03:07:33 +0000

Perry White.

By: Now, Now...

Now, Now... — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 03:04:48 +0000

“who’s that cigarette smoking man standing behind MDN as he types?”

Kolchak, The Night Stalker!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071003/

By: gallowaycreations

gallowaycreations — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 02:15:40 +0000

I can understand the case for a thin, light laptop. But my iMac just sits on my desk. I don’t give a crap how thick it is, especially if now I have to pay more for an external optical drive. If this is truly the future, I want to by one BEFORE the redesign.

Of course, I also carry around a 17″ MBP and have absolutely no desire for anything smaller or lighter, so perhaps I’m an edge case.

By: quiviran

quiviran — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 02:05:01 +0000

I ripped some CDs from The Spooky Men’s Chorale. Not yet available in the ITMS. Haven’t reloaded Mac OS in years, just upgrades.

By: muptard

muptard — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 01:02:16 +0000

Cool story bro!

By: cashxx

cashxx — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:59:51 +0000

I believe Macrumors updated saying the files were in place since 2011.

By: Michael K.

Michael K. — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:57:24 +0000

eric above has it right. The iMac will be extremely thin without the optical drive and if you need one you can buy one from Apple or use third party. I would hang such an 27″ iMac on the wall and with a wireless keyboard and track pad watch tv, YouTube videos and still use it as a computer. A great all around appliance for home entertainment and information.

By: M

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:35:51 +0000

I use a Mac at work. I could deal with spending $90 on an external drive..but wouldn’t want to.

By: troy

troy — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:18 +0000

I have like a 5 or 6 years I never use a CD or DVD in my Mac. If a restore is need, I use a USB drive or External Hard Drive. For movies and music I use iTunes, Nexflix or Hulu.
I used once a CD to restore a Windows computer, but Windows is so last century tech that is why they still need CD/DVD rom.

By: Thelonious Mac

Thelonious Mac — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:49:22 +0000

who’s that cigarette smoking man standing behind MDN as he types?

By: Zmarc

Zmarc — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:01:43 +0000

From the title, I was expecting aliens. “The Truth is Out There.”

By: eric•woe

eric•woe — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:00:23 +0000

Imagine an iMac as thin as an Air – no CD/DVD drive and SSD instead of HDD – what a mac!!!