Still use optical drives?

[zCypher]

We're now in 2012, do you still use optical drives? If so, why and do you see yourself moving on in the near future?

I felt the floppy drive was a necessity in my new builds for the longest time, even until IDE finally started to go away. Now I don't have a floppy drive and never do they go in any new builds. I'm starting to feel the same way about optical drives. I used to feel it was a necessity because of the need to install the OS from it, but that's just no longer true. My laptop can boot from USB, as can my previous E5200 system which was low end even when I built it two years ago.

I can install Windows 7 from a (not even USB 3.0) USB key and it takes no time at all. I have a link to MS site to download Office from, so I don't need a CD for that. I download my games from Steam. I stream music from di.fm, sky.fm and there are countless places to buy music online without needing a hard copy.

I use Netflix, I can't even remember the last time I actually rented or bought a physical movie on DVD.

My current build has a DVDRW drive in it, but the only thing I've ever used it for was to make backup copies of OS installation discs. I definitely don't use it to play movies or music anymore.

So how about you? Is the optical drive still a part of your life? Will it be part of your next build?

 

[Zorander]

I still buy disc-based games and music CDs, and majority of my file back-ups are on DVDs. My optical drive use may be occasional nowadays but definitely not non-existent, so they still come attached to my PCs.

 

[fffblackmage]

I hardly ever use the DVD burner I had in my comp, so I eventually just took it out and replaced it with a hard drive cage for the Antec 900.

And, for all my optical drive needs, I got myself a slim external DVD burner when I saw an awesome deal.

 

[zCypher]

I hardly ever use the DVD burner I had in my comp, so I eventually just took it out and replaced it with a hard drive cage for the Antec 900.

And, for all my optical drive needs, I got myself a slim external DVD burner when I saw an awesome deal.

This is what I have been thinking about doing since my netbook did not come with an optical drive. If I have a nice external one, I can take it to any of my systems!

 

[Eug]

Rarely, but sometimes:

Burn DVDs for my mom.
Back up data to DVD-R and occasionally BD-R. I like being able to do periodic data backups and then just sticking them into a CD album and putting it in the cupboard, both offsite and onsite.
Rip CDs. Yes I still buy CDs.
Rip DVDs. I tend to rip my hard to find DVDs to convert to m4v for my collection.

Mind you I don't care about internal optical drives anymore. In fact, I don't even use the internal drive in my iMac. I just use an external burner.

 

[nitrous9200]

I really don't use it much. If I buy full music albums, I prefer a physical CD but otherwise just buy the single tracks online (neither of which I do very often). Don't watch much TV or movies; most of it is online (between legitimate sites and torrents) and I would just rip DVDs for convenience. Besides, we all know that optical media is slow and unreliable (not to mention, requires a lot of moving parts to operate).
I look forward to the day when I can buy a new computer, log in with a single ID and have all of my applications/app data and other files copy over and set themselves up automatically. I think we'll get there eventually

 

[janas19]

I keep an optical drive around, but I don't have it installed in my computer since I rarely use it.

I can see how HTPCs would use them often though.

 

[paperwastage]

I don't have one for my desktop for 2 years already

W7 / ubuntu via USB flash drive
Steam games/amazon downloads
Backup my HDD via Clonezilla onto USB HDDs/other HDDs

 

[VirtualLarry]

I look forward to the day when I can buy a new computer, log in with a single ID and have all of my applications/app data and other files copy over and set themselves up automatically. I think we'll get there eventually

I was working on the design of an OS that would basically allow just that - back in 1995.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I still buy and use optical drives (DVD, no blu-ray). Heck, I still have a floppy drive installed in my machines too!

And when I plan on upgrading to SB/IB/1155, I want to be able to keep both my IDE/floppy ports. Planning on getting one of those ASrock Fata1ty boards with the legacy ports.

 

[RU482]

who's got two thumbs and is ready for optical drives to go the way of the floppy drive


/this guy!!

 

[bryanl]

I'm sticking with my current hardware for surfing the web:

 

[WelshBloke]

I burn home movies of the kids for my mum. I also buy a lot of my music on cd and rip it to the computer. I also make copies of my son's DVD films so he can watch them on a tablet sometimes.

So yeah I find optical drives quite handy.

 

[KAZANI]

As long as hard drives' capacities continue to lag behind avid media collectors' massive storage needs, optical disks will continue to make sense. Audio is still somewhat manageable but high definition video and massive games have set the terabyte bar too high.

 

[Charlie98]

I have one in my new build... for $15 what's the big deal? There is enough media out there that uses it, and I hate external add-ons.

I use it to rip CD's, watch an occasional movie (when the girls are watching a chick-flick...) and install programs.

I do see a day when a software retail box will come with a flash drive, not a CD, though... or even just a key code.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I seriously can't understand this American obsession with killing optical media... Yes, I said American, and I mean it. I guarantee you will not see these kinds of questions being asked on foreign forums.

Everywhere else in the world, people know that it's important to have as much autonomy/capacity/self-reliance on your own machines. Services like Netflix don't exist in most parts of the world - and even if they exist, people like to have as much control over their machines as possible, and have as many options open to them.

It's not like the 5.25-inch bay is useful for anything else... what happens if someone gives you a disc that you want to see/browse/listen to, and you were so smug that you refused to install an optical media drive? Who's SOL then?

I don't know about you, folks, but this mad rush towards "the cloud" and leaving everything to services outside your control is very scary to me... that's pure centralisation - and it's really ironic to see so many people here espousing libertarian ideas in P&N, then coming to the General Hardware forums and proudly boasting about not having an optical drive in their machines, because they rely on Netflix and other streaming services... Really? What happens if you don't have internet, or if one of your devices needs drivers from a CD?

I am amazed sometimes at the short-sightedness of some people...

 

[janas19]

I seriously can't understand this American obsession with killing optical media... Yes, I said American, and I mean it. I guarantee you will not see these kinds of questions being asked on foreign forums.

Everywhere else in the world, people know that it's important to have as much autonomy/capacity/self-reliance on your own machines. Services like Netflix don't exist in most parts of the world - and even if they exist, people like to have as much control over their machines as possible, and have as many options open to them.

It's not like the 5.25-inch bay is useful for anything else... what happens if someone gives you a disc that you want to see/browse/listen to, and you were so smug that you refused to install an optical media drive? Who's SOL then?

I don't know about you, folks, but this mad rush towards "the cloud" and leaving everything to services outside your control is very scary to me... that's pure centralisation - and it's really ironic to see so many people here espousing libertarian ideas in P&N, then coming to the General Hardware forums and proudly boasting about not having an optical drive in their machines, because they rely on Netflix and other streaming services... Really? What happens if you don't have internet, or if one of your devices needs drivers from a CD?

I am amazed sometimes at the short-sightedness of some people...

What the hell?

"I guarantee you will not be seeing these kind of questions being asked on foreign forums."

What kind of weird paradigm informs that view? That America is the only developed country, and the rest of the entire world is dirt-poor third world? Lol. I imagine lots of Canadians, Europeans, Japanese would want to know!

That post is so bizarre and wrong, I cannot even begin to comprehend...

 

[zCypher]

Netflix is a cool service. That doesn't mean I don't want control of my machine. I also still have an optical drive myself, I just don't see it as a necessity anymore like it used to be. IMO using a thumb drive is way more practical, and much quicker than a CD or DVD.

I don't think that makes me short-sighted though. When I build a PC it's normally good for 5+ years.

If you ask me, more storage in less physical space is always better. You can buy 64GB USB 3.0 thumb drives. How much space would that take in CDs or DVDs? I am glad that I don't need to have tons of media lying around collecting dust.

lol @ the American comment. Not that I agree with everything said there, but I'm not even American.

 

[gmaster456]

I keep a DVD drive in my machines and will for quite a while. I install my OS's from it, play the occasional disk based game and buy a CD every now and then, not to mention most of my Music Collection is backed up onto DVD's. I don't see what the big hurry is to get rid of optical drives. At least in my life, I will have them around for more than a few more years. And for $15, its really not a big deal to keep one around.

 

[piasabird]

I reluctantly use a DVD Drive. I have a loathing for stupid game devolopers that force you to have a stupid disk turning in your DVD to play a game. This is only waring out your DVD drive and possible ruining your DVD/CD. When you pay a premium for software, does it belong to you or not? There should be a class action lawsuit against game developers who do this for all the ruined DVD drives and game disks.

I also think DVD's are so easy to damage. RAM is cheap so why not just load the DVD onto the Hard drive to temporary files, or into MEMORY if available. Why not just combine a DVD with a HARD Drive with 100 Gigs of RAM DRIVE, Just load up the disk into a virtual drive and qut spinning already. It is time for us to use some of our technology better.

 

[C1]

I have have to take a lunch break when writing a DL.
Imagine this one:

GE's 500GB optical discs: who is going to use them?

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2009/04/ges-500gb-optical-discs-who-is-going-to-use-them.ars
===========================
Next Gen Storage: http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/01/salmon-storag/

 

[AnitaPeterson]

What the hell?

"I guarantee you will not be seeing these kind of questions being asked on foreign forums."

What kind of weird paradigm informs that view? That America is the only developed country, and the rest of the entire world is dirt-poor third world? Lol. I imagine lots of Canadians, Europeans, Japanese would want to know!

That post is so bizarre and wrong, I cannot even begin to comprehend...

Well, that's exactly your problem - your reading comprehension is poor.

To begin with, I am Canadian myself, and travel to Europe a lot. And what I was saying - if you'd have paid attention - is that none of the people I come in contact (here or there) with would consider abandoning optical drives.

Go ahead, just ask a Russian, a Czech, a German or a French if they'd consider building a computer without an optical drive. See what they say. And then, if you're still not satisfied, ask an Egyptian, a Syrian or a Pakistani. Or a Chinese.

This has NOTHING to do with poverty. It has to do with the freedom to consume media from a large variety of sources, some of which cannot be controlled by a central entity - whether private or government-run.

 

[Rifter]

Hardly use. I have removed them from all my household PC's and bought a slim external drive for when i need one.

My HTPC does have a blu ray drive though.

 

[DirkGently1]

I'm looking forward to the death of physical media, but we're not there yet globally. I've wanted to ditch my optical drive for a long time, but every so often it's turned out that i've needed it for one thing or another.

It's better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it.

 

[Veliko]

I took my DVD drive out months ago. Other than wanting to listen to a couple of music CDs I haven't missed it.

The extra space inside the case is a nice bonus.