There was a time when Macs came with built-in optical drives that could both read and write CDs and DVDs. That’s long gone, but Apple has been selling the SuperDrive, an external drive/burner, for many years now… which is also slowly disappearing.
The SuperDrive is one of the oldest devices signed Apple still sold by the manufacturer. If you need a USB CD and DVD reader/writer, don’t delay: the accessory is no longer sold on the Apple Store in the United States and Canada (“sold out”)! In France, the SuperDrive is still in stock and offered at €89, but until when?
Witness of a bygone era
While Macs have had this type of optical drive for a long time, Apple started to get rid of it starting in 2008 and the very first MacBook Air; the SuperDrive has also been on the market since 2008. Despite the years, it has not undergone any changes, either in terms of design or connectivity: it is basic USB-A! It must therefore be used with a USB-A/USB-C adapter (not supplied) on recent Macs. The device works without needing to be plugged into the power supply; it draws its power from the Mac.
Apple has conscientiously ensured software support for the SuperDrive, including on the most recent versions of macOS. Let’s hope it lasts! It is therefore (soon) the end of an era for the apple company, which had anticipated the disappearance of optical drives: the vast majority of PC manufacturers have also got on board, whether on laptops or towers.
Optical drives are definitely a thing of the past at Apple. The latest MacBook Pro with a SuperDrive — a 13-inch model launched in mid-2012 — has joined the list of obsolete products in January! And if you find the €89 very expensive to pay for such an accessory, it is possible to find CD players/writers for much less at the usual retailers.
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