One of the most interesting parts of the recent Apple Mac Mini and MacBook Air refresh is that Apple is moving away from optical drives. Apple isn't the only company to do so, raising the question "Is ...

One of the things that’s set netbooks apart from fuller featured computers from day one is that most netbooks don’t have optical disc drives. They take up a lot of space, cost money, and add more ...

Optical drives let your computer read and interact with discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. While nearly every computer had them a few years ago, they're rare to see on new computers now. If you need ...

Technology is ever changing. What was ubiquitous one day can be archaic the next. Cassette drives no longer run software. We don’t transfer files on a floppy disk, either 5.25-inch or 3.5-inch. And ...

If all you plan to do with your netbook is surf the web, check your email, and maybe enjoy some downloaded music and movies, you might not even notice the missing disc drive. But if you want to ...

In case you haven't noticed, very few netbooks have ever shipped with an optical drive. You've either had to get a more expensive ultraportable, a thin-and-light or an external ODD in order to have ...

A Sony Interactive Entertainment patent that’s been recently made public might have potentially confirmed rumors that a new version of the Playstation 5 would launch with a detachable disc drive ...

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› By Arthur Gies Arthur Gies is an editor for Wirecutter's tech coverage. He's ...

There’s a good chance your next computer won’t have an optical drive (that would be the place on the side of your laptop where you insert discs). For those already immersed in technology, losing the ...