Optical drives like CD and DVD drives read and write data from optical discs by means of a laser. As laptop designs have become ever thinner and lighter, eliminating DVD players and optical drives became one of the easiest ways to drop weight and free up additional space.

Now, they are all but an afterthought on many current models, especially among laptops and notebooks. It wasn’t that long ago that optical drives such as CD-ROM readers and DVD players were among the most sought-after features in a desktop or laptop computer.

High-end external optical drives can include software that improves reliability when reading discs that have fingerprints or minor scratches. As there’s no sign that built-in internal optical drives will be making a comeback anytime soon, especially in laptops and notebooks, and as tablets and tablet convertibles become more popular and more compatible with external USB accessories, there’s never been a better time to buy an external DVD drive. Many people have years of backups on DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs, not to mention pictures, media, and older application installers. DVDs are still one of the most popular formats for watching movies. The fact that they’re no longer a popular option in today’s computers doesn’t mean external DVD drives, external CD drives, and other optical drives don’t have a place.

Compare that to the present, when everything from shareware programs to OS releases can be downloaded to your computer’s SSD drive, while many programs are web- or cloud-based. Buying guide for best external DVD drivesīefore broadband internet became widespread, optical discs like CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs were the best way to install large programs, software packages, and operating systems onto your computer’s hard drive.

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