#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED MOVIE#
#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED INSTALL#
#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED UPGRADE#
#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED SOFTWARE#
#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED PC#

This may or may not be a problem, depending on the size of your existing media and software collection.Īn average Ultrabook on sale today comes with a 500GB hard drive. When you buy a new computer that lacks a disc drive you are forcing all of your data to your computer’s hard disk. A note about storage space JIPEN/Shutterstock ISO file into the USB drive’s storage won’t work. Note that you must use the tool simply dragging the.

#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED INSTALL#

ISO of your Windows install disc, and then, using the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, mount that file on a USB drive. You can do this by using one of the above tools to make an. ISO and then mount it into a “virtual drive,” which tricks your computer into thinking the. ISO files) and Virtual CloneDrive (to mount them). There are some great free options available like ISODisk (to create. ISO files on its own, so you’ll need to download third-party software. Windows doesn’t have the ability to make and use.

It’s a single file containing everything that was on a disc and packed up so that it acts exactly like a disc when opened by the appropriate software. The solution is known as a disc image (or.

#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED PC#

That will be a problem if the software is installed on a PC with no optical drive.

Worse, some software installed from a disc will need the disc inserted to function. Discs contain an installer, which isn’t the same as the software itself. You might think that software on a disc could be copied straight away. Newer discs will require retail software like DVDFab or AnyDVD. DVDShrink, which is free, can handle older DVDs. Most music can be ripped within minutes.ĭVDs are more complex because of copy protection, which must be defeated before the video files can be accessed. All you need to do is insert the CD into a computer, open the disc in either program, and then locate the “Import CD” or “Rip CD” button. Both Windows Media Player and iTunes have one-touch solutions in their interface. Extracting these files from discs is known as “ripping.” Music and movies will have to be saved to your computer as music and video files. While discs may look the same, they must be treated differently depending on if they contain media (movies, music, etc.), or software. So, you can use your old computer or borrow some time on a friend’s to rip your media. To do this, you’ll still need access to a disc drive – but only once. The other answer is to convert your existing collection of disc media into a digital collection that lives on your hard drive. Oh, and make sure the drive supports Blu-ray if you want to watch HD movies from a disc. Find one that supports read and write and has a low price. Optical drives are boring commodity hardware. If this is the route you choose, there’s not much else to explain. The first is to buy an external optical drive. Solving the Internet issue is an important step, but it doesn’t address the other big problem: what the heck should you do with your DVD collection? If you’re happy with your current, slower connection, and upgrading is an extra $20 per month, you’ll be spending $240 per year to ditch your disc – and not everyone will find that worthwhile.

#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED UPGRADE#

The cost of this upgrade is worth some thought. A connection of 2 Mbps extends the download to over four hours, and a person on a 0.5 Mbps line could start the download before leaving for work, only to find it not yet complete when he returns home.Īnyone not already on a 10 Mbps connection should upgrade before buying a disc-less PC. Reduce the speed to 6 Mbps, however, and the download will be closer to two hours. Buying a Blu-ray at the nearest store would probably take the same amount of time. If you’re on a 10 megabit per second (Mbps) connection, and the actual speed of the connection is close to what was advertised, the file will take about an hour to download. You opt for the HD version, so the file size is about 4GB.

#APPLE CD DRIVE ELIMINATED MOVIE#

Since you have no disc drive, you decide to buy the movie from iTunes or Amazon. Let’s imagine that you want to watch a movie on a new Ultrabook. This is the first item to check before turning your back on physical media. Can you really download everything?Ĭan you really download everything? The answer is yes … if your Internet connection is up to the challenge. Let’s cover a few simple points that will help you decide if going disc-less is ideal. Computers without a disc drive aren’t so different. What happens if you have to install software or – worse – recover the operating system? However, many people still rely on discs for software and media, and, if you’re among their number, ditching the disc can be intimidating. Digital can be just as convenient and allows for thinner, lighter computers. For those already immersed in technology, losing the drive is an obvious move. 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).

Apple cd drive eliminated