New Mac mini abandons DVD drive - does anybody care?

Friday July 22nd, 2011

By Adam TURNER

Apple's ditched the optical drive on another Mac, but is it a big deal?



Faster, cheaper and more powerful, the new Mac mini has a lot to offer. Every time a new Mac mini hits the Apple store I start to fantasise about building the dream media centre PC, even though I’m convinced that a handful of dedicated devices is a more practical solution for most lounge rooms. It’s just that the Mac mini is so small, sleek and sexy, plus every new model seems to be cheap yet more powerful than the last.

This week’s new Mac mini is $AU699 and looks better than ever (although we still get screwed on price considering its $US599). It features a dual-core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor and AMD Radeon HD 6630M discrete graphics, or else a quad-core Core i7 in the server configuration. On the back you’ll find HDMI and Thunderbolt. It’s not until you study the spec sheet that you realise the optical drive is now missing from both the desktop and server models.

Apple tends to lead the way when it comes to ditching legacy features. It generally cops a lot of flak but, in hindsight, people tend to agree that it was the right move. Eliminating the DVD drive from the Mac mini is a major milestone, probably more significant than ditching the optical drive in the MacBook Air. It’s also perhaps the final nail in the coffin of any hope of seeing Macs ship with a Blu-ray drive.

If Apple could, I think it would be happy to scrap the DVD drive from every Mac today. It’s a business decision - it suits Apple for us to purchase our entertainment from the iTunes store and our software from the Mac App store. There’s no space for optical discs in Apple’s plans for world domination, but if Cupertino moves too fast it will scare some people away. If optical drives are phased out slowly enough, Apple is hoping that no-one will care. I’d say the time is right for Apple to make this next move and I doubt many people will complain.

A year or two ago, people would have made a big deal about scrapping the DVD drive in the Mac mini - especially as many people envision it as a media centre computer. But these days, anyone who wants a lounge room PC has probably ripped their disc collection to their computer or network drive anyway. Their lounge room media player is little more than a streaming media box, pulling content from their network and the internet. If you do have a disc collection, it doesn’t cost much to drop in a Blu-ray player alongside your media player, but you’ll find yourself using the optical drive less and less.

Optical discs are far from dead, just because the early adopters have embraced something new doesn’t mean the mainstream is ready to change. But the release of the new Mac mini without an optical drive will certainly be mentioned in the obituary when physical media eventually dies away.


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10 comments

Comment from: Neal Palmer [Visitor] Email
I both agree and disagree, in these modern times CD's DVD etc are old hat but you haven't rightly considered people with massive dvd collections. I have an old mac mini and myself download 95% of all content but my kids and wife have 1000's of dvd's, I had brought the mac mini in 2007 as a all in 1 media solution (1 box), my TV runs though it to a projector and surround sound connect to it, I ditched my dvd player and don't want a multi drive attached to it since it ruins the whole point of 1 sexy box and adding a Nas server isnt wanted either since I like many only wanted a 1 box solution now its not possible with Apple. No optical drive no custom from me.
23/07/11 @ 00:38
Comment from: Jennifer [Visitor]
Now that another PC has died on me, making a switch to Mac seems to the reasonable decision. Unfortunately, the lack of DVD drive in the new Mac Mini is defiantly the deal breaker. (just so happens my Xbox 360 has also kicked the bucket). I would prefer a machine to not only play my dvd's, but transfer my cd's to iTunes. Now I'll have to bite the bullet and purchase more expensive machine. :(
25/07/11 @ 00:28
Comment from: Adam TURNER [Member] Email
@Jennifer - you could still buy a Mac mini and hook up a USB optical drive. Not as elegant, but cheaper than buying a more expensive Mac.
25/07/11 @ 09:08
Comment from: Michael [Visitor]
Apple just wants people to blow money on their itunes store. Optical drives are their competition so they of course are going to try to kill optical off. Lame move from a computer maker. Their computers will be far less useful now.
Instead of upgrading to the latest technology (Blu Ray) they are going backwards. Digital downloads are a joke. Both MP3 and their movies are far inferior in quality to the CD/DVD/BLU RAY discs content. I will stick to my FLAC CD Rips and Blu Ray Movies since downloads do not even remotely come close to matching.
26/07/11 @ 21:41
Comment from: Jeffro [Visitor]
It is a calculated move to force you to buy from apple store. If you rip cds, it definitely matters. Save your old macs. Perhaps you can connect an external cd/dvd drive to new mac mini.
12/10/11 @ 12:35
Comment from: Jaime Drysdale [Visitor]
I use my (old style) mac mini as a media centre... and constantly use it to play DVDs and CDs. I have well over 1000 DVDs. I have a BD player as well... but as it only remembers the current disk being played, I leave the unfinished disk in it, and use the mac mini to play other disks. I'll never be buying another mac mini!
14/10/11 @ 15:22
Comment from: nag [Visitor]
I will not buy MAc Mini if it does not have DVD/BD Reader. Sorry apple..

Don't try to eat all the apples at a time. That make you go to the sick bed.
03/11/11 @ 04:50
Comment from: jake [Visitor]
This really annoys me.

I have something in the region of £3,000 of dvd's which if I now get a new Mac mini - I cant use?!!

I leant on Macs and have possessed one for all of the last 25 years and loved them - but have HATED Apple - arrogant, smug and supercilious, and rapacous.

So now I have to have an add-on if I want what I had before and avoid dependence of Apple for audio visuals.

Stuff 'em.
23/01/12 @ 02:21
Comment from: Jay Emm [Visitor]
I have to say that dumping the optical drive DOES INDEED make for a much harder sell of the Mac Mini. It's very frustrating, bordering on infuriating. Millions of people use the optical drive. Whether it's burning your created music to disk to share or watching DVD's or ripping music to iTunes, the DVD is invaluable. Not including an optical drive in the new Mini is a mistake. I have one. I also purchased a $39 HP external and while i works for some things, it doesn't work with everything. I cannot watch DVD's and ripping music from my (legal!) CD collection is very dodgy, and I DON'T LIKE DODGY on a Mac. Please return the optical drive to the Mini or dump the model line altogether.
02/02/12 @ 14:54
Comment from: lior [Visitor]
I'm looking at an HTPC solution and the mini has the best combination of brains and looks. but.... the lack of an optical drive is a deal breaker. an external drive is not passable in the living room style! going to look for a sleek pc based have-it-all box.
Apple does make mistakes. Will they coorect this one?
03/03/12 @ 00:10