This meant that if you wanted to rip CDs for your iTunes library, or watch physical copies of movies youd purchased, then the only real option was to buy an external unit such as Apples own SuperDrive.

There are much better options available, many of which also play Blu-ray discs into the bargain.

Its good to see that the quality for which the name is renowned still holds true, as the customers on Amazon (both in the UK and USA) give this Blu-ray player and writer sterling reviews.

For just over 20 you get a DVD writer that can be used to create backups of your system or beef up your Macs entertainment possibilities.

Theres no Blu-ray option here, but you do get write speeds of 24x CD, 8x DVDR, and 6x DVDR Double-layer, albeit from a USB 2.0 connection.

The design is also similar, with a polished chrome chassis and slimline dimensions making it an easy device to pop into a laptop bag or find space for on a desk.

A sandblasted metal finish makes it a fine accompaniment for Apples design aesthetics, and the 109.99 price tag makes it a tempting device for those who want to add physical HD media to their arsenal.

He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews.

Varieties differ between mac and windows systems, so investigate the options available to you.

The problem is, many laptops do not have drives to play them.

In comes an external drive which can playback and or burn (copy) CD and DVDs.

Below, you can compare our top 7 best CD and DVD drives and burners.

Clicking on each product takes you to the product page where you can read customer reviews on the product youre interested in.

As a general guidance, 1X 11.08 MBs (DVD) and 1.23 MBs (CD).

The reason we dont put prices is because they constantly change and there are so many sellers offering different prices.

Popular online streaming services like Netflix and Spotify mean that CD and DVD sales are nosediving and many new laptops and computers have started to remove a physical disk drive altogether.

You may need an external DVD writer (also known as a external DVD burner) if you.

If you are never likely to rip or burn a Blu-Ray then it probably isnt worth the extra expense.

While external DVD burners are still very reasonable at a starting price of around 20, deciding on what you will be using the drive for is the best starting point.

Simply plug it into your USB slot and let your computer do the work.

When plugged in, the external DVD burner draws power from the USB slot.

Drive For External Cd Zip Needed To

This means that some older laptops, such as the 2010 Macbook Air, wont have the zip needed to run the drive.

Drives that need to be plugged into a socket do negate some of the portability advantages, but are often faster.

Some of the best external DVD drives will be powered by USB 3.0 and will often clearly advertise the fact.

Copying movies or music onto a disk is one of the most useful features of a disk drive and the write speed determines how long that process will take.

If you just want to watch movies on the go, a low speed is fine but if you plan on copying a large amount of files, then go for one of the best external DVD drives with something above 20X.

Only a few of the best external DVD drives are hardcoded to play discs from any region of the world.

Drive For External Cd Install Software That

However, to enforce copyright, manufactures are required to install software that limits this ability.

Certain software and hacking codes will allow you to change region several times, at which point your computer will lock the change.

Certain media players, such as the free VLC media player will play any format DVDs while others will allow unrestricted copying.

Mac Os X Drive For External Cd Driver