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.

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 ...

As laptop form factors continue to decrease in size, optical drives become increasingly rare and these SSDs proliferate. This trend is something to keep in mind when buying a used laptop ...

I’m just going to come right out and say it: I want the optical drive to die. I don’t just mean on laptops, either. Even on desktops, I think the optical drive is a vestigial organ that’s ...

If you want to watch that collection on your PC, laptop, or an Android tablet, you probably need an external optical drive. DVDs and Blu-ray discs are more stable than flash storage over the long ...

The companies were accused of colluding to inflate the prices of optical drives sold to big computer companies and retailers. When HP and Dell placed orders for lots of optical discs, the lawsuit ...

Listen up, laptop manufacturers: Optical drives are an unnecessary financial and physical burden on users, and it's a parasite that should exist only as an external option. Think about it ...

If you had a laptop, there was an optical drive in it. You may like Laptop processors are better than ever, but I still don’t give a hoot about ‘AI PCs’ - and neither should you Ridiculous ...

The MacBook Air and the ultrabook come without a piece of hardware that's been a mainstay in laptops for a long time--the optical drive. Maybe because they really aren't that necessary anymore.

optical drives have fallen away for most users, and many Windows laptops no longer include them. Apple still sells an external optical drive it calls SuperDrive that can read and burn CDs and DVDs.