No cd drive

[reneeaz]

Want to install some programs onto iMac. With no cd drive, can I go to my old Windows computer and copy the install cd's to a flash drive and install from there to my iMac? I don't want to have to purchase an external cd drive.

 

[chscag]

Yes, that should work if all you're doing is copying the contents of the CD to a flash drive. However, you really should think about buying an external drive for those times when you want to burn something from your iMac. External drives are not expensive.

 

[reneeaz]

Didn't want to purchase any more equipment. Why did Apple remove the cd/dvd drive? Makes no sense.

 

[pigoo3]

Didn't want to purchase any more equipment. Why did Apple remove the cd/dvd drive? Makes no sense.

You're a couple years behind the times. We were discussing this sort of thing a couple years ago. Times change…Apple makes changes…and that's the way it is.

Does it make sense to you that brand new computers no longer have 3.5" floppy disk drives?? Removing the cd/dvd drive is exactly the same as when computer manufacturers removed floppy disk drives. Things change…and the computer industry evolves.

- Nick

 

[reneeaz]

Perhaps, after your "kind" comments you could tell me if I put in Windows in my iMac, do I put in Windows 7 - 32 or 64 bit? I do not care for Windows 8 (as you so kindly pointed out, I am old fashioned), so don't want to put that in.

 

[pigoo3]

...(as you so kindly pointed out, I am old fashioned), so don't want to put that in.

I didn't say that you were "old-fashioned". What I basically said was…it sounds like you haven't kept up with the changes Apple has made with newer computers. Otherwise you wouldn't have been so surprised that there was no cd/dvd drive.

And when you purchased this computer…didn't you know that it had no cd/dvd drive?? Kind of a big detail to overlook if having a cd/dvd drive was so important to you.

As far as the Windows install question…personally I would probably install the 64-bit version. But your situation may be different…so install the version that is most compatible for your needs.

- Nick

 

[RadDave]

Want to install some programs onto iMac. With no cd drive, can I go to my old Windows computer and copy the install cd's to a flash drive and install from there to my iMac? I don't want to have to purchase an external cd drive.

Hi Reneeaz - also in part, as the internet has become more dominant in the world and much faster w/ broadband connections available in recent years, the need to offer software on optical discs has simply disappeared. Last spring, I returned to Apple w/ the purchase on an iMac & MBPro, neither had an optical drive - I bought Apple's Superdrive for about $70, but non-Apple USB CD/DVD externals can be purchased for half that price, so not much of an investment. In the last 18 months, I've never used the Superdrive w/ the iMac and have burnt about a dozen MP3 CD-Rs from purchased music on my laptop; so you thoughts on using the USB flash drives would work fine.

But my question regarding you wanting to run Windows programs on your iMac is whether you have already setup Windows on the computer using either Boot Camp or a virtual partition, using software such as Parallels? The Windows software that you want to used would then be installed w/i the Windows environment. I'm sure that you are already beyond that point but if not, then you have some preparation before trying to load Windows software on a Mac OS drive. Dave

 

[Slydude]

Didn't want to purchase any more equipment. Why did Apple remove the cd/dvd drive? Makes no sense.

Must have made sense to someone. Specifically a cadre of people in the Marketing Research department at Apple has tons of data suggesting that most users rarely use their optical drives. At some point the perceived benefit of an optical drive was outweighed by the cost and hassle of replacing said drives when they fail. Chances are they knew exactly when that point was reached.

 

[chas_m]

1. VERY few people use the optical drive
2. They are the PRIMARY point of failure on iMacs and MacBooks
3. They are EXPENSIVE to fix
4. They add BULK and WEIGHT to the machines
5. The MacBook Air and the current MBPs could not exist if an optical drive were included
6. An external USB optical drive costs a pittance for the few who need one, and when it breaks there is no huge repair bill

Need I go on?

 

[harryb2448]

Is this still being hashed? I wanna go back and ask why Apple removed the floppy from the Bondi Blue iMac? End of civilisation as we knew it!!!

 

[RadDave]

Is this still being hashed? I wanna go back and ask why Apple removed the floppy from the Bondi Blue iMac? End of civilisation as we knew it!!!

Well, I think that we've provided the OP w/ enough explanations to explain the demise of built-in optical drives, but he or she has still not returned to respond to my second question, i.e. the issue of how to run & install Windows OS/programs on a Mac computer? Dave

 

[reneeaz]

Will live with using my old windows computer for some of my programs. I may change my mind later on and install windows on my imac for them specifically. As for the "no cd drive" issue, I think i have been beaten up enough already for asking that. Thanks all. Not sure how you close a thread.

 

[RadDave]

Will live with using my old windows computer for some of my programs. I may change my mind later on and install windows on my imac for them specifically. As for the "no cd drive" issue, I think i have been beaten up enough already for asking that. Thanks all. Not sure how you close a thread.

Hi again Reneeaz - just realized that I've been responding to 3 of your threads - assuming that you are a recent 'switcher' (as I was 18 months ago following retirement so not as stressed to replace my PC needs). You are likely going through a transition to find 'substitutes' for your PC needs - the CD drive is really no big deal - if needed, just buy a cheap USB replacement - my guess is that you'll not need it that much.

As to the other threads I've responded to - just stick in there and ask more questions - the people help are amazingly knowledgeable about not only the Apple environment but also PCs - many use the same OSs together, and are quite likable once you get to know them -

I'm a newbie myself and a recent switcher to Apple in the spring of 2013 - so, still trying to find PC replacements for my wife and me - again, it's easier when retired but I'm here to learn and hope that you are too - hope to still see you posting. Dave

 

[harryb2448]

Threads are not closed just left in the archives for anyone having the same problems.

 

[pigoo3]

As for the "no cd drive" issue, I think i have been beaten up enough already for asking that. Thanks all. Not sure how you close a thread.

We really aren't "beating up" the no cd/dvd issue. Like I mentioned earlier in the thread...Apple removed the cd/dvd drive from many computer models a while ago:

- MacBook Air's (never had one)
- Mac-Mini's (2011)
- MacBook Pro's (some models 2012)
- iMac's (2012)

BELIEVE ME...there were many of us back then (a couple years ago)...who thought that removing the cd/dvd drive was not such a great idea. But since then...so much purchasing of new apps...and purchasing of new OS versions are now pretty much internet download only...that many of us use cd/dvd drives so much less.

So over the last 2-3 years...many of us that thought that removing the cd/dvd drive was a "bad idea"...now understand better...how the computer hardware/software relationship has changed...and cd/dvd drives are really not needed nearly as much as they would have been say 5-6 years ago. And as time moves forward...the less & less the need will be for cd/dvd drives. It's really the same exact story as when floppy disk drives were removed from Apple computers something like 10-12+ years ago.

Sure...some of us have some older apps that are on cd/dvd...and occasionally/rarely need to be reloaded. And thus in these rare cases...it is nice to have a cd/dvd drive.

But it must be remembered...newer Mac's run newer OS versions. And many times...older apps on cd/dvd...may not be compatible with newer OS versions. So if the older apps on cd/dvd aren't even compatible with newer OS versions...then having a cd/dvd drive doesn't really help.

Probably two situations where having a cd/dvd drive would be helpful with a newer Mac (with no cd/dvd drive) would be:

- trying to load the Windows OS or Windows apps onto a newer Mac (the situation I think that you are dealing with)
- folks that have a lot of files/data burned onto cd/dvd (music, videos, photos, word processing or spreadsheet documents, etc.)

In these two cases...purchasing an external cd/dvd drive is really the easy simple solution. These can be purchased for a little as $30-$50. When you get it...you plug it in...then you use it. When you are done with it...you can unplug it...and put it back in the box until you next need it. Then it doesn't take up any additonal space on the tabletop...and no "wire-clutter".

When you need it again...just get it out again. Or if you have no space or wire clutter issues...just leave it plugged into the iMac 100% of the time.

- Nick