best external cd dvd drive for macbook air

That said, most external DVD drives are rather compact nowadays. If you plan on moving around a lot with a laptop, then you’ll probably want to make sure that the drive isn’t too big. Since you can’t test one for yourself, if you worry about noise, try checking out user reviews and YouTube videos for your drive. Speaking of speed, that’s one of the primary reasons that DVD drives tend to be so loud. So, it’s not like you’ve got anything to lose by going with 3.0 (Unless, of course, that option is more expensive). That said, USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0 anyway. 8x seems to be the standard for DVDs and 24x for CDs.ĭVD drives that support USB 3.0 tend to support higher speeds – but that’s not necessarily an indication of a faster drive.

Read and write speeds for DVD discs and CDs may be different for each DVD drive. A popular example of that is the Apple USB SuperDrive which is specifically made for Macs. That said, do keep in mind that some drives may work best with specific computers. But, truth be told, if you’re using something so outdated, then you’ll probably have more to worry about than DVD drive compatibility (Software, hardware, other peripherals, etc). Some older machines that are using USB 1.1 may be incompatible. Most external DVD drives are universal – which means that you should be able to use them with pretty much every modern computer. So, if you need Blu-Ray support, then you must specifically look for something that supports this kind of technology. However, Blu-Ray support is unfortunately only reserved for the higher-end options. Most of our picks support pretty much all the standard stuff. The very first thing that you need to keep an eye on is what kind of DVDs/CDs a DVD drive supports. However, there are still some things that you need to keep in mind when buying one. There is a reason why we always pick numerous products – each one with their own pros and cons.Įxternal DVD drives are definitely more simplistic compared to laptops, monitors, peripherals, and most other hardware offerings. Most tech gadgets are rather complicated. Things to consider when buying an external DVD drive

So, many of you may find it to be overpriced and not worth the money. If the SuperDrive was at a 3rd of its retail price, that would make sense. No Blu-Ray, no USB 3.0, and no extra software.

Other than that, it’s pretty much just another external DVD drive. So, those of you who only have USB Type-C will need an adapter to get this to work. Just keep in mind that it uses USB Type-A. If you’re using any sort of Mac, this is quite possibly your best pick as it’s specifically made for Apple’s products.

Best external cd dvd drive for macbook air