How Did Industry Trends Influence Apple’s Decision?
The 2008-2016 optical drive removal paralleled industry declines in CD/DVD sales, which fell 80% during this period. PC manufacturers like Dell and HP followed Apple’s lead, with only 12% of laptops including optical drives by 2017. Streaming’s rise (Netflix subscribers grew from 7M to 93M) made physical media obsolete for most users.
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As broadband internet speeds tripled between 2010-2015, Apple capitalized on shifting consumer behavior. The company observed a 73% reduction in iTunes Store purchases of DVD-quality content compared to HD streaming subscriptions. This trend aligned with enterprise shifts toward cloud storage solutions like Box and Dropbox, which saw 300% growth in business users during Apple’s transition period. Manufacturers responded to Apple’s leadership – Samsung eliminated optical drives from 60% of its laptops within 18 months of the MacBook Pro Retina launch. Industry analysts noted the optical drive market shrank from $9.1B in 2010 to $2.3B by 2020, validating Apple’s strategic timing.
| Year | Optical Drive Laptops | Streaming Subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98% | 27M |
| 2016 | 15% | 392M |
What Alternatives Did Apple Provide for Optical Media?
Apple promoted the Mac App Store for software, iTunes Store for media, and iCloud for file storage. They sold USB SuperDrives and endorsed Thunderbolt/USB-C external storage. Boot Camp added ISO booting support, while macOS integrated native disk image mounting. Enterprise users leveraged network-based installer systems like DeployStudio.
Third-party solutions flourished with Apple’s ecosystem changes. SanDisk released Lightning-compatible flash drives with 128GB capacity, while LaCie’s rugged external drives became popular among creative professionals. Apple enhanced software compatibility through macOS updates – Sierra (2016) introduced automatic ISO to MP4 conversion for DVD imports. The company partnered with Adobe and Microsoft to optimize cloud-based workflows, resulting in 40% faster project load times compared to optical media solutions. Educational institutions adopted Apple’s Volume Purchase Program, allowing bulk app deployments without physical discs. By 2018, 89% of software developers distributed macOS apps exclusively through digital stores.
“Our USB-C solutions delivered 10x the speed of legacy SuperDrives while using 30% less power,” said LaCie product manager Erin Cooke. “Apple’s push forced the industry to rethink portable storage.”
FAQ
- Q: Can I add an optical drive to newer Macs?
- A: Yes—Apple’s USB SuperDrive works with Macs from 2008 onward, though 2016+ models require USB-C adapters. Third-party drives from ASUS and LG are also compatible.
- Q: How do I install macOS without an optical drive?
- A: Use Internet Recovery (Command+Option+R at boot) to download macOS directly. Installation USB drives can be created via Terminal or third-party tools like Disk Drill.
- Q: Did Apple ever reintroduce optical drives?
- A: No. All post-2016 Macs exclude optical drives, including Intel and Apple Silicon models. The 2023 Mac Pro supports PCIe expansion for internal drives, but Apple doesn’t manufacture them.