Are you dabbling with the idea of buying a laptop with an inbuilt HD DVD? If you are unsure about this decision, then stick around! I will walk you through the advantages that come with a laptop with an optical disk drive like DVD ROM drive.

As a consumer, it is vital to make an informed decision regarding any purchase – especially in the case of electronic gadgets because they can create ease or hurdles in your daily life. This case is no exception. You need to be fully aware of the advantages of a built-in DVD drive for your laptop. Following is a list of the advantages:

• Large storage capacity
• Easily available and accessible to all consumers
• The storage device is portable
• DVD drives are compatible with CDs, DVDs, and Bluray
• Excess supply of DVDs reduces selling price for consumers
• High definition sound and picture quality
• Rewritable data

It is important to note that when you are comparing your data storage options, there is no one size fits all option for every user. Every user has a unique set of requirements so the choice must be made accordingly. In order to avoid buyer’s remorse, I will list down the demerits of DVD drives on your laptop.

Advantages of DVD Drives within Laptops

Following is a comprehensive list of advantages of laptops with optical drives:

• Large storage capacity – Nowadays, hard disk drives in the market are sold at a higher storage capacity of 500GB. Laptops that are equipped with an optical disk drive now come with at least 500GB of storage space. So, as a user, you can read and write data up to 500 GB which is a significantly high number that is not commonly seen.
• Easily accessible – Another advantage is market availability. There is an abundance of internal and external drives from different manufacturers in the market.
• Portability – Laptops with inbuilt DVD drives allow for ease of transportation. As long as you have your laptop and your compact disc, you can access your data anywhere, anytime.
• DVD drives are compatible with CDs, DVDs, and Bluray – DVD drives are compatible with all kinds of optical discs. This makes for writing data easily on your read and write disc. You do not have to worry about the type of data you’re trying to save or view. But some variations like cd, DVD and DVD-VR audio tracks are not supported by all DVD players.
• Excess supply of DVDs reduces selling price for consumers – With a DVD drive, you will obviously need DVDs. Lucky for you, there is a great supply of DVDs in the market. This means that you can enjoy a low market price. So you could even stock up on compact discs and it would barely put a dent in your wallet.
• High definition sound and picture quality – DVDs support high definition or HD video quality. If your laptop can also support such high resolution, then the culmination of the two can result in a premium viewership experience. Similarly, you will also be able to play music or any audio with superior sound quality.
• Rewriteable Data – You can easily write information and data multiple times, as long a the maximum storage capacity has not been exhausted. You can erase, write external data, copy, format, and paste files stored in the disks.

Disadvantages of DVD drives within laptops

Now that you have seen one side of the coin, it is vital for you to see the other side as well. In order to make a well-informed decision, you must know the disadvantages of this. It may not be the perfect option for you if you have been actively avoiding the cons that come with DVD players in your laptop computers.

Following is the list of the disadvantages:

• Slower Read-Write Speed Than SSD – One disadvantage of a hard disk drive in your system is the speed at which it writes and reads data. If you are looking for greater speed in this regard in order to prevent delays in operations then this is not the best option for you. A solid-state drive is faster than a hard disc drive in this case. The speed will vary with the rotation per minute of the drive. So, a computer equipped with this drive will operate slower relative to one without the drive.
• Energy Inefficiency – A hard disk drive consumes more power because it needs more power to operate its moving parts. With a hard disc drive, the moving parts include a magnetic head and a rotating metallic platter. It is this reason why manufacturers do not include the drive in compact devices that are meant to be portable, since with portable devices long battery life is vital. So if the drive consumes all energy, then you won’t have any left for your tasks.
• Produces loud mechanic sound – Another disadvantage is noise. The rotation of metallic platters and movement of the magnetic head creates an almost unbearable mechanical noise and subtle vibration of the unit while CD ROMs are operational. This is noticeable when you will read and write large amounts of data.
• Not durable – Here, there is a high chance of data being lost and integrity failures. This is all due to the physical vulnerability of the drive and the optical discs. The moving parts of the drive make it vulnerable to damages especially since moving and carrying a device can raise the risk of physical damages like breakage or scratches.
• Heavy physical form – Laptops or any portable device with the drive is heavier and bulkier, This is an important drawback, especially for those users who are looking for a device that can be easily carried to work or school.
• Unattractive appearance – With the attachment of a drive in the system, it loses its sleek and modern look. Instead, it looks very unappealing to the eye. So if you are one who is easily bothered and put off by the appearance of your gadgets then this is not for you.
• Compression of files – Some DVDs compress their files. This greatly affects the quality can l=can lead to poor viewership.
• Additional software required – You will have to install a burning software to record or write information and other data to it.

How to Operate without a Drive on Laptop

If the above-mentioned cons of hard disc drives are putting you off, but you still wish to use CDs and DVDs and you dont want the drive in your laptop, then stick around. I will show you some alternative ways to access Dvd and cd data without an internal drive since a lot of laptops are being manufactured without drives.

Following is a list of alternative ways to do so:

• Purchase an external dvd drive or cd drive – Nowadays these external drives are very cheap. So all you have to do is plug it into your USB drive, pop in whatever CD or DVD you need, and you’re good to go.

• Rip DVDs to your computer – If you don’t want to lug an external drive around with you, then the better option is to rip those DVDs or even blu ray discs from an external DVD ROM to your hard drive. If you know how to rip files then you will not only will you be able to buy an attractive and modern ultra-thin laptop that is easy to carry, but you can access files without shortening your battery, too.
• Buy a flash drive – A flash drive is a perfect way to share files with others. If you do not want to burn CDs all the time, then a flash drive will do a better data storage job. There are certain pros and cons with this storage device that you should be aware of.

FAQs

Why do new laptops not come with optical drives?

Removing optical drive allows manufacturers to build units that are smaller, lighter, and less expensive.

What are the benefits of DVD RW?

Besides being able to play or access DVD data, you can also burn and make DVDs as well.

Why might you still want an optical drive?

You may get music or movies on CDs as gifts. For that, you will need a driver.