Apple's SuperDrive has been in the market for 16 years and was a useful external optical drive primarily used for Macs as they no longer come with built-in CD or DVD drives. However, the optical disk-based accessory went out of stock a few months ago in Apple's online stores in the U.S. and now seems to be unavailable in multiple regions. Given the long duration the drive has disappeared and displayed out of stock in all countries, it seems that the tech giant may have discontinued the CD/DVD player after all.
After being in the market for 16 years, Apple might be bidding farewell to its USB SuperDrive
Apple USB SuperDrive dates back to 2008 and was released when the first MacBook Air was debuted. Since the series was launched without a CD/DVD drive, the optical drive came in handy despite a USB-A connector being attached to it. Since then, the SuperDrive has continued to be available and, to date, might be the longest-lasting accessory in Apple's lineup.
As pointed out by MacRumors, the USB SuperDrive on Apple's online stores either shows it to be unavailable or sold out in the U.S., and recently, this seems to extend to all countries, implying that 16-year-old drive might actually be gone for good and the company might be discontinuing it.
If this stands true, and if Apple is, in fact, bidding farewell to its SuperDrive, it might not come off as a surprise given how physical drives are no longer in demand or as widely used, and people are increasingly looking for digital solutions. Apple's phasing out the optical drives for its MacBook lineup may point towards its shift in seeking more up-to-date and modern solutions.
Apple has left the matter in the air and not given any clarity on the continued unavailability of the drive. However, given that external optical drives are a niche, not catering to this category any longer makes sense. Nevertheless, the accessory would remain iconic, given that it has been part of the lineup for over a decade.
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