Apple USB SuperDrive

Worked great to create DVD's from my Mac of old family movies for family members.

The days of using DVDs and CDs for backup are quickly fading. Like a lot of people I still have some stuff stored on DVDs that I need to get to every now and then. Sometimes I still even do a secondary backup on DVD. So I still need a good DVD drive. There are a lot of much cheaper drives on the market. The problem I have had with these drives is that in some cases they don't work well with the newest OS of Mac or they die out quickly. For me the only choice is a true Apple SuperDrive. My last one lasted a number of years and finally started to exhibit some problems so it was time to get a new drive. I bought another Apple SuperDrive. Immediately it worked great as I expected it would. This is a very good DVD drive and does its job exactly as expected. If you are working with an Apple computer and need a DVD drive, the Apple SuperDrive is a great choice.

The Apple USB SuperDrive is a compact and reliable optical drive designed specifically for Mac users who still rely on CDs and DVDs for media, software, data backups, or legacy workflows. Its slim, lightweight unibody design makes it extremely portable, and it connects through a single USB-A cable—no external power brick or multiple cables required. From a performance standpoint, it runs quietly and reads/writes discs smoothly without lag or excessive noise. It supports CD and DVD playback, installation discs, burning data discs, and importing media to apps like Music and Photos. It’s fully compatible with macOS for automatic recognition—no drivers needed. Build quality feels solid, with an aluminum finish that matches most Apple devices. It’s especially useful for users restoring old media libraries, accessing archived files, or installing older software not available digitally. Key Technical Features: 🔹 USB-A connection (powered directly from the port) 🔹 Reads and writes both CDs & DVDs 🔹 Plug-and-play — automatic macOS recognition 🔹 Slim aluminum unibody for durability 🔹 No external power adapter required 🔹 Compatible with MacBooks, iMacs & Mac minis Performance Notes: ✔ smooth disc reading & burning ✔ low noise and minimal vibration ✔ reliable for media import & backups ✔ compact for travel and storage ✔ consistent power via USB Uses: 💽 ripping old CDs 💽 playing DVDs 💽 installing legacy software 💽 archiving data 💽 accessing backups If you still need optical drive functionality with a modern Mac, this is a dependable and streamlined solution. It’s simple, efficient, and built with the same quality as Apple’s core hardware—making it a great tool for anyone with older media or professional archival needs.

Pros: • Sleek and Compact Design: The Apple USB SuperDrive boasts a minimalist design that is both sleek and compact. It easily fits into a laptop bag, making it perfect for on-the-go use. • Plug-and-Play Convenience: With no need for additional drivers or software, the SuperDrive offers true plug-and-play convenience. Simply connect it to your MacBook via USB, and it’s ready to go. • Reliable Performance: This drive is highly reliable for reading and writing CDs and DVDs. It handles a variety of media types with ease, providing consistent performance for all your media needs. • Apple Compatibility: Designed specifically for Apple products, the SuperDrive integrates seamlessly with MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and other Mac models. It matches the Apple aesthetic perfectly and functions smoothly with macOS. Cons: • Limited to USB-A: The SuperDrive uses a USB-A connector, which can be inconvenient for newer Mac models that feature only USB-C ports. An adapter is required for these models, which is an additional purchase. I wish Apple would upgrade the USB-A. • Price: The Apple USB SuperDrive is more expensive compared to other external optical drives on the market. However, its build quality and seamless integration with Apple products may justify the higher cost for many users. • No Blu-ray Support: The SuperDrive does not support Blu-ray discs, which limits its functionality for those who need to read or write Blu-ray media. ☹️ Conclusion: The Apple USB SuperDrive is a reliable and stylish solution for accessing CDs and DVDs on your Mac. Its sleek design, ease of use, and seamless integration with Apple products make it a convenient choice for those within the Apple ecosystem. While it is pricier and limited to USB-A connectivity, its performance and compatibility with macOS offer significant advantages. However, if you require Blu-ray support or have a newer Mac with only USB-C ports, you may need to consider additional accessories or alternatives. Overall, the SuperDrive is an excellent choice for users seeking a dependable and portable optical drive.

Price-wise, this is a luxury cruiser CD drive. But the 3rd party CD drive I initially purchased didn't work with my Macbook, so rather than go through the messy trial-and-error of finding a workable 3rd party, I just went with the Apple product. (I'm trying to be mad, but if you're going Apple in the first place, you know the gig.) But, price aside, this IS plug-and-play with the relevant Apple laptops, so that's good. Anyway, I'm using it to rip all the CDs in my collection that I didn't bother to rip the first time around. Lots of old, marginal stuff that, uh, I didn't show a great amount of care for. Considering the dicy condition of some of these CDs, I have to admit that this rips them at a fairly respectable success rate. However, the over all percentage of CDs it can't read is surprisingly high—I understand the problems with scratched discs, but have a harder time accepting pristine-looking discs that just clunk about aimlessly in the drive without being read. It's still a decently small percentage overall (wish I kept track enough to know, but alas), but it's also too high. Frustrating to look at a CD and see no tangible reason for an inability to read. Which highlights the most irritating element of Apple's external: There's no physical eject button. What typically happens is, the CD looks like it's being read fine and you start the ripping process. Then at some point the CD seems to disappear from the system: There's no icon on your desktop, no listing under "locations" in your finder sidebar. It's just... gone. You can't eject something that the system no longer sees. Apple, in their infinite wisdom, does allow a way to force eject, but it requires restarting your whole laptop while pressing on the trackpad. That gets old quick. You should not have to restart your system every time you need to force eject a CD. Oh, and this has the old USB-style connection, so if you're on a newer Macbook that has the Thunderbolt ports, you'll need to get an adaptor. Yay. I don't know that any external CD drive is going to have more success than this one (although I will be trying all those CDs this drive failed to rip on my sister's laptop—I'll update this review if the results, particularly of those clean CDs, are significantly improved). Let's be honest, CDs are kind of an archaic technology at this point so I shouldn't be surprised that mass CD ripping is a process filled with problems. So for now I'm pleased with the huge quantity of discs I was able to rip. But be aware that even with the luxury option, there are bumps in the road.

Nice quality, very sturdy, auto feed nice touch. Value for Money: Very nice unit, but very expensive. Reason for three stars for "Easy to Install" was: MacBook Pro - plug-n-play. Yeah! Win10 NOT plug-n-play. Ugh! Hint 1 Only complaint, Apples written instructions doesn't tell Windows users about the need for Apple drivers, where and which to pick. Downloaded Windows drivers from Apple, installed with no issues, drive now works in Win10. Not a big deal. Internet instructions: 1. Plug the SuperDrive into an available USB port on the Windows PC. 2. Download that latest "Boot Camp drivers" from Apple. https://support.apple.com/downloads/macoscomponents 3. Right-click on the Boot Camp zip file in the Downloads folder, and then, click Extract All. 4. Launch the AppleODDInstaller64.exe file, that is located at: /BootCamp/Drivers/Apple/AppleODDInstaller.exe, and then, follow the steps to install the driver on your PC. 5. After successfully installing this driver, you should be able to use the SuperDrive as you normally would. Hint 2 Win10 does not have its own DVD / Movie player (odd). "Windows Media Player" did not work with homemade and store bought movies, irrespective of the drive used. The internet revealed others with the same experience. Their guidance was to use a free media player (like VLC or one like it). Once the free player was installed the drive worked fine with Win10. Done. Cheers!

I'd been a PC user for decades. I used PCs in the military and every civilian job I had. I've also been an Android user since my first smartphone (mainly Samsung). I stopped upgrading with the S 20+ because of no support for a micro sd card, which was a reason I stayed with Samsung. I've accumulated nearly 28 GB of music on my micro sd card over the years and have numerous playlists in Samsung Music. When Samsung eliminated the SD slot, I started looking for other options. I eventually decided to explore Apple. There was a lot of hype surrounding the MacBook Pro Max in Late 2021. My wife brought me an iPad and I purchased the MacBook Pro Max. It was a learning curve but I began using it far more than my Dell custom laptop. Based on my Apple experience, I began researching the iPhone 14 Pro Max rumors. I also discovered, less than half of the music on my micro sd card was compatible with Mac. Since I still had the original source music I decided to use my free Apple Music Subscription. My phone carrier plan includes Disney+, Hulu+, ESPN+, and the $9.99 version of Apple Music, all for just a $9.99 increase on my phone bill. None of my Mac compatible external dvd drives work with my Mac but this DVD drive worked the first time without any problems. It was frustrating trying to get my Mac compatible drives to work. In a nutshell, it's an Apple DVD Drive, twice as expensive than the others for no reason, but designed to work with Apple products. Less hassle works for me.

I plugged in as instructed - I have an iMac 2019 - couldn't see a hardware icon on the desktop (still can't). I knew the SuperDrive was "on", I could hear it. So, I restarted my Mac hoping that was what I needed to do, the instructions were sparse. Still no icon after the restart - so I continued my "troubleshooting" the problem. I put in a music CD, the SuperDrive kept kicking it out! I found the problem by a fluke incident! If I hadn't decided that MAYBE I was inserting my CD wrong I wouldn't have realized the obvious problem - THE UNIT WAS UPSIDE DOWN! The apple logo goes on the bottom side of the SuperDrive, not the top! Silver side up, black side with Apple logo, down. Since when did Apple start hiding their logo!? lol Now I have a great operating SuperDrive. The INSTRUCTIONS are the pitts! Just black & white drawings and no explanation as to which side should be the UP side - this is just like an Engineer writing the instructions - they assume too much and didn't add the notification of which side is UP. I just received this drive 8/6/2023 - and really happy with it's performance. Now I just wish I could see the icon on my desktop. :)