Earlier this year, Apple added the last MacBook Pro with a CD/DVD drive to its obsolete products list, and now it looks like Apple's aging external USB SuperDrive might not be all that far behind.
As noted by 9to5Mac, it's no longer possible to buy a USB SuperDrive online via the official Apple Store in the US. The product listing for the $79 device says that it's "Sold Out," rather than "Currently Unavailable." Apple's Canada online store also lists the device as sold out, and given that it was introduced alongside the original MacBook Air in 2008, Apple is unlikely to make additional units to play what many Mac users would consider to be legacy optical media.
Stock remains available on some of Apple's regional stores, such as the UK, and the USB SuperDrive can still be found elsewhere online at merchants like Amazon, but bear in mind that you'll need a USB-A to USB-C adapter to use it with a modern MacBook. Also, it doesn't play Blu-ray discs. Here's how Apple describes the product:
Whether you're at the office or on the road, you can play and burn both CDs and DVDs with the Apple USB SuperDrive. It's perfect when you want to watch a DVD, install software, create backup discs and more.
Only slightly bigger than a CD case, the Apple USB SuperDrive slips easily into your travel bag when you hit the road, and takes up little space on your desk or tray table when you’re working.
While the majority of Apple's product lineup has been updated over the past few years, there are still a handful of devices and accessories that are quite old and still available on the Apple store.
Top Rated Comments
Spinning those discs at a steady rate.
You were the hero of the digital age,
Now you’re retired, out of the tech stage.
Remember the days of burning CDs?
Mixing up tracks with such ease?
You were the DJ, the maestro of tunes,
Now we’ve got playlists and streaming boons.
Installing software? You had our back,
We’d feed you a disc, you’d get right on track.
No Wi-Fi? No problem! You saved the day,
Like a techy knight, in your silver display.
Your hum was a comfort, a nerdy delight,
Though your speed was slower than dial-up at night.
We’d sit and we’d wait, and sometimes curse,
But in the end, you always came through.
You held our memories, backups galore,
With a whir and a click, you’d open the door.
Sure, you were bulky, and let’s not forget,
You’d chomp on our discs like a hungry pet.
Now you’re a relic, a bygone dream,
Replaced by the cloud and the endless stream.
But let’s not forget the fun we had,
Even if sometimes you drove us mad.
Farewell, SuperDrive, you did us proud,
In the hall of fame, you stand tall and loud.
Here’s to the laughs, the spins, and the burns,
Your legacy lives as the tech world turns.
Perhaps because it does not support Blu-ray?
Any brand drive you buy will work fine with any Mac, including Apple Silicon.