Recently, we talked about the release of Apple’s new MacBook Air ultra-thin laptop. No optical drive. But, a slimmed-down flash drive.
So, the question is, is this new Apple offering simply a “cool” thing, or the future? Will slim become universal? Will future laptops all be under 3 pounds? Are DVD and CD drives necessary? Or are they mildly convenient space-wasters? As digital streaming becomes more and more powerful, and as more manufacturers emulate Apple’s slim-USB design, optical disks, including the CD and DVD, may very well become quickly obsolete.
Because think of how you are going to purchase software in the future. One-click apps you can download on-demand, with automatic updates. Going to the store and buying a disc will simply become overly inconvenient.