External CD/DVD drive recommendation?

[kcrossley]

I need a recommendation for a good third-party CD/DVD drive that's compatible with my Mid-2012 MacBook Pro 2.3 GHz i7.

Unfortunately, I can't use Apple's Super Drive because of some BS restriction that's placed on my laptop because it already has an internal CD/DVD drive. I know you can use terminal to possibly hack the OS, but I don't want to do that.

I'd prefer something with a good build quality, similar to what Apple offers. Thanks!

 

[marzer]

I need a recommendation for a good third-party CD/DVD drive that's compatible with my Mid-2012 MacBook Pro 2.3 GHz i7.

Unfortunately, I can't use Apple's Super Drive because of some BS restriction that's placed on my laptop because it already has an internal CD/DVD drive. I know you can use terminal to possibly hack the OS, but I don't want to do that.

I'd prefer something with a good build quality, similar to what Apple offers. Thanks!

The basics drive unit is stamped out by the same few manufacturers anymore, so the best bang for the buck is to find any low priced unit with good ratings like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-USB...sr=1-5&keywords=external+dvd+drive+for+laptop

 

[Fishrrman]

Don't be concerned about the "Apple SuperDrive" -- it's overpriced and offers nothing more than the Apple label on it.
Just about any 3rd-party USB drive will do the job.

The "amazon basics" model suggested by marzer above is probably as good as any.

You might want to give some thought as to whether you would ever want Bluray capabilities, as well. Bluray drives (which also do DVD/CD) cost more, but offer much higher storage capacity if you wish to use the drives for archiving data.

And if that's the case, you should probably consider a drive with M-DISC capabilities, as well.
The M-DISC media is touted to have a lifespan far far longer than ordinary "dye-based" optical media.

 

[carestudio]

I need a recommendation for a good third-party CD/DVD drive that's compatible with my Mid-2012 MacBook Pro 2.3 GHz i7.

Unfortunately, I can't use Apple's Super Drive because of some BS restriction that's placed on my laptop because it already has an internal CD/DVD drive. I know you can use terminal to possibly hack the OS, but I don't want to do that.

I'd prefer something with a good build quality, similar to what Apple offers. Thanks!

Then go with Apple You should be able to do that through a Thunderbolt dock, such as caldigit TS2, and install caldigit's superdrive support driver. That's probably the only correct way.

 

[silber]

If you ever see yourself ripping Blu-ray, the Pioneer BDR-XD05B is a good option.