Ask HN: First laptop you had without optical drive?

5 pointsby Philomath9 tahun yang lalu17 comments

I was surprised to search on google and not being able to easily find the first laptop ever to not have an optical drive built in after CD'S were invented and all computers used them. I'm curious to see who can name the oldest model here in HN to omit it.

17 comments

jepler9 tahun yang lalu

IBM full-size Thinkpads could be configured with a second battery or a second 2.5" hard drive in the spot we think of as where the optical drive goes -- user-interchangeable, even.

There have been superportables all along without built-in optical drives, such as the ThinkPad 560 (1996).

__d9 tahun yang lalu

Toshiba Libretto from 1997.

It had a PCMCIA floppy drive, and I think 1 had similar CD-ROM drive.

I ran Linux on it for a few years, prior to getting a 12" PowerBook.

tonylemesmer9 tahun yang lalu

Sony 505 back in 2000. It was shipped with a PCMCIA external drive but nothing built in. I still have the laptop on my shelf.

partisan9 tahun yang lalu

The 505 was a beautiful laptop and the form factor would probably still be pleasing today.

I ended up buying a Picturebook since I had a long bus commute. It was underpowered with the TransMeta Crusoe processor, but it fit in my coat pocket and served as an MP3 player. :)

Philomath9 tahun yang lalu

wow! Nice laptop. How expensive was this back then?

tonylemesmer9 tahun yang lalu

I was still a student, but I'd just got my first job. Managed to part with £1,200!! Most expensive PC I've ever bought even to this day.

twobyfour9 tahun yang lalu

Retina Macbook Pro, 2013. Still kept around an older MBP for a couple years for the rare occasions that I needed to read a CD or DVD, but I used that rarely, and the increased portability of the newer one was life-changing.

jetti9 tahun yang lalu

Mine that was for me, 2017 iMac. For my wife, 2017 Macbook Pro. I had a previous 2012 Macbook Pro but that was the last generation with a CD/DVD drive.

SamReidHughes9 tahun yang lalu

An EeePC 901. I regret not keeping it.

anotheryou9 tahun yang lalu

They don't last forever. Mine has unbearable coil-whine while charging.

josephcs9 tahun yang lalu

MacBook Air 2013. While it doesn't count, prior to 2013 MBA, I had a 2012 Mac mini that did have a optical drive.

Philomath9 tahun yang lalu

Mine was very recent... A 2016 macbook pro. I hope I can find someone who had something from like 2005 or something like that.

jotjotzzz9 tahun yang lalu

Macbook Air for sure. And I still use it and sad that they will discontinue it. It's a great laptop.

hacalox9 tahun yang lalu

Hp 13 chromebook white. 2015

Crontab9 tahun yang lalu

Macbook Air for me.

miguelrochefort9 tahun yang lalu

Asus Eee PC 1005PE

amerkhalid9 tahun yang lalu

2017 MBP 13 inch