CD/DVD drives were once a staple in computing, providing a means to read and write data on physical discs. However, with the advent of cloud storage, USB drives, and other digital storage solutions, the use of CD/DVD drives has significantly declined. In the Apple ecosystem, particularly with macOS, the trend has been towards eliminating these drives from their hardware lineup. Modern MacBooks and iMacs do not come with built-in CD/DVD drives.

For users who still need to use CDs or DVDs, Apple provides alternatives such as external CD/DVD drives and software solutions. This article will explore these alternatives and provide practical examples of how to use them on macOS.

Examples:

1. Using an External CD/DVD Drive:
Apple offers an external USB SuperDrive that can be connected to your Mac via a USB port. Here’s how to use it:

• Connect the Apple USB SuperDrive to your Mac.


• Insert a CD or DVD into the drive.


• The disc will appear on your desktop and in the Finder sidebar.


• You can now access the contents of the disc just like any other drive.

2. Creating and Using Disk Images:
Disk images are a great alternative to physical discs. You can create a disk image from a CD or DVD and use it as if it were a physical disc.

• 
  

  To create a disk image:
  1. Open Disk Utility (found in Applications > Utilities).
  2. Insert the CD/DVD into the external drive.
  3. Select the CD/DVD in Disk Utility and click on "File" > "New Image" > "Image from [disc name]".
  4. Choose the format and encryption options, then save the image.

  
  


• 
  

  To use a disk image:
  1. Double-click the disk image file (.dmg) to mount it.
  2. The disk image will appear on your desktop and in the Finder sidebar.
  3. Access the contents as you would with a physical disc.

  
  

3. Burning Data to a CD/DVD:
If you need to burn data to a CD or DVD, macOS makes this process straightforward:

• Insert a blank CD or DVD into the external drive.


• Open Finder and drag the files you want to burn to the CD/DVD icon on the desktop.


• Click on the CD/DVD icon and then click "File" > "Burn [disc name] to Disc".


• Follow the prompts to complete the burning process.