Windows 7 - Do we really need a DVD Drive any longer?

Howdy Folks,

After a recent reinstall of Windows, I realized that I don't install anything from CD except Windows. Aside from burning ISOs, I don't use my DVD drive for anything. I'm wondering if as we move more and more into grabbing programs from the web and cloud based applications if DVD/Blu-Ray drives are going to become a thing of the past? Even major applications like the Adobe Suite and MS Office come in downloadable form these days.

We can install Windows or anything else that used to require a DVD from a reusable USB stick. How cool would it be to walk into Best Buy plug in your USB stick and get the latest Windows/Office/Photoshop on there in seconds?

Just a thought a thought really..nothing more than that.

Cheers,
Dan

That latter part isn't such a bad idea...I actually like the thought of downloading the app and leaving

I guess it all comes down to the fact that folks feel...
1)Secure with a hard copy of a media
2)Protected by the fact that it is easy to format a USB drive (goodbye app)...not so easy to format a DVD (...impossible if it isn't an RW)

Although I do own a lot of software via download, there are some titles I prefer to have on CD/DVD. The main one would be the OS.

Ofcourse we still need it

How else would you install your windows at home ?
How else would you install your games you bought at your store
How else would you install your USB + Ethernet/LAN drivers when windows cannot find them.

Beleave me you want to keep that DVD player :P

Yes. After buying a new DVD/Blue Ray movie I back them up to a HDD. Also, even though not big any more with online music stores, I still purchase 95% of my music via CD (call me old fashion).

1) Just what the post says... with a thumb drive
2) with a thumb drive
3) you dont need windows USB drivers for it to work
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I don't think the DVD players are going anywhere... as long as there still are DVD's out there to watch. An interesting idea would be to allow people to download movies onto thumb drives as well... but I don't see it happening. Additionally, if you download windows onto a thumb drive... and then you later need to use that thumb drive for something else... what do you do with the OS on it? You'll need another thumb drive... which is a lot more expensive than a CD

3 actualy you do some one installed his windows and all the usb ports werent working so he needed to use the good old CD to get those drivers installed

The stuff on my video camera needs to be
a. On a seperate, safer, medium
b. playable and
c. easy and cheap to duplicate for the friends and family to view


Try sending 4 hours of home movie along the internet to an aged aunt......

I haven't think about it until i found this thread, but really I can not remember when was the last time I used my dvd drive. Thats funny. I think next time I rebuild my machine, I will get rig of it

I still feel sorry for anyone who doesn't have a floppy drive.