Optical drives let your computer read and interact with discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. While nearly every computer had them a few years ago, they're rare to see on new computers now.

So despite the digital age we live in, external optical drives should still have a firm place in our technology landscape. They are readily available and can be purchased for less than $20 on Amazon .

Pioneer's newest optical disc drive does more than just play Blu-rays, but will be able to burn large capacity discs as well. According to its Japanese website (via Tom's Hardware), the BDR-213JBK ...

Even on desktops, I think the optical drive is a vestigial organ that’s holding back our PCs. It requires design compromises and incurs costs that drive up the price of a PC without providing ...

It's even been a minute since I owned a PC with a 5.25-inch drive bay to stick one into. Pioneer, like the honey badger, doesn't give two flips and has released a new 5.25-inch optical disc drive ...

If you bought a computer with a DVD drive (or a standalone DVD drive for a computer, including external ones) between April 1, 2003 and December 31, 2008, you're eligible to receive $10 for each ...

The Dell DW316 Slim External USB drive can read all of those optical formats, and for PC users running Windows from version 7 up, it’s purely plug and play. It draws its power directly from your ...

The new Asus Eee PC E1004DN is the same light-weight, easy-to-use netbook you know and love, but with a twist: a Super-Multi optical disc drive. The Eee PC 1004DN will be the first Eee PC to have ...

Sony is getting out the optical disk business as it tries to restructure and shift to businesses that are more relevant to current device trends. Sony to exit PC-use optical drives, say reports - CNET ...