For quite some time the CD format has been losing strength in some areas. And Apple was one of the first to completely remove support to read CDs and DVDs on its range of computers, removing the Super Drive reader. However, the fact that they do not have a reader does not mean that they cannot read CDs, even today. In this post we tell you how you can do it.
How to Play CDs and DVDs on Your Newer Mac
If there’s one thing that has characterized Apple in recent years, it’s its fondness for plug-in accessories. And this is what this article is about: external readers, pluggable via USB or USB type C. There are wide variety of these items, and we bring you some recommendations so that your Mac can read CDs and DVDs without problem. Just open, plug and play.
The first reader that we recommend reads CDs, DVDs and blu-ray. But it not only has the capacity to read, but also to write. And it’s compatible with both Windows and Mac. It connects via USB-C and is high-speed, making it a truly premium external drive. You can buy it on Amazon directly from the link that we leave you.
Another of our recommendations is a multifunctional reader. In this case we lose compatibility with Blu-Ray and some speed of reading and writing compared to the previous model. But we gain two USB type A 3.0 connections, a reader of SD cards and another for micro SD cards. Therefore, we not only bought a device to read CDS on our Mac, but also a connection HUB. It works with USB-A and USB-C connection. You can buy it from this same link.
Verbatim is one of the oldest brands in the field of CDs and DVDs. And in this case, it has an external USB reader, compatible with Mac. A reader that, in addition to being compatible with CDs and DVDs, is compatible with Blu-Ray format, both for reading and writing files. In this case, it can only be connected via USB-A, nothing that cannot be solved with a USB-C adapter in case your Mac only has this port.
The option cheaper of this post comes from the hand of Antika. It is a CD and DVD reader and writer and connects via USB-A. In this case we lose compatibility with Blu-Ray, but it is a very good option if what we need is a simple, functional device to use sporadically on our Mac. You can buy it directly on Amazon from the link that we leave you here bottom.
Apple also sells you the official solution
If you want to read and play CDs and DVDs (not Blu-Ray) on your iMac or Macbook, Apple also sells you the USB SuperDrive. Or what is the same, the official external reader, which connects via USB-A. There are no models that can be connected via USB-C, and this one has an important detail regarding the previous ones. The connection cable is integrated. Cannot be disconnected or replaced in case it breaks down, as it does with the others. It is an important nuance that you have to take into account. However, the construction of the materials feels premium and it is still a good product, despite its limitations.