Author Topic: Laptops without DVD  (Read 1564 times)

Offline Frog

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Laptops without DVD
« on: November 28, 2015, 10:04:14 AM »
I'm looking at laptops for my son, and noticed a review that gave a ding to one for not having a DVD drive so that he couldn't install another OS.
Can't that and other similar operations be done through the USB port?

In fact, with a 128 Meg usb3 flash drive now available very reasonably, couldn't one run applications and even boot from that if they wished?
That rug really tied the room together, did it not?


Offline jvanick

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2015, 10:08:31 AM »
I've been installing OS's from USB sticks for years.... works great.. but it does take a bit of work to get the os image loaded on one..

btw, I think you meant 128 Gig USB stick :)

Offline Frog

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2015, 10:20:57 AM »
I've been installing OS's from USB sticks for years.... works great.. but it does take a bit of work to get the os image loaded on one..

btw, I think you meant 128 Gig USB stick :)

Is that long time with usb3?

Oh, and for the capacity, Yep, dumb mistake, that would have been a while ago that that was considered adequate. In fact I still remember a neighbor of mine going to a big sale at the Cow Palace years ago joking about whether we'd need a hard drive as large as a gig! LOL!

« Last Edit: November 28, 2015, 03:29:17 PM by Frog »
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Offline jvanick

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2015, 10:23:54 AM »

Is that long time with usb3?


No.. I used USB2, but the principles are the same...  in fact a USB2 stick was still faster than a dvd reader.

-J

Offline Frog

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2015, 10:26:20 AM »
...but 3 screams!
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Offline Gilligan

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2015, 12:56:53 PM »
And it's gotten easier with ISO to USB stick tools that they have put out these days.

I run several tools, including a full linux system, off of a USB stick for troubleshooting and fixing systems every day.

Offline Shanarchy

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2015, 04:04:10 PM »
Most laptops do not have them anymore. It makes the laptops a little thinner and lighter weight. Most programs are downloads now. I bought an external CD drive which connects via USB.

Offline Frog

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2015, 04:15:20 PM »
the cd/dvd drawer used to provide the space replaced by an additional ssd drive as well
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Offline jvieira

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Re: Laptops without DVD
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2015, 03:27:49 AM »
I've had my laptop for 2 years now and never used the CD drive. I actually had to look and see if it had one ahah.

Everything's downloadable nowadays. If it's not, you'll get it as a USB stick