Apple's Old-School SuperDrive Is Out of Stock and Unlikely to Return - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple's Old-School SuperDrive Is Out of Stock and Unlikely to Return

Earlier this year, Apple added the last MacBook Pro with a CD/DVD drive to its obsolete products list, and now it looks like Apple's aging external USB SuperDrive might not be all that far behind.

8 Old SuperDrives
As noted by 9to5Mac, it's no longer possible to buy a USB SuperDrive online via the official Apple Store in the US. The product listing for the $79 device says that it's "Sold Out," rather than "Currently Unavailable." Apple's Canada online store also lists the device as sold out, and given that it was introduced alongside the original MacBook Air in 2008, Apple is unlikely to make additional units to play what many Mac users would consider to be legacy optical media.

Stock remains available on some of Apple's regional stores, such as the UK, and the USB SuperDrive can still be found elsewhere online at merchants like Amazon, but bear in mind that you'll need a USB-A to USB-C adapter to use it with a modern MacBook. Also, it doesn't play Blu-ray discs. Here's how Apple describes the product:

Whether you're at the office or on the road, you can play and burn both CDs and DVDs with the Apple USB SuperDrive. It's perfect when you want to watch a DVD, install software, create backup discs and more.

Only slightly bigger than a CD case, the Apple USB SuperDrive slips easily into your travel bag when you hit the road, and takes up little space on your desk or tray table when you’re working.

While the majority of Apple's product lineup has been updated over the past few years, there are still a handful of devices and accessories that are quite old and still available on the Apple store.

Popular Stories

macOS 27 on MacBook Pro

Apple Says macOS 27 Won't Be Compatible With These Macs

Wednesday June 3, 2026 8:29 am PDT by
During WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS 26 Tahoe would be the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs. macOS 27 will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. Apple will unveil macOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote this Monday, June 8, and the...
MacBook Neo on Yellow Feature

MacBook Neo is So Popular That Apple Reportedly Doubled Production

Wednesday June 3, 2026 9:24 am PDT by
On an earnings call in late April, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo was "off the charts," and the popularity of the laptop has reportedly led the company to significantly boost production. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week said he believes that MacBook Neo shipments to Apple were doubled from an initial target of 5 million units to 10...
iphone 18 pro blue%402x

iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Dark Gray Chassis Leaked [Update]

Thursday June 4, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows. The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity....

Top Rated Comments

WarmWinterHat Avatar
24 months ago

Good. Just a warning for anyone who wanted one of these, you can’t even use them with an Apple Silicon Mac.
They just don’t work.
Yes they do.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMac The Knife Avatar
24 months ago
I still use my SuperDrive to this day, from time to time. While I've purchased maybe 75 digital movies, the vast majority of my collection is on DVD/4K Blu-Ray. I've abandoned buying digital media because the companies selling it can and will take these movies and TV shows from you whenever they please, or if they go bankrupt. I have enough movies and TV shows on DVD/4K Blu-Ray to last a lifetime. I rip them to Plex and then I can stream them from anywhere I have an internet connection.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
24 months ago
Oh, SuperDrive, you trusty old mate,
Spinning those discs at a steady rate.
You were the hero of the digital age,
Now you’re retired, out of the tech stage.

Remember the days of burning CDs?
Mixing up tracks with such ease?
You were the DJ, the maestro of tunes,
Now we’ve got playlists and streaming boons.

Installing software? You had our back,
We’d feed you a disc, you’d get right on track.
No Wi-Fi? No problem! You saved the day,
Like a techy knight, in your silver display.

Your hum was a comfort, a nerdy delight,
Though your speed was slower than dial-up at night.
We’d sit and we’d wait, and sometimes curse,
But in the end, you always came through.

You held our memories, backups galore,
With a whir and a click, you’d open the door.
Sure, you were bulky, and let’s not forget,
You’d chomp on our discs like a hungry pet.

Now you’re a relic, a bygone dream,
Replaced by the cloud and the endless stream.
But let’s not forget the fun we had,
Even if sometimes you drove us mad.

Farewell, SuperDrive, you did us proud,
In the hall of fame, you stand tall and loud.
Here’s to the laughs, the spins, and the burns,
Your legacy lives as the tech world turns.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B4U Avatar
24 months ago
Legacy media?
Perhaps because it does not support Blu-ray?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bustycat Avatar
24 months ago
Third-party external SuperDrive-like devices are much cheaper.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
24 months ago
It's fine...There is really no reason to have a superdrive specifically anymore. I still do some burning (mainly m-disc)/reading occasionally, and just use a 3rd party external blu-ray drive. It even has USB-C without needing an adapter.

Any brand drive you buy will work fine with any Mac, including Apple Silicon.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)