MouseAT

@cliffwade Those of us who own a lot of physical media still depend on them, even if we don’t use them that often.

It really infuriates me how few cases have space for an optical drive these days. When I eventually have to retire my current case, I’m not looking forward to having to buy an external drive, store it somewhere, and dig it out whenever I need it, just because all of the manufacturers have decided that no high end systems need to access optical media any more.

Aug 12, 2023 at 2:37pmWeb
Show threadNausiyanAug 12, 2023
@MouseAT @cliffwade I am using an AT case that has been modified over years to support more modern equipment. It's an ugly af case with skuff marks, dings, and discoloured plastic. It's the one thing no one stole from me even though it's on wheels.
Show threadJack Yan (甄爵恩)Aug 13, 2023
@nausiyan @MouseAT @cliffwade Similarly, I took my 2012 case to the shop in 2019 and got them to reuse it (along with the DVD-ROM drive). They were really proud of the build and it even appeared on their website.
Show thread🥥 Tucker Carlson's Nuts 🥥Aug 12, 2023
@MouseAT @cliffwade
🥥 I'm with you, Mouse.
I assembled my current desktop computer about 15 years ago, with 2 optical drives.
In that time I've managed to mess up my install of #Kubuntu so badly that I can only boot if I have a disc with #Rescatux in one of the drives. (Can't boot this beast from USB.)
I'm just about finished with my last build, and had to settle on a case with no internal optical drive slots.
I sure hope I can get it to boot from a flash drive! 🥥
Show threadMouseATAug 12, 2023

@JStatePost @cliffwade That actually raises an interesting point when it comes to bootable media durability.

USB media can be really convenient, but what about media used for hardware level recovery, especially if it's not needed for years at a time? I'd trust a decent quality DVD-R over a USB drive to be functional if I need it several years after initially writing to the media.

I'd be fine, using a secondary machine to prep fresh media if required, but not everyone has a second machine.

Show threadRenato RamondaAug 13, 2023

@MouseAT @JStatePost @cliffwade I wouldn't... A DVD will become unreadable on its own, and it's hard to predict when. Maybe if you keep it away from light and in a place that doesn't get moldy.

But then, a USB key will probably do the same (I have an ancient 4Gb one still kicking around). If you don't use it constant, it's unlikely to break (you *will* lose it though 😁)

Show threadTHOMnottomAug 13, 2023

@MouseAT @cliffwade as a physical media guy, I'll say that using an external drive can be great. Keep it on my desk because I rip stuff regularly, but can also use it with my laptop or put it away if I need the space.

But it all depends on your setup.