More and more software is provided as a download rather than on a physical disc. Combine that with a desire to make laptops smaller and less expensive and you’ll find that rarely do new computers come with a DVD drive. While it may be less necessary going forward, it is still something I find very important and I can’t go without one. Today we’ll look at an inexpensive solution and I will provide an Amazon link that provides me a tiny commission. You still get the same low price and I get nothing more than those pennies.

The easy and inexpensive answer is an External DVD Drive. It is not a big name brand, but it is a low price. As an external drive, you can plug it into any computer with a USB port. So the same drive could be used on multiple computers if needed. I’ve certainly connected my drive to multiple laptops.

This drive features a USB 3.0 connection. What does that mean? If you plug it into a computer via a USB 3.0 port, you’ll get the fastest possible speeds. But it still works if you plug it into an older USB port. You’ll just get lower speeds. If you are only using the drive occasionally, that’s probably not a huge deal.

While you may not feel you have an immediate need for an external DVD drive, it could come in very handy should you need to access data on a CD or DVD down the road. I always like to be prepared for when those occasions arise. With the low price, this is a valuable addition to your computer toolkit.