Yes, DVDs are on the way out. However, there are still occasions where I need to rip a CD/DVD. I am fine with Macs not having them built in, but I still need one a few times a year, and while Apple’s DVD drive looks great, it’s $77.

I am a big fan of the Samsung Ultra-Slim DVD Drive. Depending on what color you pick, it’s $20-$25. It plugs in with USB and requires zero additional software to work (OS X still supports DVD drives natively). It’s super thin (0.55 inches high), and it works great.

Get the black model on Amazon for $21.99.