I really don't see the point of an optical drive in a laptop, not to mention optical media. All the software and media I consume comes in a digital download format. If it is your only machine and you absolutely need to burn a cd, then a simple USB external will do the trick. Also, you can always setup a bootable partition on a USB flash drive. Honestly, I have been waiting for this day to come for years. I can't wait until blu Ray and video games via optical media die too. Thank you apple.