Optical drives let your computer read and interact with discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. While nearly every computer had them a few years ago, they're rare to see on new computers now. If you need ...

An external disc connected to a laptop. - Nor Gal/Shutterstock If you were to buy a new laptop, you'd have a hard time finding one with a built-in disc drive that can read CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs.

If you were to buy a new laptop, you'd have a hard time finding one with a built-in disc drive that can read CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs. That's been the case for years, with Apple famously starting ...