Optical drives are still practical for many users, whether to play old CDs and DVDs, install software, or create backups—especially with modern laptops, which are usually supplied without a drive.

Apple has always been eager to dump technologies when the company feels they have outlived their usefulness. The original iMac came without a floppy drive. The iPhone 7 came without a headphone jack.

When you are in the market for external storage solutions, two of the most common options you'll find are USB flash drives and external hard drives. Despite the difference in their names, both use the ...