What are the capabilities of the optical drive provided by the eMac models? How do you replace or upgrade the optical drive?

The eMac models shipped with either a CD-ROM drive, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW "Combo" drive, or a single-layer DVD-R/CD-RW "SuperDrive".

For your convenience, the optical capabilities of each model are listed below:

*Some configurations of this model shipped with a "Combo Drive".
**Some configurations of these models shipped with a "SuperDrive".

For the exact speed of each optical drive reading and writing different media, please refer to the specs page for the particular model of interest.

Just like the hard drive, Apple does not consider the optical drive to be a "customer-installable part" and declines to provide replacement instructions. Consequently, EveryMac.com does not recommend that users attempt to upgrade the optical drive themselves.

Users with limited experience upgrading computers would be wise to instead purchase an external USB or Firewire optical drive for a quick and easy upgrade. Even those with experience upgrading systems might prefer to purchase an external drive rather than go to the trouble of disassembling the computer and the risk of dealing with an exposed CRT-display.

Nevertheless, when Apple declines to provide upgrade instructions, one always can count on the blogosphere, and Paul Wilkinson produced comprehensive instructions to upgrade the optical drive in the eMac based on his experience (archived copy).

Site sponsor Other World Computing sells internal and external optical drives as well as other upgrades for the eMac.