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Cylinder Mac Pro Q&A - Updated May 4, 2016
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What external optical drive options are available for the Gray Cylinder Mac Pro models?
Unlike previous Mac Pro models, which have two internal 5.25" drive bays and could easily accommodate two optical drives, the Gray Cylinder Mac Pro models do not have an internal optical drive. Furthermore, these models do not have any traditional drive bays at all.
You may view CDs and DVDs as no longer needed "legacy" formats and Blu-ray as an unnecessary "bag of hurt" and are perfectly happy to forgo optical media entirely with your Cylinder Mac Pro.
However, for those who still find optical media worthwhile, whether for inexpensive and reliable backups or for watching high-resolution movies, there are a variety of compatible external optical drives available.
Inexpensive External Options
Although just about any USB-based optical drive with OS X drivers will work, site sponsor Adorama has the official aluminum Apple SuperDrive for US$79 and Other World Computing has a variety of compact third-party external optical drive options, as well.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (SuperDrive - Left), OWC (Blu-ray Options - Right)
For those who do not need (or want) Blu-ray, the Apple SuperDrive is sufficient, but it is worth noting that OWC offers an equally compact, albeit plastic, optical drive that reads Blu-ray in addition to writing CD and DVD media for less money and has one that also writes Blu-ray for only a bit more.
Posthumous Premium External Option
For those who were potentially interested in a premium external optical drive option, there was a startup called "NuMac" that offered a promising looking external stand option made from aluminum.
In addition to providing an optical drive, one advantage of elevating the Cylinder Mac Pro with a pedestal stand of some kind is that it prevents the system from inhaling a spilled liquid from the desk it is sitting on, as one IT professional discovered the hard way after spilling what ultimately became a US$752.64 cup of coffee.
EveryMac.com was optimistic that NuMac would be able to honor its promise to provide the "ultimate Blu-ray solution for the ultimate Mac."
Unfortunately, though, as sometimes is the case with startups, NuMac struggled to provide adequate customer service, had difficulty fulfilling orders in a timely fashion, and the product that actually shipped reportedly contained quality Blu-Ray drives, but these "drives were not aligned properly inside the cases, making them useless." Unsurprisingly, the startup went out of business.
Should there prove to be sufficient demand for a "pedestal" design optical drive for the Cylinder Mac Pro -- or maybe a combination product that includes an optical drive, storage, and additional ports -- a more experienced upgrade company could choose to release a quality product that is a better implementation of the startup's idea.
Until that time, particularly if you plan to only use optical media occasionally, and perhaps store the external drive in a drawer when it is not in use, odds are good that the official Apple option from Adorama or one of the many quality options from OWC are likely to be more than sufficient, particularly for those in the United States.
Also see: How do you install a second optical drive or replace the primary one in the Silver Tower Mac Pro models? What options are available for the second "optical drive bay"?
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