Save this article to read it later. Find this story in your account’s ‘Saved for Later’ section. For many Africans like me growing up in the 2000s with limited access to legitimate software, buying ...

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.

Most modern laptops lack an optical drive, yet CDs and DVDs are still used in many households, whether for playing old movies, installing older software, or even for making physical backups. An ...