82 per cent boost in sales last year. http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2014/02/07/ssd-shipments-2013/1
It seems odd to me that IHS counts optical drives, HDD and SSD but doesn't track USB drive. From what i have read they claim that storage sales fell 5% last year but if they counted USB drives, that i think people maybe using instead of optical it may not have shown a decline.
I havn't had an optical drive for about 3/4 years now. I have windows 7 install on a bootable USB drive if I ever need to re-install. And all my games are downloaded via the likes of steam, origin ect. Backups of essential files are also on USB's and "the cloud"
PCs without optical drives are an option for many but there are still certain situations where they will always be needed as long as the entertainment industry still supports them. I wouldn't dream of building a HTPC without one as not all CDs, DVDs or Blu-Rays have digital versions although for all other builds I would probably opt to go without and will probably invest in an external burner at some point for that 'just in case' scenario.
Blu-ray is a must for my htpc. Not only that but games are quite often cheaper in physical format. For those reasons alone I say **** you and raise two fingers to the anti-physical media brigade. Now, if they started packaging games and movies on thumb drives, I'd be right behind you.
games maybe cheaper but u can always dump the key in steam origin or likewise and download them and throw away the disc. but that maybe just be being spoiled by my internet connection. also i don't have a optical drive.
