Computer Towers Without Cd And Dvd Player

I'm facing the dying Windows 10 thing myself, and this PC (bought in 2007) can't run Win11. Very annoying, but the RAM is maxed out at 4GB anyway and can't go higher.

I bought a mid-spec compact PC with Win11 Pro, a small square box not thicker than a couple of inches. Cheap enough at roughly $200. It has an SSD, but I also was able to fit a 2.5" hard drive (that I already had) into the case. No optical drives, but I already had a portable USB CD/DVD reader/writer.

The USB drive didn't work. Grr. Bought a second one, since the first one had been in the garage through several hard winters and hot summers. Didn't work. Grr.

SOLUTION: These drives come with "Y cables" and I finally tried plugging the forked PC end into two USB ports. That provided enough power and now BOTH work just fine. Using up 2 ports isn't ideal though. This little box only has just so many to begin with.

I'd used the 1st drive with other PCs using just one port with no trouble before. Go figure.

 

GM already has plans to drop support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, substituting something proprietary.

Who knows who else may follow suit?

A 2025 that I am looking at buying still has both (and both wired and wireless operation), but also has Google Built-in and Alexa Built-in. It also still offers music from USB drives or phone via Bluetooth of course.

They dropped Sirius XM, but who pays for that crap anyway?

 

Headphones in a vehicle may not be a good idea unless your parked.

 

For the car I used the ruggedized "ToughMAX™ USB Flash Drives."

Crush it, boil it, freeze it – the ToughMAX can take it all*. Water resistant, crush resistant and temperature resistant, this drive protects against rough-and-tumble use for a variety of lifestyles. Proprietary KyronMAX™ material, used in fighter jets, increases durability without adding weight, creating a uniquely tough USB drive in a slim, stylish design. Optional password protection software** makes this drive as tough inside as it is outside, storing data safely and securely. Backed by Verbatim’s limited lifetime warranty, the ToughMAX is the ultimate in data protection.

Crush resistant up to 5,000 lbs*
Water resistant up to 100 ft.*
Temperature resistant from -13ºF to 300ºF*​

 

By the time I learned how to use all that tech, I'd be too old to care.

 

One reason to look for "Pro" rather than "Home" or other editions is that it supports the Remote Desktop Service.

This allows me to use the RDS client from another PC (or with an appropriate Android app, my phone or tablet). That way I can use the old Win10 PC and connect to the little Win11 box. This is handy for installing updates, adding applications, and messing around learning the difference in Win11 (as usual a lot of old stuff is there but moved around).

When the day comes to retire this (old Win10) machine I'll move the Win11 box here. Right now they are in different rooms.

 

I just bought a new Cadillac and it has all of that stuff. Car makers are moving more into "subscriptions" for gouging the car-buying public. BMW requires a monthly subscription for their heated/cooled seats. My "complimentary" OnStar subscription and wifi in the car both expire next March so I will wait and see what functionality is lost with that.

We pay for Sirius ($4 a month) because my husband likes it; I couldn't care less but I can use his subcription for free by using the Sirius app on my phone and his account.

 

We have My Guidepoint installed on our Durango. It a "tracking" device that came with it and pay no subscription for it.

We will see what we lose, if anything, when we end our monthly subscription to Sirius ($16.95) at the end of December. My wife wanted to keep the subscription until then due to Christmas music, but it turns out that music isn't very good.

 

I have no idea what MyGuidepoint is so I'm guessing it's a Dodge/Chrysler thing similar to MyCadillac or MyFord apps.

You won't lose anything with Sirius expiring except for music/talk radio stations on Sirius. And may I recommend that you call or google online for "Sirius Deals" because $16.95 is outrageous. We found a $4 a month for 3 years deal and there are others out there as well. There is a Sirius board on Reddit that always has the latest deals and how to get them.

 

I don't know what you said, but I like it.

 

We will be stopping Sirius after next month. Actually, when we bought our 2005 Durango in December 2005, it had Sirius also. We had it for awhile and then stopped it. We just used CD's and a couple of FM stations for music.

 

Sirius came free with one of our cars. It's base was very good, kinda like Bose. But not worth paying for when the free time was up.