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 ...

Velocity Micro is a combination 500GB hard drive, DVD-ROM, memory card reader, and 3-port USB hub. We got our hands on it at CES and were impressed with the soft-touch finish and solid build quality.

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.