SuperDrive

This was made possible as the SuperDrive now utilitized the same MFM (Modified Frequency Modulation) encoding scheme used by the IBM PC, yet still retained backward compatibility with Apple's variable-speed zoned CAV scheme and group coded recording encoding format, so it could continue to read Macintosh MFS, HFS and Apple II ProDOS formats on 400/800 KB disks.

Introduced in 1988 under the Trademark name FDHD (Floppy Disk High Density), the subsequently renamed SuperDrive was known primarily as an internally mounted floppy drive that was part of the Macintosh computer; however, an external version of the drive was manufactured that came in a Snow White-styled plastic case.

Once the use of floppy disks started declining, Apple reused the trademark to refer to the optical drives built into its Macintosh models, which could read and write both DVDs and CDs.

[1] SuperDrives featured 6–24x write speeds[2] and supported the DVD±R, DVD±RW, CD-R, and CD-RW formats along with all normal read-only media.

The updated second generation 13-inch MacBook Pro, released on June 11, 2012 and discontinued on October 27, 2016, is the last Macintosh to include a SuperDrive,[4] while the Late 2011 was the last iMac model with the built in optical drive.

[5] Apple has sold a USB-connected external SuperDrive as an accessory since 2008 with the introduction of the MacBook Air.

[6] On newer Mac computers, it also requires the additional purchase of a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter to connect.