Apart from the above arguments supporting optical media usage, we have not mentioned the main problem yet unsolved by most any other format, with the exception of Optical Disks... namely: How to do effective long term retrieval of our personal self-generated data.
For almost a century, we have kept photo albums lying somewhere. Just a few people manage to have and keep film and video on varying formats, but at present, most of us are producing and storing hundreds of photos, videos, texts and other PERSONAL data, that many would want to keep for decades and some of that even to pass to future generations...
So far the "lying somewhere photo albums" filled the bill, but as we now behave, the sheer amount of data, and more importantly the retrieval system where we do it, is far from long term sustainable in safe terms in its actual form.
This has been debated extensively in academic and other relevant circles, and even The Library of Congress has recently renewed the way it stores data.
As I see it, people has not yet decided on a definitive storage format (or have not realized the need of it) and so we are ever migrating the data (mostly digital) from a holder (Flash, HDD) to another (a new HDD), which sometimes gets lost or has already started to get rotten in the vaults (film, tape video). In practical terms we keep on switching or losing until we realize -and the suppliers respond- that there is a good, solid solution available and ease to use.
So far, well stored Optical media (DVD, BluRay or newer) is the only solution with good enough parameters to ensure decades of data survival. Many 80s and 90s well kept CDs and DVDs remain at very good shape (despite claims that they would rotten within a few years of use) when stored at dry, low lighted environments. And -if anything- this is an area where manufacturers could easily release longer life competing products. It is a miracle that in these times of fear-sales everywhere, this market has been forgotten at large.
And then, why not buy an external Optic Player recorder, we will usually use once a semester or a year? The answer lies close to why we center the functions we seldom and often use, residing on a desktop home or office system, working together with mobile platforms, and all integrated... We don't want boxes of different gear disperse around the house. At much, we need functional, stylish libraries where to place the data along the books or other seldom visited info we want to have close and ordered.
Apple and actually ALL related manufacturers and sellers seem to have missed these ideas altogether. Short sight -again- I guess...
