NEC's new VersaPro laptop is a blast from the past, it's got a DVD player and VGA port

In 2023 (and the soon-to-be 2024), trying to find a brand-new laptop with a DVD drive is like trying to find a still-standing Blockbuster that offers DVD rentals. The PC market, both desktop and mobile, has moved on from optical storage - but there is one location where you can still pick up a laptop with a DVD drive. The land of the rising sun, Japan.

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In addition to a 13th Gen Core processor, the new NEC VersaPro Type VD also sports a DVD drive and VGA port.

The new NEC VersaPro Type VD is a laptop geared toward the business crowd, and yes, it includes a DVD Super Multi drive. This blast from the past feature is joined by a few more blasts from the past - an actual VGA connector and a removable battery. Having a removable battery is admittedly pretty cool, as that's one feature that we'd love to see make a comeback.

The NEC VersaPro Type VD isn't simply a laptop from 2002 being re-released for 2023, as it also features a stack of modern features. The 15.6-inch full HD screen (1920x1080) display is paired with a 13th Gen Intel Core processor, up to 32GB of RAM, SSD storage, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and five USB ports.

Four USB 3.2 Gen1 ports and one Type-C USB4 Gen3x2 port that is Thunderbolt 4 compatible. There's also a Gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI port, SD card slot, and 3.5mm audio. It ticks all of the right boxes for a modern laptop for work and business use, with the added bonus of being able to play that DVD copy of The Matrix you still have lying around somewhere.

Currently, the NEC VersaPro Type VD is only available in Japan, so it remains to be seen if it will make its way to other regions.