According to some embodiments, CD/DVDs are transported to/from a horizontal tray of a disk-processing unit (e.g. a disk drive) by applying a vertical lifting force to each disk at an off-center disk engagement location to incline the disk toward the tray, maintaining the disk in an inclined position toward the processing unit during a vertical travel to/from the tray; and gliding the disk into the tray from the inclined position to a final horizontal position by vertically delivering the disk into the tray. In some embodiments, a CD/DVD transfer apparatus comprises a pickup head for picking up and releasing disks, a horizontal-motion arm driving a horizontal motion of the pickup head, and a flexible vertical connection coupling the pickup head to the horizontal-motion arm. The flexible vertical connection is formed by a section of a flexible wire, thread, ribbon or tape coiled on a reel situated above the pickup head.