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SDXC card slot - is it reliable?

C

cmm

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 30, 2006
841
35
NYC
I am thinking of getting the 15 rMBP in the refurb store with the 256GB SSD. The only way I could get such a small hard drive is if I use the SDXC card slot and store files on it (my 50GB iPhoto library and my 50GB music collection)...

I have read that the SDXC card frequently disconnects/unmounts with no warning, ergo, it's not reliable. Is this true? If so, I'm going to have to spend more and get the 512GB model...

Thanks!
 
A

accountforit

macrumors 6502a
Jan 22, 2014
676
0
cmm said:
I am thinking of getting the 15 rMBP in the refurb store with the 256GB SSD. The only way I could get such a small hard drive is if I use the SDXC card slot and store files on it (my 50GB iPhoto library and my 50GB music collection)...

I have read that the SDXC card frequently disconnects/unmounts with no warning, ergo, it's not reliable. Is this true? If so, I'm going to have to spend more and get the 512GB model...

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I use mine every day on the same model and have never had it disconnect on it's own. I don't leave it plugged in all day, but use it daily to load pictures to my computer from my camera.
 
C

cmm

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 30, 2006
841
35
NYC
Does the card protrude outside the macbook pro shell? By how much? Thanks!
 
Nermal

Nermal

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 7, 2002
20,640
4,039
New Zealand
I've had problems on my 2011 system; more often than not the card will mount read-only and I have to remove and reinsert it 2-3 times before it mounts correctly. I've found other people with the same issue but I don't know how widespread it is (since it's only the people with problems that post about them).
 
Q

qtx43

macrumors 6502a
Aug 4, 2007
659
16
Nermal said:
I've had problems on my 2011 system; more often than not the card will mount read-only and I have to remove and reinsert it 2-3 times before it mounts correctly. I've found other people with the same issue but I don't know how widespread it is (since it's only the people with problems that post about them).
Click to expand...
It's widespread enough that Apple says if you insert it too slowly it might not mount.
 
Q

qtx43

macrumors 6502a
Aug 4, 2007
659
16
Nermal said:
I'd seen that, but this appears to be a different issue. If I insert it slowly then it doesn't mount at all (as opposed to mounting read-only).
Click to expand...
Ummm... that's what it says: doesn't mount properly. Doesn't say anything about mounting read only as you seem to have misread. I don't really know, but I'm guessing this is a problem with the physical design of SD cards.

Personally, I've never had a problem.
 
Nermal

Nermal

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 7, 2002
20,640
4,039
New Zealand
I think you've misunderstood me :)

You're correct that Apple's site doesn't mention read-only, but I haven't misread it; that is what actually happens the majority of the time when I insert a card (quickly). Inserting a card slowly - which seems to be what Apple is documenting - results in a different issue, namely the card not mounting at all.

But in any case, I think that we can agree that there are possible issues :)
 
Last edited:
Menge

Menge

macrumors 6502a
Dec 22, 2008
611
3
Amsterdam
cmm said:
I am thinking of getting the 15 rMBP in the refurb store with the 256GB SSD. The only way I could get such a small hard drive is if I use the SDXC card slot and store files on it (my 50GB iPhoto library and my 50GB music collection)...

I have read that the SDXC card frequently disconnects/unmounts with no warning, ergo, it's not reliable. Is this true? If so, I'm going to have to spend more and get the 512GB model...

Thanks!
Click to expand...

In my experience (2011 MacBook Pro), the SD card is difficult to mount correctly at first, but works reliably after mounted. The card does protrude a bit out of the slot, but that can be solved by using one of these instead if you want to keep a card in there 23/7: http://theniftyminidrive.com/

So, if people actually made a product to have microSD cards in the SD card slot all the time, I guess it's pretty safe to have it in there :p
 
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