Bloomberg: Next MacBook Pro to Feature SD Card Reader

[Stephen.R]

We need more TB3/USB4 ports, not HDMI or SD Card slots. If MagSafe isn’t integrated into the USB-C port(s), please skip it Apple. I am trying to get rid of all my MagSafe adapters, I don’t want any more. And absolutely no USB-A, which needs to be poisoned, stabbed, drawn, quartered and burned down to the ground.

Same with Ethernet and FireWire. You people are crazy for even suggesting FireWire. Come join us in the present.

I’m still waiting for them to add back express card and a 4 pin FireWire 400 port because I want to use my 2002 dv cam with a 4 to 4 cable, a 4 to 6 cable is too much hassle and so is an adapter. Long live i.Link!

also where’s the built in 56k modem?

 

[dannys1]

Only on macs, and only in the last couple years. Micro-sd was NEVER something that was built-in to the vast majority of machines. And it’s also not used nearly as much as SD is used.

Last couple? If by couple you mean 6 years then yeah...

Again I don't think a card reader should be put into a machine to cater for such a small user base of amateur photographers. I didn't like it collecting dust for me originally and I don't want it hacked into my USB ports coming back either. They can't even agree on a standard here, the mini ones, the CFS ones - what are they going to do put a multi card reader in? How are they going to make it faster than a Thunderbolt 3 one??

It serves as no benefit to many creative and pro users. Muscians, music producers, audio and mix engineers, live audio, composers, writers, coders, designers, programmers, artists etc etc.

 

[dannys1]

We need more TB3/USB4 ports, not HDMI or SD Card slots. If MagSafe isn’t integrated into the USB-C port(s), please skip it Apple. I am trying to get rid of all my MagSafe adapters, I don’t want any more. And absolutely no USB-A, which needs to be poisoned, stabbed, drawn, quartered and burned down to the ground.

Same with Ethernet and FireWire. You people are crazy for even suggesting FireWire. Come join us in the present.

Finally someone who gets it - and yet it looks like Tim Cook is going to be catering for a bunch of middle aged amateur photographers from the Mac Rumors forum 😂

 

[contacos]

Good to see there are still some others out there like me rolling 2012 MBPs!

Like you, I’ve been less than impressed with the last several years’ offerings.

I was almost tempted with latest 16”, but was well pleased when didn’t, especially now hearing later reviews and in light of Apple ditching Intel.

I always thought USB C/Thunderbolt show be in addition to, rather than in place of, a variety of ports. [Like the early days of TB.]

Roll on new Macs!

i know! I actually UPGRADED the ssd the other day and it still feels like a new machine. I also „hacked“ Big Sur on it. Ironically I feel like I have been hearing about so many issues on the newer machines, even the M1 MacBooks That I am like no thanks I’ll keep it a little longer

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

...and yet it looks like Tim Cook is going to be catering for a bunch of middle aged amateur photographers from the Mac Rumors forum 😂

If your definition of an SD card user boils down to middle-aged adults that visit an online forum, you’re in for a shock.

 

[Naraxus]

Now we can clearly see what many of us have been saying for years - Ive was anything BUT a good designer. His minimalistic obsession focused on thinness degraded the Mac lineup for years with common port removal for the sake of his ego. He should never have been put in charge of MacOS/iOS. Thank goodness he's gone.

 

[QCassidy352]

We need more TB3/USB4 ports, not HDMI or SD Card slots. If MagSafe isn’t integrated into the USB-C port(s), please skip it Apple. I am trying to get rid of all my MagSafe adapters, I don’t want any more. And absolutely no USB-A, which needs to be poisoned, stabbed, drawn, quartered and burned down to the ground.

Same with Ethernet and FireWire. You people are crazy for even suggesting FireWire. Come join us in the present.

I’d bet the percentage of users who need to connect more than four USB-C/TB-3 peripherals but zero SD slot, HDMI, or USB-A peripherals is very, very low.

 

[ignatius345]

As recently as 2015, the MacBook Pro was also equipped with an HDMI port and USB-A ports, but it would certainly be surprising to see the latter make a comeback given the tech industry's transition to USB-C.

Someone tell this to Logitech, who somehow still ships a USB-A Unifying Receiver with new mice in the year 2021. This tiny device is very frustrating to have to use with an adapter. It's baffling that they don't even offer a USB-C receiver as a separate purchase.

 

[jonnysods]

Not overly interested in an SD card slot, but USB A, MagSafe, and some of our old friends coming back would be so welcome!

 

[Zdigital2015]

Finally someone who gets it - and yet it looks like Tim Cook is going to be catering for a bunch of middle aged amateur photographers from the Mac Rumors forum 😂

Thank you...I have a Zoom H1, H6, Panasonic G7 and FZ-2500, which would lead one to believe that I am all for an SD Card slot, but I bought a Transcend reader and a high quality USB-C to USB 3.0 Mini-B cable to use with any USB-C computer I ever encounter.

I hope that these reports are wrong, but if the M-Series cannot support enough TB3/USB4 ports and this is their solution, it is completely ass-backwards. We could have had this with Intel CPUs, WTF is wrong with Apple product managers?!?! Let’s add crap legacy ports instead of engineering a better, more feature rich SoC?! Who does that?!? My head hurts!!!

 

[jz0309]

CFExpress card slots make zero sense when quality premium readers are available from Delkin, et al. SD Cards are still way more prevalent and make much more sense if Apple insists on adding a slot to the next MacBook Pro.

HOWEVER, Professionals would be much better served by getting extra Thunderbolt 3/USB4 ports than wasting valuable space on a card slot that at least half of Pros won’t be happy with because it isn’t their preferred format. Actual “Professionals” will be just fine with carrying the right card reader for their preferred workflow instead of whining about carrying a dongle.

A card slot should be completely moot at this point as users can simply hook up their cameras to their MBP via USB-C. If time is of the essence, then you should be pro enough to know you need an external reader.

The majority of users here simply seem to be too cheap to buy an external reader. These are probably to same people who have complained for 4 years about “dongles” instead of simply buying new cables to hook up a USB peripheral without a captive cable to USB-C.

The whining will continue ad infinitum.

I think we are in agreement, and for clarification, I was not advocating a card slot, I do not want any legacy ports period. And the issue with more than 4 USB-C ports might be that a controller today can support 2 ports max, which means you need more than 2 controllers, and that might have cost and licensing implications but I'd take that as a configurable option over legacy ports any time.

 

[Zdigital2015]

I’d bet the percentage of users who need to connect more than four USB-C/TB-3 peripherals but zero SD slot, HDMI, or USB-A peripherals is very, very low.

USB-C is more versatile as it can be adapted to any scenario a user can think of. I have zero need for USB-A, HDMI or a built-in SD Card reader. I already did the hard work and bought new cables and an external reader...the rest of the people here can suck it up and pry open their damn wallets. I’ve listened to 4 years of people constantly whining about spending $50-$75 to get themselves the right kit and I have ZERO empathy for any of them anymore. I pray this report is completely wrong and Apple does none of what is rumored.

Why bother engineering these advanced new M-Series CPUs only to saddle them with legacy crap single-use ports when they could have done the same thing with Intel CPUs?!?! Jeez, Apple, make up your damn minds.

 

[Zdigital2015]

I think we are in agreement, and for clarification, I was not advocating a card slot, I do not want any legacy ports period. And the issue with more than 4 USB-C ports might be that a controller today can support 2 ports max, which means you need more than 2 controllers, and that might have cost and licensing implications but I'd take that as a configurable option over legacy ports any time.

Agreed, no legacy ports. Sorry if I was being accusatory. My mind is blown that Apple would give us these magical new M-Series CPUs and then put them in a chassis with crap legacy single-use ports that Intel CPUs could have handled. Same for proprietary MagSafe chargers.
Apple needs to get their act together with regard to Thunderbolt controllers, PCIe bandwidth on the SoC die along with greater than 16GB unified DRAM and more than 8 GPU cores.

What is the future Apple?!? HDMI, USB-A, SD Card? Unreal.

 

[hellosil]

Mr. Ethernet, welcome back. We’ve missed you.

 

[dannys1]

Thank you...I have a Zoom H1, H6, Panasonic G7 and FZ-2500, which would lead one to believe that I am all for an SD Card slot, but I bought a Transcend reader and a high quality USB-C to USB 3.0 Mini-B cable to use with any USB-C computer I ever encounter.

I hope that these reports are wrong, but if the M-Series cannot support enough TB3/USB4 ports and this is their solution, it is completely ass-backwards. We could have had this with Intel CPUs, WTF is wrong with Apple product managers?!?! Let’s add crap legacy ports instead of engineering a better, more feature rich SoC?! Who does that?!? My head hurts!!!

I don't know where this idea that they can't add more TB3/USB4 controllers has come from. The 16" MBP had 2 (so it was split between 4 ports, effectively you were using an internal hub) the M1's actually have one for each port, so there's no bandwidth sharing. If anything it would suggest when they expand to four ports they'll have a controller per port for more bandwidth than we've ever seen before.

If somehow I'm wrong about that then yes, it it's a big step backwards to go with legacy ports and people here are rejoicing. Some would actually give up two TB3 ports for USB-A?! Absolute madness.

 

[dannys1]

I’d bet the percentage of users who need to connect more than four USB-C/TB-3 peripherals but zero SD slot, HDMI, or USB-A peripherals is very, very low.

But you can connect USB ANYTHING currently - you now have FOUR USB ports, you've never had that before. For all this idiotic talk of dongles and hubs for the first time when I got my 2016 MacBook Pro I could plug 3 USB devices in when I did live show WITHOUT A HUB - guess what I was "dongle free"!

Now all they need to do is add two more and you've got the best computer ever made, 6x USB 4 ports would be the most insanely powerful and flexible I/O ever seen on any mobile computer.

 

[jz0309]

Agreed, no legacy ports. Sorry if I was being accusatory. My mind is blown that Apple would give us these magical new M-Series CPUs and then put them in a chassis with crap legacy single-use ports that Intel CPUs could have handled. Same for proprietary MagSafe chargers.
Apple needs to get their act together with regard to Thunderbolt controllers, PCIe bandwidth on the SoC die along with greater than 16GB unified DRAM and more than 8 GPU cores.

What is the future Apple?!? HDMI, USB-A, SD Card? Unreal.

Totally agree, which is why I am convinced that these are nothing more than rumors.
IF Apple would go backwards I think they will loose their edge that they just created with the M1...

 

[Shellbo6901]

They should bring back a few of the old ports but truly they could at this point sell the SAME MacBook with all types of ports optional and sell pretty much all variations to the masses... if they decided to do so. Right now everyone from preteens to grandmas want to have a camera so I can definitely see why they decide to bring the SD slot back. I’d love for the cd drive to come back but not without the cd generation going full force along with it, but that’s not ever happening.

 

[macfacts]

Canon 1DXiii uses CF Express as does the Nikon D6. Even the semi pro Nikon Z6 to Z7ii, and Canon R5 use CF Express.

iPhone is the best camera and has no sd slot 🤣

 

[Muppetcrazy]

We need to bring back the VGA socket...lets go back to old skool..

 

[kaycrystal626]

I will never trust Bloomberg.

 

[Manzanito]

Not cumbersome anymore, I guess...

 

[Manzanito]

Thank you...I have a Zoom H1, H6, Panasonic G7 and FZ-2500, which would lead one to believe that I am all for an SD Card slot, but I bought a Transcend reader and a high quality USB-C to USB 3.0 Mini-B cable to use with any USB-C computer I ever encounter.

I hope that these reports are wrong, but if the M-Series cannot support enough TB3/USB4 ports and this is their solution, it is completely ass-backwards. We could have had this with Intel CPUs, WTF is wrong with Apple product managers?!?! Let’s add crap legacy ports instead of engineering a better, more feature rich SoC?! Who does that?!? My head hurts!!!

Or maybe more tb ports will be added and also an sd reader on top of that. Let’s wait and see the actual product before judging.

 

[entropys]

But remember guys...

Phil Schiller (Nov 2019) thinks SD card isn't a "pro format", despite being on the iMac/Pro.

Bwahaha!

What about an SD express slot then, a direct to PCIe 4 bus, 128Tb storage and up to 3938Mbps? And backwards compatible to legacy SD cards. Phil could say that is a pro version of an SD card slot.

have to be cheaper than expanding internal storage at Apple prices.

 

[MallardDuck]

I’d bet the percentage of users who need to connect more than four USB-C/TB-3 peripherals but zero SD slot, HDMI, or USB-A peripherals is very, very low.

But if you have the former, you don't need the latter. After dealing with a case full of dongles for the past few years, I'm on the other side. It's a hell of a lot cheaper to replace a $15 dongle when standards change than it is a $3K laptop.