Bloomberg: Next MacBook Pro to Feature SD Card Reader

[Kabeyun]

The only thing I’ll welcome back is MagSafe. It was fantastic, and Apple even had an I’m A Mac ad about it.

I don’t need all these ports back. So much is wireless, including my two printers, my Nikon and Canon SLRs (as are most pro and prosumer cameras these days). I rarely plug in my scanner. External fast-transfer storage benefits from a TB3 port, and so would an eGPU if I had one. If I find myself needing to plug in a dozen peripherals when I return, I’ll realize I need a hub, should revisit my peripherals choices, or should buy a desktop computer.

Though I share your view, some people use it as “embedded” extra storage and consider it handy given the excessive cost of BTO SSD storage. Some even use it as “built-in”backup.

Apple has always rejected this idea for iPhones, so I don’t know why they’d suddenly value it for MacBooks.

Sorry I must have missed when someone released a "hub or dongle" that plugs into a USB-A port, and magically makes it (a) support Tb3 devices downstream and (b) increases the speed of the port to 40Gbps.

I think you have it backwards. You plug a hub into the TB3 port.

 

[dannys1]

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

Not a chance haha.

Maybe it was meant like an adjective (creative engineers, etc)...
Though I find it too “fragile”, some people like to use it as extra, removable, “embedded” storage, and find it particularly handy given the overpriced BTO SSD options.

Who on earth is using an SD card as expandable storage - that's horrific. More penny pinching ideas.

 

[ruka.snow]

I'd be surprised if it wasn't a dual CF type A/SD slot like Sony is using. Ingenious.

That is a clever way to let Sony continue to used their ridiculously small bodies, but type B are used by Nikon and Canon.

 

[HandITOVER]

SMH.

 

[kerosene]

This brings back bad memories.

That thing was always flimsy and never properly worked on my older MBP. Youtube is full of videos showing tricks how to wiggle the SD card to finally be seen, so it wasn't a one-off with my machine. Wasn't fun.

 

[dannys1]

The only thing I’ll welcome back is MagSafe. It was fantastic, and Apple even had an I’m A Mac ad about it.

See I don't think it was. At the time in 2016 I thought i'd miss it but there's so many more benefits to a universal charging plug. MagSafe had many draw backs an expensive proprietary charging brick which often broke at one end of the cable or another and wasn't replaceable. It was terrible for working on your lap or in any awkward position really as the cable constantly came out whilst working - I remember even once buying an adapter for MagSafe 2 that was supposed to help keep it in place a bit more securely.

USB-C I can plug in on either side, I can replace the cable if it breaks, I have USB-C chargers dotted all round the house and they all work no matter what the wattage, plus they can charge my other devices, finally a universal charging standard.

So the only thing MagSafe actually had going for it is that it came away when clumsy oafs tripped over the cable - guess what, you can buy a magnetic USB-C cable that does the same thing and then have the choice if you even want this feature or not.

USB-C just better in every way imaginable.

 

[dannys1]

Ok, you tell me how I plug two high-speed TB3 devices into one TB3 port and one USB-A port.


This is what you continually ignore, or refuse to acknowledge. USB-C can essentially "become" USB-A or HDMI or a Card Reader or anything else you ****ing want, trivially.

None of those things can "become" anything except what it is, and a lot of people use a lot of different types of connections.

A slight inconvenience for you, means the device is actually usable for a large number of people

A slight convenience for you, means the device is useless for a large number of people.

Bingo.

I can't believe there's people in her actually asking for Thunderbolt Ports to be remove in favour of USB-A, they don't deserve computers.

 

[Stephen.R]

Good God, really?
Use your USB3/TB3 port and connect away.

Our Favorite Thunderbolt Dock Is an Upgrade Over a USB Hub

If your computer has Thunderbolt ports, a Thunderbolt dock is faster and more versatile than a USB hub. We have options for every budget.

www.nytimes.com

Go forth and be productive.

Apart from the massive hypocrisy of "just use a hub" after all your "no I just want the ports, a dongle is inconvenient", that doesn't help in the scenario I asked you about.

If I have two TB3 SSDs, and One TB3 port, at best, I'm going to find a USB4 dock that has port repeaters, and doesn't require AC power, but I'm still going to be splitting the bandwidth between the two devices.

You plug a hub into the TB3 port.

As explained above, that doesn't really solve the issue of "how do I run two high speed devices", even if a mythical TB3 hub existed with more than one downstream TB3 port (they don't). USB4 hubs will exist with that functionality, but it's still sharing the bandwidth.


And again, does it not strike you as slightly hypocritical to say "no no, it's too inconvenient for me to carry a $5, 19 gram (0.7 ounces) adapter, instead, those other people should carry a USB4 hub". The only USB4 hub I can find details of so far, are the announced but unreleased OWC USB4 hub. Firstly: it requires a ****ing A/C adapter, and the hub + adapter are 750 grams. 1.6 pounds. And it'll still mean sharing the bandwidth of a port.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I don’t need all these ports back. So much is wireless, including my two printers, my Nikon and Canon SLRs (as are most pro and prosumer cameras these days).

Honestly, it's more convenient to just pop out an SD card and push it into a port rather than faffing around with wireless. It takes less than 5 seconds, and the data transfer speeds are faster.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

the only reason to put an SD or micro SD card slot would be to allow some extra removable cheap storage option.
Seriously, there aren't that many people taking photos on digital cameras. Everyone uses their phones for most tasks.

We're talking about a product aimed at professionals; the MacBook Pro. Professionals use SD cards and Compact Flash.

 

[patent10021]

These latest leaks have got to be some trolling to distract us from some colossal asteroids coming our way.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

Will believe it when I see it.

 

[Royksöpp]

Please enlighten us what dedicated port you want, that USB-C can't provide via an adaptor?


You're ****ing kidding me right? You think "hubs and adaptors" didn't exist before USB-C?




It certainly isn't an answer to the question, but it does reaffirm my opinion about those who want single-use ports.

I don’t even know how to respond to you or if I should. It’s really not something to get defensive about. Just respect the fact that some people still use those older ports. USB-C isn’t going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean it can’t coexist with legacy ports. Why not have the best of both worlds?

 

[theluggage]

USB-A, HDMI ports and card readers make things impossible for some people doing some things.

Only in your straw-man world where adding those ports means taking away TB3/USB ports, and where you can predict how many displays the new SoCs in future MBPs will support based solely on the M1/Intel UHD Mac Minis. (If the new MBP can only support 2 displays total and has a GPU that is only impressive compared to Intel UHD, then it is going to be laughed out of the shop regardless of what ports it has).

Ok, you tell me how I plug two high-speed TB3 devices into one TB3 port and one USB-A port.

Device #1 into the TB3 port. Device #2 daisy-chains onto Device #1's second TB3 port. Then enjoy the spare USB-A port that you can use for lower-bandwidth devices without using up a TB port (and only ties up a fraction of the CPU I/O resources that would be needed by an extra TB port).

If neither of your devices has two TB3 ports, M1 Macs now support the new multi-port Thunderbolt 4 hubs.

Note that the M1 actually has now two full TB3 controllers, one for each port, so - unless Apple choose to downgrade the M1X/M2/whatever for no good reason - bandwidth-wise you're no worse off that way than with the current 4-port MBP, which still only has one controller for each pair of ports.

In fact, it's pretty clear that you only need two TB ports in the future, now that you can expand them to six ports using a TB4 Hub, and still get the same total bandwidth. I mean, not wanting to use dongles/hubs/docks to get back the facilities you used to enjoy is just a silly objection hyped up by die-hard USB-A holdouts, right?

Plus, all modern Macs support DisplayPort 1.4 (either directly or via TB3), so you just have to get rid of your obsolete dual-stream 5k DP1.2 displays - that are wasting two DP streams to drive a single display - and replace them with modern, more efficient DP1.4 models to make your DP streams go twice as far. OK, you can't actually buy any 5k DP1.4 displays yet, but if Apple forces the luddites to change I'm sure the market will respond. We don't want selfish users with obsolete technology holding back progress, now, do we? /s

 

[bayportbob]

remind me why I need to use a SD card today? I have no devices today that use that card and need no slot on a new notebook that supports it. oh well.

 

[iBug2]

I didn't use an SD card for my camera since 2016. It's CFe or XQD now.

 

[theluggage]

I can't believe there's idiots in her actually asking for Thunderbolt Ports to be remove in favour of USB-A

That's because nobody is asking for that. Thunderbolt is not going away. Nobody here knows what the I/O capabilities of the M1X/M2 chip will be - and it's an opportunity for Apple to design an SoC that delivers the I/O needed by the MBP rather than work with what Intel offers. (You know, maybe that's why this rumour is happening now?) Apple just need to find the space for the equivalent of one extra PCIe lane - a quarter of what would be needed for an extra TB port.

Maybe by getting rid of the touch bar?

 

[amartinez1660]

I honestly don’t care

got a small anker usb-c to micro or standard SD was $10

it’s tiny and works great. Wish I knew about it years ago instead of just last year

And future proof: you will be able to connect as many as new slots appear along the years up to the full bandwidth of a Thunderbolt 3/4 port.

If new MacBook pros come with 4 ports again, any of those four ports can be your up-to-ultra-speeds SD/CF/SSD/etc camera’s card reader.

I totally do get the appeal of not having to use a thunderbolt port and use a separate static SD-only slot for it... but I don’t see it as the celebration.
I rarely use SD cards though, only for the occasional offloading of a GoPro card.

 

[cupcakes2000]

We're talking about a product aimed at professionals; the MacBook Pro. Professionals use SD cards and Compact Flash.

Professionals use card readers plugged in to high speed ports, actually.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Professionals use card readers plugged in to high speed ports, actually.

‘High speed’? Any modern port will provide more bandwidth than the read/write speeds of SD.

 

[Tozovac]

Apart from the massive hypocrisy of "just use a hub" after all your "no I just want the ports, a dongle is inconvenient", that doesn't help in the scenario I asked you about.

If I have two TB3 SSDs, and One TB3 port, at best, I'm going to find a USB4 dock that has port repeaters, and doesn't require AC power, but I'm still going to be splitting the bandwidth between the two devices.



As explained above, that doesn't really solve the issue of "how do I run two high speed devices", even if a mythical TB3 hub existed with more than one downstream TB3 port (they don't). USB4 hubs will exist with that functionality, but it's still sharing the bandwidth.


And again, does it not strike you as slightly hypocritical to say "no no, it's too inconvenient for me to carry a $5, 19 gram (0.7 ounces) adapter, instead, those other people should carry a USB4 hub". The only USB4 hub I can find details of so far, are the announced but unreleased OWC USB4 hub. Firstly: it requires a ****ing A/C adapter, and the hub + adapter are 750 grams. 1.6 pounds. And it'll still mean sharing the bandwidth of a port.

Yes it’s hypocritical for you to tell others to just use a hub if it’s clearly a bother for you to do so.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I didn't use an SD card for my camera since 2016. It's CFe or XQD now.

Congratulations!

Those that do use SD to as part of their profession will sleep soundly.

 

[jlocker]

The new Cyberpunk 2077 patch 1.1 fixed a lot of things on the game, what does this have to do with the new MacBook Pro? Well I run a 2019 MacBook Pro with an Intel i9 with bootcamp and Razer EGPU box, along with a Nvidia 3080 card and it runs like a dream. I don't see any of this in the upcoming MacBook Pro line up. I am hoping we see some kind of Mac mini pro with some kind of GPU upgrade capability in the future. WOW a SD card slot when I have a USB C memory card reader that plugs right in. Or the cloud and Cell/WIFI is in a lot of places upload pictures to the cloud.

 

[kerr]

These suggested changes would be an admission by Apple that they made a gross and unnecessary mistake.

 

[RogueWarrior65]

Bring back 32-bit app support and I'll trip over myself to buy one.