Bloomberg: Next MacBook Pro to Feature SD Card Reader

[theorist9]

People are questioning the inconvenience of carrying dongles based on their small weight and size. It's not about that—their weight and size aren't that significant. Here's why they're inconvenient:

With my 2014 MBP, when I went onto campus to give a lecture (pre-COVID), all I needed to take were my laptop and wireless presenter. That's it. No charger, nothing else. I then plug the projector's HDMI cable into my MBP's HDMI port, and my presenter's USB key into my USB-A port, and I'm ready to go. At the end, I unplug both, and I'm done.

If I had a current MBP, I would instead need to do the following:
Check my case to make sure I have all needed dongles. Once in the lecture hall, I get the presenter, the HDMI dongle, and the USB dongle. Plug in the HDMI dongle, then plug in the projector. Plug in the USB dongle, then plug in the presenter. At the end of the lecture: Unplug the USB dongle, then unplug the USB dongle from the presenter. Unplug the HDMI dongle, then unplug the HDMI dongle from the projector cable. Don't forget this last step! At the end of class I'm typically taking questions from students, and then need to clear out for the next lecturer; in my haste, when I've used a laptop that does require a dongle, I've sometimes forgotten it and left it plugged into the projector cable in the lecture hall. To those who ask: Why don't you unplug the projector from the dongle first, my answer is that it's more physically natural for me to remove it from the computer first.

And to those who want to argue that these are all quick steps and should be no big deal, consider that plugging in a few accessories for charging each night is also no big deal. Nevertheless, people really like the convenience of wireless charging so they don't have to bother with that.

 

[Mr.PT]

Not a chance haha.

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

Same goes for usb sticks, however...
Seriously though, hope Apple reviews it’s ridiculous price policy regarding BTO storage.

 

[Mr.PT]

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.


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


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

Not value by Apple, but some of it’s customers.
Personally don’t think they will never get it back, specially considering how unstable storage cards are (reliability and standard wise) and basically Usb-C/TB ports are generic enough to allow you to use pretty much everything albeit adapters, specific cables, dongles or hubs. Just wished we could get it on iPhone too.

 

[cupcakes2000]

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

1- no that’s not true.
2- I can empty 4 cards at the same time with 4 card readers each attached to a usbc port. I’m a professional photographer. That’s the kind of thing that is invaluable to us 👍

It doesn't matter whether Apple "cares" about pros or not. The fact remains that the inclusion of an SD card slot would be beneficial to some, not to others. Either way, it's inclusion isn't detrimental to the performance of the device, so I'm not sure where you're going this with this.

Also, what's your source for claiming that an SD card isn't for professionals?

Most pro cameras include two slots. On is for a fast card like cf. the other is for an sd card to ensure redundancy on a shoot 👍

I’m happy about this coming back, sure some of you iphone photographers will scoff at this, but many of us wield some impressive cameras and getting rid of the dongle for us will be helpful.

If you value speed- an external card reader attached to a fast IO port trumps an in built one on most if not all laptops.

Like CF, SD is still included - and used - on an overwhelming majority of digital cameras.

Maybe. But not professional cameras. The sd is mainly to ensure in camera redundancy for us. Therefore the point that most here are making, which is that pros (I’m talking photographers here), need an in built one is void. On top of that, if it was a necessity- I assure you most would use an external anyway. It’s faster.

People are questioning the inconvenience of carrying dongles based on their small weight and size. It's not about that—their weight and size aren't that significant. Here's why they're inconvenient:

With my 2014 MBP, when I went onto campus to give a lecture (pre-COVID), all I needed to take were my laptop and wireless presenter. That's it. No charger, nothing else. I then plug the projector's HDMI cable into my MBP's HDMI port, and my preseter's USB key into my USB-A port, and I'm ready to go. At the end, I unplug both, and I'm done.

If I had a current MBP, I would instead need to do the following:
Check my case to make sure I have all needed dongles. Once in the lecture hall, I get the presenter, the HDMI dongle, and the USB dongle. Plug in the HDMI dongle, then plug in the projector. Plug in the USB dongle, then plug in the presenter. At the end of the lecture: Unplug the USB dongle, then unplug the USB dongle from the presenter. Unplug the HDMI dongle, then unplug the HDMI dongle from the projector cable. Don't forget this last step! At the end of class I'm typically taking questions from students, and then need to clear out for the next lecturer; in my haste, when I've used a laptop that does require a dongle, I've sometimes forgotten it and left it plugged into the projector cable in the lecture hall. To those who ask: Why don't you unplug the projector from the dongle first, my answer is that it's more physically natural for me to remove it from the computer first.

And to those who want to argue that these are all quick steps and should be no big deal, consider that plugging in a few accessories for charging each night is also no big deal. Nevertheless, people really like the convenience of wireless charging so they don't have to bother with that.

Talk about over embellishing a non issue! All you had to say is ‘it’s a pain for me to attach a tiny usbc converter on the end of the establishment’s pre supplied hdmi lead.’ That’s ok if that’s an issue, but describing each step like it’s a mountain to climb it’s absurd.

 

[cupcakes2000]

People downvoting a post made by a professional photographer regarding straightening up misconceptions in the pro photographer world that they themselves have made. Love it.

 

[cmaier]

Take an external hard drive, for instance. You have to carry around the hard drive itself... and its cable anyway.

Are you telling me it's inconvenient to carry around a tiny USB-C dongle too?

Sure... it's three things instead of two... but presumably you carry everything in some sort of bag... including the laptop and its charger.

Or you can get a different cable that attaches the hard drive directly to USB-C. Therefore you're carrying the same amount of items since you need a cable anyway.

I dunno... it difficult to understand the "inconvenience" of carrying a dongle when you're carrying multiple items already.

The reason many of us have to carry dongles is that it’s not OUR hard drive, or OUR thumb drive, or OUR external device that needs to be connected to our machine. We’ve travelled on business and someone hands us a thumb drive, or we need to plug into a conference room display, or we need to plug into equipment in a court room, etc. Etc.

 

[Robert McNewbie]

People are questioning the inconvenience of carrying dongles based on their small weight and size. It's not about that—their weight and size aren't that significant. Here's why they're inconvenient:

With my 2014 MBP, when I went onto campus to give a lecture (pre-COVID), all I needed to take were my laptop and wireless presenter. That's it. No charger, nothing else. I then plug the projector's HDMI cable into my MBP's HDMI port, and my preseter's USB key into my USB-A port, and I'm ready to go. At the end, I unplug both, and I'm done.

If I had a current MBP, I would instead need to do the following:
Check my case to make sure I have all needed dongles. Once in the lecture hall, I get the presenter, the HDMI dongle, and the USB dongle. Plug in the HDMI dongle, then plug in the projector. Plug in the USB dongle, then plug in the presenter. At the end of the lecture: Unplug the USB dongle, then unplug the USB dongle from the presenter. Unplug the HDMI dongle, then unplug the HDMI dongle from the projector cable. Don't forget this last step! At the end of class I'm typically taking questions from students, and then need to clear out for the next lecturer; in my haste, when I've used a laptop that does require a dongle, I've sometimes forgotten it and left it plugged into the projector cable in the lecture hall. To those who ask: Why don't you unplug the projector from the dongle first, my answer is that it's more physically natural for me to remove it from the computer first.

And to those who want to argue that these are all quick steps and should be no big deal, consider that plugging in a few accessories for charging each night is also no big deal. Nevertheless, people really like the convenience of wireless charging so they don't have to bother with that.

With the current MBP M1, the USB A converter, that you need for the presenter dongle, may not fit near the HDMI dongle. So most likely on multiport dongle is the preferred approach. Some conference rooms have BARCO wireless dongles to connect to the screen, USB-A.

 

[cmaier]

1- no that’s not true.
2- I can empty 4 cards at the same time with 4 card readers each attached to a usbc port. I’m a professional photographer. That’s the kind of thing that is invaluable to us 👍

Most pro cameras include two slots. On is for a fast card like cf. the other is for an sd card to ensure redundancy on a shoot 👍

If you value speed- an external card reader attached to a fast IO port trumps an in built one on most if not all laptops.

Maybe. But not professional cameras. The sd is mainly to ensure in camera redundancy for us. Therefore the point that most here are making, which is that pros (I’m talking photographers here), need an in built one is void. On top of that, if it was a necessity- I assure you most would use an external anyway. It’s faster.

Talk about over embellishing a non issue! All you had to say is ‘it’s a pain for me to attach a tiny usbc converter on the end of the establishment’s pre supplied hdmi lead.’ That’s ok if that’s an issue, but describing each step like it’s a mountain to climb it’s absurd.

External dongles are only faster than built-in sd card readers on cheap or old machines. Modern machines with sd card readers interface the sd card readers to the same bus that the USB-C port is connected to. I had the same thought as you when I went from my 2015 MBP to 2016, where I had to use a dongle. It was way faster. But since then I’ve used windows machines with equally fast SD card readers.

 

[Michael Scrip]

The reason many of us have to carry dongles is that it’s not OUR hard drive, or OUR thumb drive, or OUR external device that needs to be connected to our machine. We’ve travelled on business and someone hands us a thumb drive, or we need to plug into a conference room display, or we need to plug into equipment in a court room, etc. Etc.

Ah gotcha... I stand corrected.

 

[smoking monkey]

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

You know that simply isn't going to be the case. You're getting yourself worked up over something that simply isn't going to happen. There will be at least 2 and possibly 3 or 4 USB C ports on the new MBPs.

I reckon they'll have 3 USB C ports and it won't be the USB A that takes one of the ports, it'll be magsafe. On the left will be magsafe and two USB C ports and on the right will be USB C, USB A, SD. Well that's my theory anyway. We shall see how it plays out.

The questions I have are: Will there really be a USB A port added? I know what Kuo said, but we are yet to get any confirmation on that. Why only the SD slot was leaked? And 2nd, will you be able to charge the computer via Magsafe and USB C (not at same time) or just magsafe? I don't really know the protocols behind USB C charging. Do all USB C ports charge?

 

[cmaier]

You know that simply isn't going to be the case. You're getting yourself worked up over something that simply isn't going to happen. There will be at least 2 and possibly 3 or 4 USB C ports on the new MBPs.

I reckon they'll have 3 USB C ports and it won't be the USB A that takes one of the ports, it'll be magsafe. On the left will be magsafe and two USB C ports and on the right will be USB C, USB A, SD. Well that's my theory anyway. We shall see how it plays out.

The questions I have are: Will there really be a USB A port added? I know what Kuo said, but we are yet to get any confirmation on that. Why only the SD slot was leaked? And 2nd, will you be able to charge the computer via Magsafe and USB C (not at same time) or just magsafe? I don't really know the protocols behind USB C charging. Do all USB C ports charge?

I doubt there will be USB-A.

 

[0924487]

I think this is just to make up for fact their Apple Silicon SoC only has one thunderbolt controller.. To keep you from tying up limited thunderbolt ports with the common low bandwith accessories people often use.

If I had four thunderbolt ports, I still have ports to spare if one of them is tied up with an SD card reader.

Few people know the real reason. This is it. I anticipated this change when they launched the MBP, but only the lowest-end version. It's very likely due to the expensive licensing from Intel.

 

[0924487]

I'm betting this is a temporary limitation since they likely repurposed the SoC from the iPad Pro as the M1. The next generation Apple Silicon will probably have much better I/O support.

TB3 is a proprietary technology that Apple has to pay Intel licensing fees for every controller they include in their products.

 

[theorist9]

Talk about over embellishing a non issue! All you had to say is ‘it’s a pain for me to attach a tiny usbc converter on the end of the establishment’s pre supplied hdmi lead.’ That’s ok if that’s an issue, but describing each step like it’s a mountain to climb it’s absurd.

That's a straw man—a mischaracterization of what I wrote. I never described it like it's a "mountain to climb" (!). Indeed, I explicitly acknowledged that it's minor, by offering the analogy of having to plug in a charger every night -- yet explained people value not having to deal with these minor inconveniences (especially if they're something you need to do every day). I was verbose simply because I was attempting to capture that feeling.

The only things that are absurd here are your overheated reaction ('it's absurd--it's a non issue!') to my (seriously) innocuous comment, and your silly mischaracterization of it.

 

[cmaier]

TB3 is a proprietary technology that Apple has to pay Intel licensing fees for every controller they include in their products.

Intel doubles down on Thunderbolt 3, cans licensing fees | bit-tech.net

Promises integrated controllers, too.

bit-tech.net

$0

 

[johngwheeler]

Why bring back an obsolete slot? We are on CFExpress A and B now, with SD Express coming to fight CFExpress A. SD is dead.

I wouldn't say that SD is dead as a format, because they are still the most common camera media, but it's certainly no longer the only option. CFExpress Type A & B are becoming more popular, and offer better performance than any SD card, and are found in high-end DSLR/mirror cameras and video cameras. Nikon uses XQD card, but I think Sony has abandoned it.

SD cards don't have the same security as a "standard" that other technology has, like USB-C, so I would be surprised to see Apple backtrack and include it on a future MacBook Pro.

 

[johngwheeler]

SD still has a life for at least 5 years. Camera manufacturers are being very slow to go all in on CFExpress, and even when they do they keep an SD card as the second slot. And this isn't even getting into the consumer grade cameras or micro SD devices

Hopefully any MacBook Pro slot will be a hybrid SD/CFExpress Type A, as used in the Sony A7SIII camera. Not to include CFExpress compatibility would be very backward thinking - not at all Apple-like!

 

[johngwheeler]

Introducing the new Macbook Pro.

View attachment 1717581

It's missing the SCSI connector! I used to love those cables that were a centimeter thick.....

 

[johngwheeler]

I get the sentiment but the Sony a7S III is still relatively new and there’s millions of photographers who have no intention of upgrading their camera body any time soon. I can see being on my A7 III for at least 5 more years and I know that I’m not alone. So a new mediaformat, albeit superior is not enough to get a whole industry to swap out gear if the prior one is working just fine for now.

The Sony A7SIII uses hybrid SD/CFExpress slots and I would hope that Apple would do the same

 

[johngwheeler]

I STILL have never used that slot on my 2015 MBP... Rolls eyes.

do you own a digital camera other than a phone? Then it all probability, it uses an SD card, which will probably be faster than a wired or wifi connection for transferring your photos & videos.

 

[Mr.PT]

As someone who creates content Nikon legit only had 2% of the camera market share. Canon has 50% most of their cameras still use SD cards. The m50 their most popular camera uses SD cards. Their brand new r5 that came out 2020 still has a SD slot. Sony had 20% share and guess what SD cards galore. The fx6 just released 2020 has a SD slot. This isn't some legacy thing lol. My eos r uses a SD slot. Came out in 2018.

Leica, that some might consider a pro brand uses SD, Most drones use SD.

 

[Mr.PT]

It can be.

The thing I would use an sd slot is possible for a full-time onboard time machine disk... if it could be used for time machine.

I would advise to use a “rough” (IP68 rated) card for it, and always in redundancy to an external Storage.

 

[Andropov]

I wonder if they will adapt MagSafe to have the magnetic coupling on the cable (where it meets the white plastic casing of the conector head) rather than on the laptop so it can still be charged on any USB-C port, or other clever design to keep this ability.

I used to love MagSafe until I upgraded to a 16" MBP. The ability to charge it on any side of the laptop has been surprisingly convenient.

 

[ruka.snow]

I wouldn't say that SD is dead as a format, because they are still the most common camera media, but it's certainly no longer the only option. CFExpress Type A & B are becoming more popular, and offer better performance than any SD card, and are found in high-end DSLR/mirror cameras and video cameras. Nikon uses XQD card, but I think Sony has abandoned it.

SD cards don't have the same security as a "standard" that other technology has, like USB-C, so I would be surprised to see Apple backtrack and include it on a future MacBook Pro.

Nikon use CFExpress, all of their XQD cameras where firmware upgraded to support CFExpress B. Sony seem to be moving to CFExpress A but there is still hope their pro cameras will use type B. But we’ll need to see if their next A9 is in a pro body.

 

[theluggage]

Few people know the real reason. This is it. I anticipated this change when they launched the MBP, but only the lowest-end version. It's very likely due to the expensive licensing from Intel.

First, as several people have already posted, the M1 has two Thunderbolt controllers - one for each port, whereas the 4-port Intel Macs had 2 ports sharing the bandwidth of each controller. Plus the M1 supports multi-port Thunderbolt hubs, so the Air and 2-port MBP can be expanded to 4 ports, with the same bandwidth as the 4-port Intel models. Or Apple could make a 4-port M1 Mac by replacing the existing pair of thunderbolt repeaters with internal hubs.

Second, these new, re-designed MBPs we are talking about are unlikely to be using the base M1 - a chip that was primarily designed to enable fanless MacBook Airs - so you can't conclude anything about them from the M1 specs (not that we really know the M1 specs anyway). Any replacement for the 16" MBP is going to need, at the very least, more high-performance CPU cores and a better GPU that can drive more than two displays, and it is perfectly feasible for Apple to add whatever new I/O they need to support extra ports at the same time.

That's hardly news - the Intel CPUs used in the 16" MBP already had more I/O than the ultraportable ones in the Air, the desktop chips in the iMac had more again and the "Workstation" Xeon chips in the iMac Pro and Mac Pro had significantly more. With Apple Silicon, Apple are no longer bound by Intel's decision about how their chip models are delineated.