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The General

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 7, 2006
4,825
1
There's enough external space for two USB ports in the expresscard 34 slot. Is there a card that has two USB ports and is flush with the edge of the laptop? All I can find are dual stacked ones that stick out like this:

ju-ec2012-s1-250.jpg
 

iMacDragon

macrumors 68020
Oct 18, 2008
2,358
704
UK
You will not find one, a usb socket is too thick to fit on the end of a card, if you compare one, the plug may be about the same thickness, but the socket has to be bigger.
 

The General

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 7, 2006
4,825
1
I'm looking at the side of my MacBook Pro right now. The USB port is visibly ≥ the width of the ExpressCard 34 slot. It would be impossible to be flush.

Stick a USB device into the Expresscard slot. There's an 1/8" of extra space. That's good for 1/16" aluminum on the top and bottom of the USB plug. That is a sufficient amount of space to put two USB ports.

The space is not a problem.

EDIT: I just looked up the sizes. Expresscards are 5mm thick, USB is about 4mm thick.

Again, the space is not an issue. There's clearly enough space. There doesn't even need to be a top and bottom of the USB port on the expresscard. Just put spacers and the inner white part of the USB port on the card.

Let the top or bottom of the expresscard be one of the sides of the USB port.
 

iMacDragon

macrumors 68020
Oct 18, 2008
2,358
704
UK
It is, when an express card is only allowed to be 5mm thick, regardless of how big the slot may be. if it was thicker, they would not be allowed to call it an express card and stick the logo on. and comparing it, a usb plug appears to be the exact same thickness as the card, so there would be no way to add a top and bottom plate to it and stay within spec.

specs are there for a reason, you can't just ignore them, however convenient it may be.
 

The General

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 7, 2006
4,825
1
It is, when an express card is only allowed to be 5mm thick, regardless of how big the slot may be. if it was thicker, they would not be allowed to call it an express card.

It is what? USB = 4mm thick. Expresscard = 5mm thick. Do I need to spoon feed you people a 3D model of what I want with dimensions? I will, if that's what you need.

THE SIZE IS NOT AN ISSUE.

If it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist... but don't tell me it's not possible when it most certainly is.

specs are there for a reason, you can't just ignore them, however convenient it may be.

Which specs do you think I am ignoring?
 

iMacDragon

macrumors 68020
Oct 18, 2008
2,358
704
UK
I have just taken some digital calipers to a usb plug, it is 4.5mm thick, that would leave half a mm to allow two metal plates on either side, and a bit of space to allow movement. I just can't see that being practically done, and maintaining structural integrity.
 

The General

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 7, 2006
4,825
1
I have just taken some digital calipers to a usb port, it is 4.5mm thick, that would leave half a mm to allow two metal plates on either side, and a bit of space to allow movement. I just can't see that being practically done, and maintaining structural integrity.

It doesn't need metal plates on either side. Just put a .5mm plate on one side and let the edge of the expresscard port be the other side of the USB port.

If this will work, then surely what I'm saying will work too:
051207_usb_4b.jpg
 

iMacDragon

macrumors 68020
Oct 18, 2008
2,358
704
UK
I agree that in theory it may work like you say, but would probably still be out of spec by not having the express card fully enclosed to the end of the slot, and very unlikely that anyone would manufacture something like that.

Also I'd be dubious on anyone wishing to use the machines casing as an integral part of the design.

In principle it would be a nice idea to be able to add two more flush usb ports, but in practice I can not see anyone doing such.

And I don't think those flat usb flash sticks like that meet proper USB spec either.
 

kastenbrust

macrumors 68030
Dec 26, 2008
2,890
0
North Korea
The General is right you can get such devices that sit flush in your express card slot, my friend had one for an old macbook pro, but after searching the web for a while (i want one too now!) i cant seem to find it! :( perhaps they simply dont manurfacture them anymore.
 

viruz.360

macrumors newbie
Nov 10, 2009
3
0
It´s here!!!

Sorry for reviving such an old topic ;)

For those of you who didn´t believe it could be done:
eBay Article

I just bought the last one, but im sure more of these will be offered on eBay over time.
 

viruz.360

macrumors newbie
Nov 10, 2009
3
0
i only see one....not 2...
You´re right, but one additional port is better than nothing in my opinion. (2 ports in one EC34 now seems impossible to me)

show me screens of it working....last AKE product i bought did not even work.
I second this.
I´m sorry that you had disappointing experiences with AKE.

The card arrived today, and it´s working!

The only annoyance I noticed is, that the USB-Plug sits very tight and sometimes the ExpressCard slips out with the USB-Card (Not a big deal, because the card is hotpluggable and it will wear of with time anyways, I guess).

Because the expresscard itself does not register as a USB-Device (because it just uses the available expresscard-usb connection and steps up the 3.3V to 5V) I cannot show you any "proof" that the card is inserted (other than my digicam pictures) so I made a screenshot of the SystemProfiler with three devices attached ("U3 Countour" is attached to the AKE-Card, "USB 2.0 0811" is the white USB-Stick on the left, "U3" is the red one in the center).
 

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///alpinepower

macrumors member
Aug 13, 2007
99
0
It is, when an express card is only allowed to be 5mm thick, regardless of how big the slot may be. if it was thicker, they would not be allowed to call it an express card and stick the logo on. and comparing it, a usb plug appears to be the exact same thickness as the card, so there would be no way to add a top and bottom plate to it and stay within spec.

specs are there for a reason, you can't just ignore them, however convenient it may be.

you aren't quoting any "specs" though.
 
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