Why is everyone heartbroken about losing it? What was so useful about it? I'm not trying to sound knowledgeable, I actually have no clue what it was useful for. Isn't everything available in USB now?
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School me - Expresscard
- Thread starter petercockroach
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flopticalcube
macrumors G4
NewMacbookPlz
macrumors 68040
It's akin to the PCMCIA slots from laptops a few years ago, and kind of like the PCI-slot in desktop computers.
It would let you add eSATA, an internal card reader and even a 3G wireless card without having to hang something off a USB port. It's also FAST, because it has the capability to link right into the PCI bus of the computer.
It would let you add eSATA, an internal card reader and even a 3G wireless card without having to hang something off a USB port. It's also FAST, because it has the capability to link right into the PCI bus of the computer.
ok, so I understand the benefit of the 3G card and the card reader. How common are these peripherals though? I know that PCMCIA was pretty much replaced once USB came out.
I guess I understand the speed factor is definitely a benefit, I just don't know anyone that had any expresscard peripherals.
I guess I understand the speed factor is definitely a benefit, I just don't know anyone that had any expresscard peripherals.
NewMacbookPlz
macrumors 68040
I'd rather have the option of the expresscard34 slot than be locked into an SD slot...that's my take.
l.a.rossmann
macrumors 65816
If you wanted to record 64 channels of audio at a remote location 3000 meters away, you could with MADI, using an expresscard MADI interface.
Now you can't.
Apogee also had some gear out for high channel count pro audio purposes, their symphony system, that relied on the expresscard slot.
There's also 3G wireless.
This is the kind of stuff people will want to do with a $1500 laptop. If they can't, they might as well buy the $600 IBM and get that and a spillproof keyboard as well. The amount of things "pro" about the pro model are going down more and more with time, hardwarewise.
Now you can't.
Apogee also had some gear out for high channel count pro audio purposes, their symphony system, that relied on the expresscard slot.
There's also 3G wireless.
This is the kind of stuff people will want to do with a $1500 laptop. If they can't, they might as well buy the $600 IBM and get that and a spillproof keyboard as well. The amount of things "pro" about the pro model are going down more and more with time, hardwarewise.
RogueVasion
macrumors regular
I agree. In my case, I have a 3G card for when I'm on the road that connects that way and now I need to buy a USB one.
They should've kept Express34 with the 15" and above. But overall, no biggie. Still buying one in the coming weeks to upgrade my "Classic" MBP.
RandomKamikaze
macrumors 6502a
I have a 3G Expresscard. Glad I got the UMBP with the expresscard slot!
I do also have USB 3G Dongles, but I have dropped my work laptpo once or twice with them in and have bent them. Using a USB port for that as well annoyed me a bit.
Expresscard just seemed like the better of the 2 for me
I do also have USB 3G Dongles, but I have dropped my work laptpo once or twice with them in and have bent them. Using a USB port for that as well annoyed me a bit.
Expresscard just seemed like the better of the 2 for me
From my experience selling Macbooks - most popular is a 3g card (there's just something awesome about having a card that's in the computer always, as opposed to a USB dongle), but beyond that there is nothing that the average user *needs* - but I agree 100% that it's a nice to have, and not having it does significantly decrease the expandability of the platform. Some things you now can't do AT ALL:
1. eSATA at decent speeds
2. External sound equipment, as mentioned above
3. Drive 2x or 3x 30" LCD's from a MBP - there is an external graphics that interfaces via Express Card (remember, express card ties into the PCI-E Bus - it's basically as quick as a PCI-E 1x link, OR uses USB - both are available)
Things you can't do as conveniently as before:
"Internal" 3g modems, memory card readers, etc etc - all of these things can be done externally via USB, but that really is a bit of a pain.
1. eSATA at decent speeds
2. External sound equipment, as mentioned above
3. Drive 2x or 3x 30" LCD's from a MBP - there is an external graphics that interfaces via Express Card (remember, express card ties into the PCI-E Bus - it's basically as quick as a PCI-E 1x link, OR uses USB - both are available)
Things you can't do as conveniently as before:
"Internal" 3g modems, memory card readers, etc etc - all of these things can be done externally via USB, but that really is a bit of a pain.
It's pretty much a 1x PCI Express slot with extras for USB. I always wanted the Asus XG Station (Big USB Hub, decent GeForce card) when I had one in my MBP, but the XG station never came out in the UK. Other places do ExpressCard to PCI Express adapters but they were mega (£800) expensive, so not really an option.