Why no SD card slot?

[stevearm]

Surely this is a pretty standard feature in laptops now, particularly with Apple's obsession with iPhoto etc...

Does it come as an option?

How do you get your pics off your camera? You have to connect a usb cable from the laptop to the camera?

Seems like a bit of a step backwards

 

[dejo]

Because if they have an SD slot, they'll need to add slots for the plethora of other card types. Would go against Apple's design philosophy.

 

[SkyBell]

Surely this is a pretty standard feature in laptops now, particularly with Apple's obsession with iPhoto etc...

Does it come as an option?

How do you get your pics off your camera? You have to connect a usb cable from the laptop to the camera?

Seems like a bit of a step backwards

Apple has always had a focus on "clean design". Apparently an SD card slot would ruin this.

 

[iBookG4user]

Unfortunately Apple does not offer card slots in their laptops. You should consider getting a card reader, they are very cheap these days.

 

[stevearm]

Would go against Apple's design philosophy.

So sacrifice usability, for clean lines and design? Yup, that sounds like Apple!

99% of laptops only have an SD card slot because it's the most used, and hardly takes up any space.

Considering their push for getting photos on etc you'd think it would be a standard feature.

 

[dejo]

99% of laptops only have an SD card slot because it's the most used, and hardly takes up any space.

99%? C'mon, exaggerating isn't going to help your argument.

 

[darkcurse]

When card readers are so ubiquitous, how does that affect "usability"?

 

[LTX]

My previous laptop, a Gateway MT6451, had a 6-in-1 MS/MMC/SD/mini versions slot that was about the width of an SD card, so it's not like a lot of space has to be sacrificed to include it.

 

[tubbymac]

Just get a cheapo Eye-Fi SD card and you can transfer your pictures from your camera to your Macbook without any wires at all. The Eye-Fi SD has built in wireless. Problem solved.

 

[iParis]

It's not the Apple way.
It would "ruin" their whole way of marketing and thinking.
Just like the many "why no FireWire" threads.

 

[VSMacOne]

This is one of the only things I thought I would miss from my Toshiba laptop... but now I really don't. I've worked around this issue with Bluetooth (to get stuff to and from phone) and USB for cameras... Not as big a deal as i thought it would be!
I for one LOVE the size and shape of the MB, and am glad Apple didn't make it bulkier by adding a card reader, etc..

 

[drichards]

You can get an expresscard SD/etc reader that won't stick out the side if you have a Macbook Pro. Otherwise you're looking at USB.

 

[bootedbear]

I find hooking a USB cable to my camera a lot easier than popping out the card.

 

[pjrobertson]

I bought a multi-card reader when I realised the Macs didn't have them built in.
I've probably used it once in the past 12 months. IMO it's not really an essential item

 

[stevearm]

99%? C'mon, exaggerating isn't going to help your argument.

Sorry, I meant of the laptops that have memory card readers, 99% only have an SD slot

 

[andiwm2003]

i would like to have a sd card slot in the mac notebooks. not so much for image transfer from my camera but as a nice little 4GB backup device. it's like a built in usb stick. windows notebooks have it mainly as turbo memory for vista but no one is using it for that. but more and more people use it as a convenient method for back up and data transfer between notebooks. almost like a replacement for DVD burners. It's sad that apple users are cut off this trend.

i hope apple changes their strategy and realizes that putting as many ports and interfaces in the MB/MBP as reasonably possible is the way to go. i just don't think this strategy shift will happen within the next 5 years.

 

[reclusivemonkey]

99% of laptops only have an SD card slot because it's the most used, and hardly takes up any space.

83.79% of statistics are made up on the spot.

The last SD card I bought came with its own neat little USB reader. Apple don't have an SD card reader on their laptops, and I'm betting they never will. Amen to that I say.

 

[bizzle]

Why don't you email Steve Jobs and ask?

 

[kastenbrust]

Steve knows what you want and you dont want an SD card slot

If you have a Macbook Pro you can get an express card Multi Card Reader

 

[PlaceofDis]

no mac has ever come with a card reader built in.

i could see some benefits now though on some laptop models considering the theoretical size limits that are being published for the SD cards now, it would make the cards good for small back ups or even more useful than a thumb drive if the readers were around more. but thats just my take on things...

but they'll never be there unless demand surges to overwhelming amounts.

 

[manuel.mx]

it reminds me of the old macs that came with a ZIP drive, I think powermacs did at some point.

I would like to have SD as well, but i guess ill have to use my SD reader.... I wish the MB had a express card slot, that would solve such issues.

 

[aznguyen316]

I would've loved an SD card reader, great for transfering pictures from digi cam or files from comp to comp rather than using a usb thumb. To the user that said they'd have to have a card slot for all the other cards, many card readers now have a single slot that works for 5-6 different cards.

 

[shawnpringle]

I personally would rather have a PCMCIA slot or something similar, like i had on my G4 Titanium. Then i could simply plug in a 8 in 1 card reader or something like that, and i could just pop my CF card in without having stuff dangle off my laptop. It was surprisingly fast as well.
The G4 Titanium 15 inch was not thick at all- close to 1 inch. If they can fit that into that slim of a computer, that long ago, there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to do the same now.

 

[likemyorbs]

I find hooking a USB cable to my camera a lot easier than popping out the card.

same here, but if i ever need the sd card slot for whatever reason i just use the one in my HP printer, you can use a printer's card reader for normal use, not just printing pics directly off it.

 

[Primejimbo]

This is one of the only things I thought I would miss from my Toshiba laptop... but now I really don't. I've worked around this issue with Bluetooth (to get stuff to and from phone) and USB for cameras... Not as big a deal as i thought it would be!
I for one LOVE the size and shape of the MB, and am glad Apple didn't make it bulkier by adding a card reader, etc..

I do agree it's not a big deal, but I saw a HP 13 inch with a card reader. I finally got a card reader and I haven't used it yet.. oh well lol