Why SD slot in new MBP?

[ddarko]

what does "PRO" in MacBook Pro stand for? pro-photographer only? or any other professionals? like engineer, programmer, doctor..??? these other "PRO" they don't carry a Canon 1D MK III, or any other big @ss cameras around on the weekend.

Don't be obtuse. The pro designation doesn't stand for any job, it stands for the proposition that one of the attributions of a "pro" computer is that it is flexible and expandable. You can add hard drives to the Mac Pro, you can change video cards, you can add a host of different devices to suit your needs. You can't with the iMac. One is pro, the other is consumer. Flexibility is inherently more limited with notebooks but the distinction was still valid. Macbook Pro was more flexible than iBooks or Macbooks or all the consumer laptops. Stop pretending you don't understand that.

All the comments arguing pro or con whether the Expresscard is used by a lot of people completely misses the point. It's the wrong question to ask. It's not a matter of whether numerically, the majority of Macbook Pro users used the slot. What matters is having the ability to do so IF you needed to use it. That's what a "pro" hardware line should be. I bet most people who buy the Mac Pro never add more hard drives, they never change graphics cards, they never use the free PCI-Express expansion slots, heck, they probably never use the Firewire ports. Should Apple get rid of them all on the Mac Pro? Only have hardware features that are used by 51% of buyers? Should the Mac Pro be a iMac in a bigger case?

That's what Apple seems to have turned the 15" Macbook Pro into by getting rid of the Expresscard. It's now an aluminum 15" Macbook.

 

[Mr Skills]

What I don't understand is - why didn't they just make the SD slot use the latest "SDIO" standard? Then it would have been capable of doing much of what the ExpressCards were capable of.

Does anyone know if this is something they can add with a firmware update?

 

[allanibanez]

im thankful i i have the earlier unibody with the expresscard slot. im a canon camera user so dont deal with sd cards, only CF. Getting rid of the expresscard slot seemed a little odd to me, as it always gave the user the flexibility to do whatever they want.

 

[harcosparky]

So, to sum up, Canon offers SD as an option on all of their DSLR cameras, including the two which are MRSP $2,000+.

Not sure how you can say the offer it on all of their DSLR's ?

Specs From Canon Site .... ( these are Canons biggest sellers )

5D Recording Media
CompactFlash (CF) Card Type I and II

50D Specifications
Recording Media
CF Card Type I and II, UDMA-compliant CF cards, via external media (USB v.2.0 hard drive, via optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E3A)

40D Specifications
Recording Media
CF Card Type I and II and external media (USB v.2.0 hard drive, via optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E3A)

 

[harcosparky]

I don't see your daughter on here complaining about not being able to connect her "ec to serial card" because even you have to admit that is an uncommon occurence.

No but she has said she would prefer to use the EC to Memory Stick Pro adapter if she could.

Oh and I did admit in my post that use of the EC to Serial was uncommon.


BOTTOM LINE - The EC Slot allows a user choices they do not have with an SD slot.

This is the entire point of my posts. Are you saying I am wrong, that users with an SD slot have more versatitlity???

Good luck proving THAT point!!!



.

 

[Ljohnson72]

If they HAD to use a card reader - at least use Compact Flash. After all it is a Macbook Pro.

 

[CPD_1]

Not sure how you can say the offer it on all of their DSLR's ?

Specs From Canon Site .... ( these are Canons biggest sellers )

I recanted on the previous page:

According to the Canon UK website, only the 1D, 1Ds, 500D, 450D and 1000D take SD cards - the 40D, 50D, 5D and 5D Mark II are all CF only

Ah, you know what, you're right. I'll eat some humble pie. However, it seems telling to me that the newer, and more expensive models are coming with SD.

And while they are Canon's biggest sellers, the fact that their highest end camera also features SD shows that they're moving that direction.

But, that's just MHO.

 

[harcosparky]

I recanted on the previous page:



And while they are Canon's biggest sellers, the fact that their highest end camera also features SD shows that they're moving that direction.

But, that's just MHO.

You know that's actually funny in a way. You might think they are moving in a forward direction but they are not the first to put two different format flash cards in their camera.

Back in 2001 Olympus mixed formats in their E20 which was a fixed lens "prosumer" camera of sorts. The earlier model E10 also had dual formats. Both could support CF I and CF II though the E10 could not handle the IBM Microdrives.

There is a purpose for dual formats.

At that time (2001) it was said .....
In cameras you can "delete" and image on the fly. The problem with this is now when the camera takes more pics it has to overwrite the space occupied by the deleted image. The camera may produce and image larger than the space left and the new image will be fragmented. it was said at the time that random deletion could lead to noise in some images as a result. It's better to reformat the entire card, of course this would get rid of wanted images so having 2 cards of different formats would allow you to copy all of the good images on say the CF card to the Smart Media Card, then you could reformat the CF card and shoot away.

I lived and worked by that philosophy and good or bad today, it's an old habit.

I owned both the E10 and E20 and they were wonderful cameras at the time and for their cost. ( $1300-$1500 )

So in that light Canon putting dual formats in their high end pro camera makes sense to me. Given that SD has overtaken Smart Media in the last few years plus make is sensible to include Compact Flash and SD.

I'll have to talk to the Canon Rep and ask him Canons reasoning on that one.

I switched over to Canon for DSLR when their EOS10D came out. Prior to that I was always a Canon film camera user and heavily invested in the EOS line since the late 80's when the EOS 650 was introduced.

I own a 5D, just got it last month ... have not played with it much due to schedules for work and it will take a little time to learn all that it can do.

Next time you see a pro working, be it at a baseball game, wedding, and anywhere else ask them what format of Memory Card is in their pockets!


But again the entire point I have in this is......

Mackbook Pro w/Express Card Slot is more versatile than a Macbook Pro with an SD card reader !!!!!!





.

 

[MacModMachine]

hey....isnt a sd card like a expresscard slot but shrunken down

*hides under desk*

 

[aaquib]

hey....isnt a sd card like a expresscard slot but shrunken down

*hides under desk*

If you're serious, no. An SD card slot is a port that will only accept SD (Secure Digital) memory cards that are often used in digital cameras. An ExpressCard Slot is an expansion slot in which you can add several other interfaces and connectors in. In fact, you can even connect an adapter to get you SD, CF, and other memory card standards, USING the Expresscard slot. You can't do that on an SD slot, which is obviously only limited to, well SD.

 

[harcosparky]

hey....isnt a sd card like a expresscard slot but shrunken down

*hides under desk*

Yeah sure it is .... and like some part of your body, when shrunken it becomes pretty much USELESS!

You can come out from under the desk now!

 

[pooryou]

Nobody has mentioned it but these slots are also used by audio pros who will have absolutely no use for an SD reader. If they don't want a 17" laptop they are going to have to seriously consider going with Apple's competition, which sucks. Apple should at least offer a higher end 15" model.

 

[Demosthenes X]

If you're serious, no. An SD card slot is a port that will only accept SD (Secure Digital) memory cards that are often used in digital cameras. An ExpressCard Slot is an expansion slot in which you can add several other interfaces and connectors in. In fact, you can even connect an adapter to get you SD, CF, and other memory card standards, USING the Expresscard slot. You can't do that on an SD slot, which is obviously only limited to, well SD.

Not entirely true. SDIO can do a lot of the same things ExpressCard/34 could do. Now, that said, the SD card slot on the new Pro does not support SDIO, but I think it's inevitable that it will in the (near?) future.

 

[Freyqq]

i want an esata slot =\ Make one of those usb/esata hybrid slots like dell has

this would effectively end the argument here and would take up no extra space on the laptop

 

[alphaod]

Wow o wow. Not a USB reader, for the humanity, that is torture....

If you can find me a USB reader that supports UDMA and reads my CF cards at 50MB/s, I'll pay premium price for it.

And yes it is torture having to wait 10x as long [via an USB reader] to process dozens of gigabytes of pictures.

If you are worried about speed they also
make fw readers.

And that doesn't work to well sometimes (at least for me), because people connect an external HDD to their FW port; and not daisy chaining does not help when you have a card reader and a HDD running on the same line.

 

[steve-p]

Not every camera uses SD, many of the Dslrs don't, in fact my D70 uses a CF card.

It's not a current model though, it's not even one generation behind. The D80 and D90 both use SD.

 

[UltraNEO*]

Despite all the bickering going on here.. I would say it's all done because of space! As the old ExpressCard cage took alot of room and for many user's it remains unused.. however, there's no reason why Apple couldn't of replaced it with the half lenth version that could accept full lenth adaptors too.

Anyway, here's the logicboard for the uMBP 13, which should be very simular to the 15" version with an exception of the additional chip. The large silver block on the left, second from the bottom would be the SD inteface.

 

[UltraNEO*]

If you can find me a USB reader that supports UDMA and reads my CF cards at 50MB/s, I'll pay premium price for it.

And yes it is torture having to wait 10x as long [via an USB reader] to process dozens of gigabytes of pictures.

Pfft... Honestly guys.. dunno why your all moaning.

For ProUsers the common CF reader has moved on from the sluggish USB2 interface to the better, faster and more flexible FireWire800. An typical FW800 based adaptor will run circles around any USB2 counter part, so much so. it's topping around 43~45MB/s.

So, please forget about USB CF readers, they're all pantz Leave the newly introduced SD slot for the so-called Comsumers who'll love them with their sub $1000 plastic cameras.

Products:
Delkin CF FireWire 400/800 reader (review)
SanDisk Extreme FW reader

Testing:
Reader CF performance benchmarks

 

[OutSpoken]

I see how ExpressCard slots can be useful, but at the same time I've NEVER had the need to use one. So given the choice, I would have still chosen SD card reader over Express. Because at the end of the day I wouldn't want to go out and buy an additional reader to stick into the expansion slot to read my sd cards.

Anyway I've already made use of the SD slot on my mbp already. So it's thumbs up over here.

 

[harcosparky]

As the old ExpressCard cage took alot of room and for many user's it remains unused.. however, there's no reason why Apple couldn't of replaced it with the half lenth version that could accept full lenth adaptors too.

Anyway, here's the logicboard for the uMBP 13, which should be very simular to the 15" version with an exception of the additional chip. The large silver block on the left, second from the bottom would be the SD inteface.

I'm pretty sure the smaller SD card slot will remain unused on many many MBP's as well.

Remember the 12" Powerbook had NO CARD READER at all.

I understand Apple is trying to increase its customer base and 'consumerizing' is the way to go.

I have a 15" Macbook Pro - it has an Express Card slot. If the EC slot fit in the 15" yesterday, why not today? I don't think space was an issue in the 15", I think it was all about $$$$$$$ in Apple coffers.

 

[UltraNEO*]

I'm pretty sure the smaller SD card slot will remain unused on many many MBP's as well.

Remember the 12" Powerbook had NO CARD READER at all.

I understand Apple is trying to increase its customer base and 'consumerizing' is the way to go.

I have a 15" Macbook Pro - it has an Express Card slot. If the EC slot fit in the 15" yesterday, why not today? I don't think space was an issue in the 15", I think it was all about $$$$$$$ in Apple coffers.

Umm.. is the height of the new revision the same as the old? I know in the past, new revisions had little physical differences, could it be that Apple tried to make their 15" thinner? Thus as a consequence they had to drop the ExpressCard cage? I just know the new batteries take up a little more space, compared to the old.. though there capacity is bigger too!

 

[MrZebra]

I wish they got rid of the optical drive and let us have more expansion ports.

 

[UltraNEO*]

I see how ExpressCard slots can be useful, but at the same time I've NEVER had the need to use one. So given the choice, I would have still chosen SD card reader over Express. Because at the end of the day I wouldn't want to go out and buy an additional reader to stick into the expansion slot to read my sd cards.

Anyway I've already made use of the SD slot on my mbp already. So it's thumbs up over here.

I have both a ExpressCard reader and USB reader.. however, I don't use the ExpressCard reader that much those days, cause a dual eSATA card sits there instead. Additional storage is very handy!

 

[Afrocurl]

no eSATA!!!

I used my ExpressCard slot to hook up to faster eSATA drives, which now i wont be able to do unless i buy the behemoth MBP 17". I dont mind spending the extra cash on a bigger laptop but i just dont want to carry that thing around everywhere. i get the change to SD but it reminds me of those few months they mistakingly took FW800 of the older Powerbooks...just to renege and put it back.

 

[TheReef]

I wish they got rid of the optical drive and let us have more expansion ports.

I wish they brought back the modular design of the PowerBook G3's, 1400s, etc.


Take out the optical drive, slot in a 5 port USB module, SSD Drive module, dual express card slots, quad firewire interface, tripple eSata etc…

Imagine the interest that would bring about


If one was keen they could mod their computer to have some of that, minus the eSata and express slots.