MacBook Pro SD/ExpressCard Slot Tradeoff: Brilliant or Blunder?
Apple’s new/refreshed MacBook Pro 13″ and 15″ models each come equipped with an SD Media Card reader slot, but in the case of the 15-incher, this has required elimination of the ExpressCard/34 expansion slot that had been in every 15-inch MacBook Pro since the get-go, back in 2006. This has led to a crescendo of protest from certain classes of MacBook Pro users who depend on the expansion interface, even though an ExpressCard/34 slot is still offered on the 17″ MacBook Pro.
Does this move represent wise decision-making, or is it a blunder on the scale of the misbegotten elimination (now thankfully rectified) of FireWire support from the first revision 13″ unibody MacBooks? I think the ExpressCard/SD Card tradeoff makes some pragmatic sense. It would be great to have both formats, but for most users, SD Card support will be more functionally useful. Apple CFO Phil Schiller was quoted on Monday saying that surveys had determined only 10 percent of MBP owners ever used the ExpressCard slot.
As much as I like the idea of having ExpressCard capability in my laptop, I’m doubtful that I would miss having it on any machine that has built-in FireWire. I did make a fair bit of use of the PC CardBus slots in my G3 PowerBooks back in the day, and still do use the one in my “road” Pismo for a Buffalo G54 802.11g adapter card I use in conjunction with OS X’s AirPort software to log onto Wi-Fi hotspots. However, built-in AirPort has been standard on even the cheapest Apple notebooks for about five years now. On the other hand, an SD Card slot would be very useful for transferring image files from my digital camera. (Alas, my 13″ unibody MacBook has no slots and no FireWire.)
However, there are a minority of users who depend on the ExpressCard slot — for example, 3G cards for Wi-Fi connectivity, Gigabit Ethernet cards to provide a second network connection, or cards to provide extra FireWire ports on their own dedicated bus operating at full speed instead of daisy chaining devices. There are also ExpressCard-based PCI expansion options used by audio and video pros, and they work with ExpressCard interfaces. ExpressCard-based eSATA interfaces are also available for data transfer faster than FireWire 800 can support, and some folks, of course, use ExpressCard-SD card adapters or a variety of other media card readers such as 7-in-1 readers or 12-in-1 readers that can read much more than just SD cards. With an SD Card slot, you can only read one type of card.
All that said, Apple’s director of portables, Todd Benjamin, told PCMag’s Mark Hachman in an interview this week that the ExpressCard 34 slot was dropped from the 15″ MacBook Pro because the “vast majority” of owners use USB connectivity, and that Apple opted for a SD Card slot because that format has become “ubiquitous.”
The obvious solution, if one absolutely requires ExpressCard support, is to get a 17″ MacBook Pro, which at least is now more reasonably priced at $2,499, and most professional notebook users should find that affordable. The 17-incher is a bit larger and heavier to lug around, but having the bigger display is no hardship, and as a 17″ PowerBook owner myself, I would say that the diminished portability aspect is often exaggerated. I’ve found mine a surprisingly tractable road warrior-ing machine.
So, which would you prefer: ExpressCard 34 or SD Media Reader?
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Having seen on Macworld that you can install OS X on an SD card, I’ll go with that. World’s smallest boot drive- also solid state!
As you said above, the only reason I could see the need of an ExpressCard slot is for external FireWire- but since we have FireWire built in, who needs it?
A blunder for Apple.
I make extensive use of the express-34 card that’s on my MBP 15″. I normally upgrade macs every 6 months to a year, but not this time. All my external drives are SATA. Whoever talks about the express card-34 as being a ‘firefire’ has no clue. The express card lets you transfer about 5 times faster than the 800-FW. I have files that are 35 and 45GB, without express card, I’ll be living like a caveman waiting for the fire to start. According to Apple ‘only’ 10% of Mac users ever used their express card – Is that a reason to ‘spit’ on 10% of millions of customers? I am very disappointed with Apple. It has become too much of a mass market, with very small customer base. It boils down to sort of a monopoly. With my next PC, I will not choose Apple, and Linux will be my OS of choice. For a computer pro, Apple is not reliable and/or flexible enough. It is very bad to be at the mercy of one vendor (who has very little understanding of pro users). They can continue to produce toys for teenagers, but they can also drop the ‘pro’ from their machines.
Ooh! Well said! If they are going to mark a machine as a “Pro”, shouldnt there be a logical reason to have an express card to begin with, i mean its for the pro’s right? Which just strengthens the point, apple is aiming for a younger more, irresponsible market which in turn is turning the more dedicated followers into plain old fags for supporting them…. Lets have a round of applause for open computers please….
the 06 model mbpros had a load of defects that were, unwelcoming at best (overheating, videocard issues etc). hopefully these unibodys corrected those flaws but, at the price of customer loyalty?
For a new pro line, throw away with the damn unibody and re-invest in the poly carbonate or go REAL pro with carbon fiber.
I strongly disagree. I am a Music Technician and use a UAD sound card that is critical for my production and my mixing. I cannot use another system as I have spent thousands of pounds on this card for plug ins etc but love the portability of the 13″. The jump between the Macbook and the Macbook Pro have shrunk which is positive for the normal end user, but for the prosumer and the specialists, this jump is very unwanted.
well, anyone who wants to use their rme hammerfall breakout audio box needs the expresscard. it was a total failure on apples part to exclude it for a stupid card reader which can be found everywhere i have one in each of my two dell ultrasharp 24″monitors, that i never use. the solution, a removable cardreader that fits into the expresscard port.
as for josh c. running osx off of an SD card… sure maybe you can, but i fail to see the value in doing so. furthermore i would be surprised if you are actually doing this as compared to just talking sh*t.
Getting rid of the ExpressCard slot on the 15″ MBP was one of the most ignorant and stupid things Apple could have done.
If you need a cardreader so badly, go buy an ExpressCard card reader for $10 – $15. Those card readers take SD, Memory Stick, XD, … not just SD. And you can leave it in your MBP all the time since it doesn’t stick out!
For those who want a small SD card to use it as a SSD: Even a class 10 SD card is slow. And mind you: The card reader in the MBP is only on the USB bus. So it’ll be slow.
A nice and really fast Sony SxS or a Verbatim ExpressCard SSD are not an option anymore.
What about all those ExpressCard TV tuners? It’s really nice to have them, since they don’t or only barely stick out! Talk about breaking off an USB TV stick… Happens faster than you think! And it’ll probably wreck your logic board too!
Same thing for HSPA data cards… Better than any stick.
And then ExpressCard offers all the expandability with eSATA, extra firewire connections, and: In a few months probably USB 3.0. So you guys will be stuck with slow USB 2.0 on your new MBPs.
What about ExpressCard video adapters? Hook up two screens to your MBP instead of just one!
Oh ExpressCard is so nice! Apple, why did you take it away! You could have at least given us, the pro users a choice!
And 17″ is not portable!
Re: Will’s comment on August 22nd, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Will, I am shocked that no one called you out on your gay slur.
It is inappropriate to use such terminology in the context you used it in. You should be ashamed of yourself.
This isn’t a message board for political/religious discussion, however I cannot let that one pass. Irresponsible, insensitive, and just plain ignorant. Shame on you Will.
Everyone else reading this: this is not meant to start on off topic discussion, so please dont add your two cents, lets leave it at this and move on.
Thanks.
I don’t understand why Apple just didn’t include an express card that reads multiple SD cards with every purchase??…Kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Apple grows it’s customer base (kicking Window’s ass :) and we keep our ExpressCard/34. Simple!
Apple should have at least given us a configuration option to still keep the express card slot on the 15″ MacBook Pro! This is a giant step backwards for me as a professional who very much prefers the 15″ over the unwieldy 17″ MacBook Pro. As a media professional, I need the express card slot for some adapters I have, as well as an eSATA card for my eSATA ONLY drives. When I get ready to upgrade from my previous generation MacBook Pro very soon, I will be forced to buy the 17″ laptop, which in all other respects I DO NOT WANT! I want a 15″
This is a bigger deal breaker than taking the matte option away from us on the 15″ and then only allowing us to have it back on the 17″. I do not need super color accuracy on my laptop, I need seeability in all conditions and the seeability of the glaring glossy display (while probably the preference of some) is horrible for me. When I need color accuracy in a monitor for color correcting or matching purposes, I use the calibrated monitor in my office in a controlled environment.
The #1 liability of being a Mac user is this: Since our entire computing world revolves around ONE VENDOR and ONE VENDOR ONLY for our hardware, we are at the whims of Apple’s engineering decisions, even when those decisions hurt the user. It is times like this when one can understand the desire of PC users to stick with the PC.
Please, please please give us options back Apple! I can see how SD card slot or glossy displays would be preferable to some, but for those of us that need the matte display and the express card slot PLEASE give us the option! I don’t understand why we can’t have options!
Buy a refurbished unibody 15″ Macbook Pro right now for HUNDREDS of dollars off. It is a great deal and has the express 34 slot, removable battery, faster SATA bus, larger L2 cache etc. I just ordered the 15″ 2.53 4GB 320 GB 512 VIDEO for $1449. DO IT NOW, THEY WILL BE GONE SOON!
there’s a decent trade off to the SD card or the express-card i bought a MBP 15.4 in with express card slot and don’t regret it the SD wouldnt be nice but i have o have my express card slot for double the firewire and my server admin connections but what sucks is i bought mine a week before the new ones came out and paid 400$ more than the new ones cost!!!
I agree with TJ Draper. It’s a PORTABLE computer, and the 15″ and 13″ are much more portable. I fly around a lot using the macbook pro to upload huge video files to separate hard drives, and even then, I have to use a PCMCIA adapter for the Panasonic P2 cards going into the express card slot. Apple, please give us options.
Don’t know that I’ve ever actually seen an ExpressCard device.
I don’t see any problems with losing the ExpressCard. But, I also have no need for it so I’m sort of bias maybe. I would have a lot more use for the SD slot because of my camcorder and camera. It saves me from having to have a USB SD card reader.
And the fact that Macworld said it can run OS X is a huge PLUS.
Now, to just buy a new MBP.
BTW, this is coming from someone who has a MBP already. It’s a 15” 2.16 GHz, about 2 years old. =(
Since the MacBook Pro is a Professional level computer, Compact Flash please!!!
I agree with Jake. Just about all Professional photographers use Compact Flash cards, and many buy the 15″ (with dedicated graphics card) for its more compact size (vs 17″), NOT SD cards! So “Blunder”. Give me back my Expresscard slot.
Well, I got the 17 inch i7 for that reason. Especially with a performance computer, you need faster busses etc.
And guess what? The hard drive heads cxrashed horrible whizzing click of death. Yesterday.
OK so screw platters, we’ll go for an SSD now methinks.
I’m glad I got in the MBP 15″ a month ago before the ExpressCard went away (and while I can still swap out a second and third battery!–S. Asia has power only part of the time, after all). I intend to use it for 3G connectivity while traveling internationally, and very likely for eSATA with a new LaCie External HDD. If they were going for usability, they should have replaced the EC with a universal 12-in-one card reader. Sole SD card functionality excludes the Nikon-user community. That said, presently I use my SD card reader more than any other possible EC devices, at least stateside. Would like it in addition, though. But no drama, really. I’ve had to explain to friends and clients how they might use the EC slot, so I think Apple did the market research correctly. The 15″ MBP should have been able to accommodate both, IMO, though.
Its a fine trade off imo. If you need to use a wireless card, just get a usb adapter for it.. they’re like $20 on Amazon.
USB wireless adapters tax the system much more, also some of us work in IT and need a little flexibility. I often end up connecting eSATA, a serial port and an extra ethernet port quite often.
I would prefer the express card slot because when I need a 3g card I have it and if one wanted an SD card reader one could put one in the express card slot and it would be flush with the system as if it was built in.
IF YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY I DO TELL APPLE HERE: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
I would’ve preferred a multi-format card reader (SD/CF/MS/xD), like the one in current generation Thinkpads but I guess we can’t have everything.
My pet peeves are the lack of a faster GPU and the glossy screen that’s being forced down our throats. The 9400M was a good option in 2008 but just doesn’t cut the mustard going into the DX11 era of 2010. I think something like a 9600M on the 13″ MBP spec sheet would’ve been a nice option. And for the love of God, give us the option of a matte display Apple! Not every Macbook owner uses the screen to look at their face or apply lip gloss and stuff.
I’ve never found occasion to use an ExpressCard slot, but I can understand users’ frustrations with its loss in the new models. However, the author of the linked blog post is going overboard in his complaint that “Apple… made a very foolish decision which affects all 15″ MacBook Pro owners in a NEGATIVE MANNER.” Actually, it doesn’t affect 15″ MacBook Pro owners AT ALL; their computers still have the EC slot. When replacing their computers, yes, then it becomes an issue, one which comments here and on the linked post have already suggested a few solutions for.
Ultimately, he says that users who want an SD card slot can get around it (by plugging their cameras into the computer via USB), but doesn’t want to have to do it himself at all. The reality, however, is that there are likely far more SD card users than EC users, and it makes sense to force a minority of users to adjust their usage than it does to force the majority to do so.
You could have kept the EC slot and thrown a multi-reader in there.
It does effect 15″ macbook pro owners becuase if they like the product they have an want to upgrade said product, they can not and must find a new product.
I am an IT consultant and loved using my mac. Sadly I am forced to find a PC laptop as my upgrade since 17″ is just too much to haul around all day and its pretty bulky imho. The PC will let me add extra network interfaces, eSATA, a serial port for maintance on routers and the like.
I guess this just shows that apple is not concerned enough to even give an option and are forcing certain professionals to go back to a pc
I need the ExpressCard to connect my e-sata hard drive. I can only hope that by the time I need to upgrade my Macbook Pro, Apple will have finally decided to put an e-sata plug on their laptops! Or else I’ll have to look elsewhere…
I use the ExpressCard slot almost every day with a P2 Card Adaptor at work to offload P2 video footage. I already have an SD card reader for USB, not sure why I need a slot for a dedicated format over a slot with multiple uses. I’m glad I got my new MBP 15″ before this update!
I’m just as lucky as you. I’m glad I got the 1st gen unibody w/ expresscard slot to work with my P2 data as well, but what concerns me is what alternative will we have in the future when it is time for a replacement?
You can always add an SD card reader — and DOZENS of other addons — to an ExpressCard slot. But it doesn’t work the other way around. With only an SD card reader, you’re stuck with ONLY being able to use SD Cards. No CF cards, no extra FireWire ports, no eSATA ports, no ExpressCard modems, nothing.
Absolutely ridiculous move on Apple’s part, which is a slap in the face to all of us Mac users.
This is the problem with being locked into one hardware vendor like Apple. We Mac users are literally TRAPPED PRISONERS TO APPLE’S WHIMS, unless we want to switch to using PC’s instead.
I’m very much in the same boat as you and sadly will probably be getting a PC when I upgrade. I’ll hold off and maybe apple will give options for those of us that actually need this to do work and wanted to support them
The only thing I’ve ever put in the ExpressCard slot in my 15″ MBP is… a SD card reader. So I think it’s great. Being able to create a bootable emergency SD card is hot hot hot as well.
And at #11, personally I’m thinking that by the time it’s new laptop time, that eSATA drive is going to look quaint and slow next to the USB3.0 stuff that will likely be available in the next year or two…
Let all the whining and wailing and gnashing of teeth over the “loss” of the ExpressCard slot not obfuscate the fact that many users of same had, at best, very mixed experiences with their ExpressCard adapters. For every one who bemoans the loss, I can name another who tore his hair out over lost FireWire connexions, stuck CF card readers, line-dropping audio adapters, malfunctioning eSATA adapters, or wireless modems with shaky drivers and flaky uptimes. Those are just instances of which I have personal knowledge, having been asked to help. For others, just Google “expresscard problems”.
The omission of FireWire on the previous MacBooks, on the other hand, was an outright disaster. I know of many colleagues who either postponed a planned MacBook acquisition until Apple would come to their senses, or ruefully went for the white plastic MacBook.
Seems to me that Apple have decided to cut their losses and pacate the many, while risking the ire of a vocal – and hitherto lucky – few.
And, Josh C. (#1): If you read my comments over at MacInTouch, you’ll see that installing OS X on an external SD card via USB reader (and even virtualized systems, too!) has long been possible on Intel Macs. It’s just that, now, Apple have decided to officially take this solution aboard; hardly astonishing, since the SD reader is internally connected to the USB bus.
My condolences to eSATA orphans: they’re really the ones left out in the rain. But there is a cruel moral to this: never, ever, rely on external disks with a single interface.
You are correct, getting an eSATA hdd without also getting firewire or at least a usb hookup is kind of silly, but it happens and I also feel for those people.
I have been using express cards. I use them on my PCs as well. I’m an IT consultant, I travel to different client sites with my laptop and a heavy bag filled with other stuff. I need a bit of flexibility to work on clients sites and 17″ is pretty large to be considered easily portable.
That flexibility lets me connect to the console port on equipment, get extra networking options so that I can bridge connections or check multiple networks. eSATA is just so fast and nice to use that I am a bit sad when I am forced to use something else.
Apple doesnt exactly have much in the way of flexibility as it is, but they are making it so certain groups of people can not just rely on an apple and must get a PC if they want to do the job they are paid for.
There have been more than a co-workers and clients that have been angry and put off mac purchases (in the case of co-workers they went with PC’s since they were also fairly angry)
It might not have been used by everyone but it was needed by certain groups and it is very silly to not even give an option to have it instead.
Too bad…a bootable SSD in an express card slot works so darn well (wintec filemate ultra) on the previous revsion mbp and is a ton cheaper than an internal SSD!
I use the ExpressCard slot in my MBP for my Verizon Wireless card. The USB wireless cards are bulky and put stress on the USB port, and since I use my VZ Wireless card everywhere outside the office, it’s definitely a necessity. I’m very glad I have the latest gen MBP with an ExpressCard slot.
Oh, and I have an SD card adapter for my ExpressCard slot, so I’m not sure where Apple is coming from with this update. I hope they’ll reconsider by the time I need to upgrade…
The only Express Card I’ve used is the eSATA for speed. They need to add a eSATA port to the Macbook Pro’s.
I will miss the ExpressCard slot a lot. Being a photographer, I got tired of waiting for transfers of large files from my DSLRs via USB2.0. I recently got a Delkin ExpressCard Compact Flash reader, and the transfer times were cut IMMENSELY. I’m not talking seconds. I’m talking minutes. I wasn’t a believer in ExpressCard until I started using it.
Unfortunately that MBP is old and I recently ordered the new one. I refuse to go back to USB for transferring files, so I ordered a firewire CF reader.
Regardless, I think SD is useless.
huge horrible stupid blunder.
a pro machine w/o ec support? arrrgh.
(besides if i need a card reader i can plug one into the ec port.
I agree a “Professional” machine, that a lot of professionals cant use and I’m sure will be taken up by casual users who would be just as fine with much lower specs…
If anybody is threatening to purchase a Winblows PeeCee instead of a Mac because of this, then they should. Too many people have switched to Mac in recent times, so if some want to go the other way, then good luck and all the best! It’s great that Apple’s market share has increased so much, but I don’t want trojans and hackers taking advantage of that.
I have three Macs, and one of them is a 15 inch 2.5 GHz MacBook Pro with an ExpressCard slot. Would I be able to boot from as SD card as well if it is installed into an ExpressCard SD reader? I understand it would be slow, but I do like the idea of an emergency system on a SD card.
Money is apples goal, and more money usually comes from an increased marketshare. We should not just sit complacently and accept changes that make our system a poor tool for the job we are using it in.
Security is mainly there on our OS becuase of obscurity and there are exploits and the like out there for mac’s, you just wont see them floating around too much and most likely no one cares enough to target your machine
Why do you think the expresscard sd reader would be slow? However you should be able to boot from it
Stephanie, I’m not considering switching back to WinBlows but it WILL affect my repeat purchase cycle. I usually buy a new MacBook Pro every 12-18 months, but I’ll probably stretch this one out to 24 or even 36 months because of the inconvenience of also having to upgrade my Verizon EVDO card as well. It’s just a pain, and will probably cost Apple one of my upgrades (worth about 2 grand).
You win some, you lose some…
Never used the Express Card slot in my MBP, can’t see that I ever will. SD makes more sense.
Hey, if anyone wants an ExpressCard MBP I’ll happily trade mine for an SD version, with some money to even things out.
svan@svan.ca
I was thrilled with the lower prices of the new MBP, then I found out the 15 inch doesn’t have the express adapter. The 17 is good, but it is hard to work with on airplanes. As a video editor, I was hoping to plug an esata and a Matrox MXO2 Card into the MBP for p2 acquisition and editing.
We video and film guys (plus graphic artists) keep Apple going and we rely on the brand to keep making top of the line product. I am going to try and get a last generation MBP if I can find one. I really want the 15inch. 2 inches doesn’t seem like a lot, but when you are flying back from a shoot in coach trying to edit on a computer that will hardly fit on your lap, life isn’t that fun.
I really hope Apple comes back with the slot or someone can find a workaround to use a port for esata, raid and I/O capture cards.
I just watched a Webinar on Matrox line, and spoke to their head engineer. The Matrox mini with Max software is IDEAL for a laptop editor; it frees your processor, you can keep working in FCP, and it compresses to H.264 many orders of magnitude faster than the MBP CPU. But it won’t work with the new MBP unibody because of this express card omission!
I have the previous generation, and now, instead of passing it on to a family member, I must guard it like gold because it has the 34mm slot! and when it finally goes south, I will have to buy a 17″ monster, as you note, to get eSata connectivity. I agree with the “remove the ‘pro’ nomenclature” from the Macbooks.
2 reasons the SD slot rocks.
1. A Mac OS X solid state boot drive ready to pop in whenever you want.
2. Works with Bootcamp. Windows can sit on a card without stealing from your HD.
I’ve never used my Express Card slot and not from a lack of trying or wanting to. But there are hardly and out there that do anything of interest to me. I understand eSATA is nice and some people have made that investment… but most SD cards I’ve see add Firewire (check) or SD/media card readers (check). I’m excited.
Nothing special here,
you can do similar things with various forms of media and this is hardly anything new.
I’m glad your excited and it works for you. I am personally frustrated
Hell, they are probably even going to hook the sdcard reader up through usb…. :’(
if you want a real solid state boot drive: http://www.wintecind.com/FileMate/index_solidgo.htm
I think what a lot of people are missing is that the ExpressCard port took up a lot more space than the SD slot does. And Apple won’t be letting this void go to waste. Losing the ExpressCard will almost certainly have allowed Apple to increase the size of the battery, something which ALL users benefit from, whereas the ExpressCard probably only benefited ~1% of users. It’s unfortunate for those who used the slot, but Apple has never been in the business of keeping features around for a tiny subset of users.
This is a good point I did not think about while I was sitting here being irritated…
Absolute deal-breaker. The first thing I did after I saw this on the text streams is to fire up a MBP feedback to Apple expressing huge disappointment.
I use 3G card when out of home and use eSATA expansion card when at home. Just look at what they call “pro” machine – apart from two measly USB ports and 1 FW, there’s not a single expansion slot. That’s not a pro machine, that’s consumer machine.
17″ is not an option, that’s simply too huge to be used as portable machine.
Even with USB and FW800, that’s way too slow (eSATA is 2-4x faster) for the kind of stuff I move around. Like, I guess most audio/video/photo pros move around. It’s a ridiculous decision – MBP allows 500GB (could enter TBs with replacements) disks, 8GB of memory – it invites to use MBP as powerful studio machine. And then when you need to move it of the machine, you’re forced to wait while USB is chugging along.
The way things stand, I’m gonna stick with my two gens old MBP 15″. Immensely stupid of them. They should have kept the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, instead of making them all consumer MacBook stuff.
I agree completely and feel much the same
Ditto for me as well. It’s a deal-breaker. Apple is really just charging more for the MacBook series by calling it “Pro”. What’s “Pro” about it?? What “Pro” that you know uses an SD card? Pro’s need the speed and options on a laptop, and are willing to pay for it. For those that never needed the ExpressCard slot – that would make you a MacBook user and you got to save some money. All that has happened now is that the consumer user base is forced to pay “Pro” prices (albiet with a small price drop), and the pro user group is forced to use a consumer machine. No one wins.
On another point, Apple is saying that only 10% of MacBook PRO users used the ExpressCard slot?? WHY buy a MacBook Pro then? I think they are lumping both MacBook AND MacBook Pro users together and saying 10% used the slot so they could justify the consolidation of the two machines (saving them money). They then spin the whole “boot from an SD card” thing that apparently impressed many users – even though they could easily do that with an SD express card.
Very frustrating.
In my ExpressCard slot I use: esata, G3, CF card reader, and for a second FW 800 (for when I am dogin the built in FW buss). I was going to upgrade to get the 8GB internal RAM on the new unibody but with no ExpressCard slot…. I am now shopping for a Dell or Lenovo.
Unibody first gen. 2.8 GHz 4 GB RAM
20 plus year mac user
Doug B.
Pro Photographer
This is a big mistake on Apple’s part in my opinion. The decision has clearly been made to reduce production costs without affecting 90 percent of MBP buyers. However, this is supposed to be a “Pro” machine and surely, as such, it should cater for those 10 percent of people who do require a machine that allows a degree of expansion.
As an audio professional, I consider myself a Pro user and, having waited a few months to upgrade my laptop to benefit from the “upgraded” models, I am now seriously considering buying an end-of-line model from the previous generation. While I must admit that I have never used an ExpressCard slot on any previous machine, the lack of any expansion possibilities whatsoever on the newer machines really puts me off.
It took Apple years and countless protests by users to realize that macbook pro buyers may prefer the 13″ format, cause they want to travel light but need the full features of the pro version. Now that they finally honnor that they faill to recognize that these users need the express card slot for 3G connections. I could not care less about a SD slot. What would I need it for if I have usb/firewire connectivety to a sd-based device such as a camera or mp3? A slot for a SIM card and built in mobile phone would at least have made some sense. But why not let me decide what expansion function I want to use? The 17″ inch is a bulky waste of space. I guess my next laptop will no longer be a mac.
If Apple discarded the express card slot to save money, well, that’s a missed opportunity for them. They could have instead bring forth the expresscard format en masse (since practically every macbook pro user up to this point has a ‘useless’ expresscard slot. Hey I’ve got news for you Apple. why not tap into the Expresscard format with your already millions of macbook pro users and come out with your own set of expresscard format peripherals. we’ve already got modems, readers, SATA, tv tuners, audio and video interfaces etc. from thrid parties so imagine nice Apple multi-card readers which sit flush with the new and old MBP, and maybe something sweet such as the frontrow remote which sits in the expresscard slot.Adding the expresscard slot only to disband it after 2.5 years is a missed opportunity indeed. And APple is known to drive innovation to the standards. Dont give it the treatment like you’ve done with the firewire port. I was hoping Apple would innovate but an SD card reader is really a step backwards.
I have an 15″ MBP which I use for pretty much everything – including on-the-road video editing and live video mixing.
I use the ExpressCard for eSATA support and to add additional Firewire 400 ports.
Quite disappointing to see the Express Card eliminated. I rely on it for my Verizon EVDO card. Using a USB device means I pretty much have to be stationary and can’t leave it in the computer. I was ready to buy a new unit MBP myself, but I’ll stick with my two gen old 15″ MBP for now as well. I’m worried the 17″ is just a little to big to be portable. If they’d stick EVDO or HSDPA into the laptop, I wouldn’t care as much. Bummer.
17″ is too big to be portable in my opinon, your in the same situation I am
The current Sony Pro video cameras, EX1 and EX3 shoot on SXS cards that need a ExpressCard/34 slot for downloading the data. Carrying a 17inch MacBook Pro into the field is a bad option – all of us have been waiting for a smaller MacBook Pro. But now, with the option gone on both the 15 and the newly introduced 13 inch, there is going to be a great demand for “legacy” 15 inch MacBook Pro’s. A damn shame.
Apple blew it big time. It was bad enough eliminating FW 400. But to eliminate all possibilities of E sata us is just down right stupid. I work in video/film and the 17″ is a pain in the ass to use on the field. The 15″ is pretty much standard especially for downloading, tranferring and transcoding data. One FW 800 and one USB pretty much makes it useless in my line of work.
Unbelievable, the Old Macbooks where as good as this in terms of connectivity. No longer deserving of the “pro” moniker.
Well, I’ve been endorsing Apple’s Logic Pro for the last 6 months and I have to use the ExpressCard/34 expansion slot for my audio interface as I do alot of multitrack recording. The 17″ is to big and a pain to carry around. I would like to see some options from Apple.I am currently using a first generation Macbook pro which is on its last legs.
Pro means Pro
Pro Expansion please NOT consumer sing card reader (easy to plug in a USB or firewire card reader)
Pro’s using expansion slot run SATA Raids and/or pro interfaces off them.
Many want the portability of a 13 or 15″ and plug into a 24″ on a desk
Naybe they should call this MacBook Consumer Al. NOT MacBook Pro?
How about Apple builds in Native eSATA out & a Pro expansion slot for interfaces
3G built in would be cool too!
Thank you for saying this!
You are a legend ASG!
Right On!
( though you do suck at typing :P)
Thank God Apple left the ExpressCard in the 17″ model. I have a new unibody 17″ MBP so it doesn’t affect me. Anyone looking to get a mac portable below $2500 and need this port wow unto you. I know why Apple made to move… due to the new battery. But it’s kind of a fascist move.
I actually am looking for a new mac laptop and was initially excited about these new macbook pro’s. However, i’m really disappointed at the lack of the express slot on the 15″ macbook pro. I don’t know what apple is thinking. I’m a pro user, use Panasonic P2 cards regularly, want eSata support. I mean, really, who is this laptop for?
As a graphic designer and DSLR amateur photographer, I’m often taking photos in the field. With a 4 or 8GB compactflash card and USB only, you’re looking at tens of minutes for a full card transfer, vs. a few minutes with a PCI-enabled HD Controller ExpressCard reader. I’ve experienced a five-fold decrease in transfer time and less stuff to lug around.
A shame that Apple has removed expansion from the *professional* line of portables, preventing the very people that use, back and evangelize their products from using said products *for their needs*. Road warriors? Audio & Video professionals? Photographers? These people, featured on Apple’s Pro website no less, now have less options available to them, and have to deal with less capability in their workflow. I’d gladly sacrifice 100g of battery (and its associated battery life) for a more expandable portable machine.
(And to those that are amazed at Windows on a SD card, this can be done with a USB key or CompactFlash card. Nothing special here.)
I can definitely attest that working in coach is difficult enough with a 15″ MacBook Pro; upgrading to a 17″ to retain the ExpressCard slot really isn’t an option for the space conscious, unless Apple’s willing to pay for a 1st Class upgrade on all of my flights!
With the comments a lot of other people here have been making about the change, I would guess most of them are more what I would consider casual/consumer and less “professional”
The decision to remove the ExpressCard from the 15″ is an example of breathtaking misunderstanding of the market. For actual professionals USB in audio production is absolutely in no way a replacement for ExpressCards. To even say so indicates how far Apple has fallen from the tree of creativity that made them the clear choice for portable audio production. An SD card is fine for a consumer toy but it has no place in a professional machine. Apple has really lost credibility with pro users on this move. It’s just breathtakingly bad decisionmaking.
They aren’t building the pros for the pros anymore….they are marketing the pro laptop to the general public….way to go Apple….ignore the pros that have stayed with you from day one…
Pro Photographers don’t use SD cards
Pros need the flexibility of the expansion slot
Pros need matte screens
Pros need a computer company that won’t forsake the pros that was always the core users over the years
Apple is ridiculous. As a filmmaker, pro digital video cameras are all moving towards SSD to store their footage. A very popular camera, Sony EX1/3, utilizes the SxS cards which are basically SSD in a Express34 card. This makes it so easy to transfer footage–you just pop it into the drive!
Not to mention breakout boxes, such as the Matrox MXO2 utilizes that spot.
For all of you who say, why don’t you just go get the 17inch? Removable Battery!!
If I am at a shoot off the grid, I need to transfer footage from the camera to laptop, without a removable battery the laptop is useless.
Absolutely, completely in 100% agreement with you Adam. I shoot with the EX1, and use the MXO2. Not to mention that Apples claimed “Up to 8 hrs. of wireless connectivity” battery life, translates to video editors as “About an hour and a half of importing/editing/encoding/burning”.
I share your rage.
Im the exact same boat guys.
Rediculous!!
As an on-the-road video editor myself, I’m noticing that most of the outrage is coming from those in the video field. And why shouldn’t we be angry? Apple has invested heavily if Final Cut Studio, paving the way for amazing creativity and production. And that workflow depends heavily on that ExpressCard slot.
15″ happens to be the most ideal size to fit in a bag that isn’t just a laptop bag. (Any other stealth reporter bag users out there?) Guys like me have a lot of gear to haul around, and are not interested in 2 more inches of screen real-estate for the hassle of getting yet another bag to carry it around in.
It personally saddens me, being one of the 10% that depends on the ExpressCard slot, to be considered not worth keeping the ExpressCard alive for. Yes, yes, I know, just get the 17 incher and stop whining. Well, my assistant has a 17″ and despite Charles Moore’s experience (not being a video guy) the difference between our setups is remarkably different, his being the clunkier. As for me, I’m hanging on to my 15″ MacBook Pro for as long as I possibly can. Sorry Apple, you won’t have me running to upgrade any time soon.
I’m distressed. I’m seasoned video producer/director/writer who’ve finally heeded my colleagues constant push to take on more of the video editing side of the business. All set to invest in my first MacBook Pro – loaded with the new Final Cut Pro 7 software and the appropriate accessories, neatly packed in a 15 inch wide body – I landed here instead, in search of a greater understanding of the SD slot vs the ExpressCard. I’m much clearer on that, thanks for the many useful posts on this site; but in the same breath, I’m bemused to discover that Apple has clearly lost its sense of creativity and innovativeness!
Isn’t that what makes the bitten Apple stands out so much? “It’s a Mac you know, I dddddreamed of having one.”
I have no problem with Apple’s obvious strategic move to making its huge consumer segment(s)feel that they are on par with the pros. But on the hand, why would Apple choose to disregard the loyal 10% pro segment that has built its business?
Forget about rewards for customer loyalty. I believe most of us in the film/video industry would willingly pay more to have the new 15 inch model specially configured and dressed to suit our needs, within reason. Is Apple even in tune with how this industry has changed and continues to evolve?
Much like the core values that Apple is perceived to emanate, creativity and innovation is the driving force of the film/video, media and related sectors. But pros of our ilk no longer, all need to be operating from, or occupying a small confined phsical base to do our thing! Team members are now constantly on the go, often miles apart and at different points of the globe,collaborating on one or several projects simultaneously. We care more about traveling lightly and still getting the job done efficiently, wherever we are. Plus, it’s still a team effort for the most part – editors/writers/videographers/sound engineers/clients/talents/other media personnel – and with the current dynamics of the industry there’s a greater chance of more team members having their own “portables”, so we can stay intouch, make adjustments on the go and be updated on projects. Clearly, the the Macbook Pro fintteen-incher is a better option here.
And let’s face it, the 17 inch Macbook Pro still has its place in some professional settings.
I challenge Apple to wake up to the reality and smell the coffee as some would say!
I doubt very much that the competition is fully asleep. I imagine they’re ddddreaming of ways to fill the gap left by by Apple.
But in the meantime, what do I do? I,m ready to move to the next level, where I don’t have to sit in the same room with my editor or graphic artist, or even my narrator or sound engineer colleague in order create wonders on the screen.
Any advice?
As a semi-pro videographer and photographer (serious hobbyist and assistant for some professional collaboration projects) the recent removal of the express card slot causes me concern and I am possibly going to get a discounted 15″ MBP with discreet graphics card and EC slot, mainly because I want the possibility of expansion when new protocols arrive in a couple of years. ON the other hand, for my CF cards, I prefer FW800 anyway, since I can use a single reader with multiple desktops AND when on the road with a laptop. Also, I am aware that Compact Flash is going the way of the DODO at some point and SD is becoming the ubiquitous standard for the near future. Canon’s top DSLRs now use both CF and SD and I expect within 5 years, CF will be gone since SD is advancing more rapidly than CF it appears. Still, EC give flexibility that a fixed reader does not. A Pro-laptop should have an expansion slot, just like Pro desktops have several. iMacs and MacBooks (and may Mini’s) could benefit from the SD card slot. Give the pros the freedom they need.
I am a filmmaker, who travels with my very old 15inch MBP alot. I need a new one. But now im really torn…
I like the good old fashioned matte screen and my two firewire ports, even though one is still 400. I nearly upgraded in october to the 15inch with the express card… very appealing, though annoyed about the gloss screen after years of matte and less firewire.
Which do i buy if i use final cut and other video programmes? i want to travel, and multi task on this machine? Is their a cheap away around not having the express card slot. i can get used to the glossy maybe. Why cant apple give us “pros” options instead of selling with silly gimmicks for the masses?
As a long time pro in the television production business, I agree with all the pros above.
I am just now ready to do some editing in the field with footage we have been capturing to an eSata array on the mac tower over the last few months. I starting to look at Mac laptops (to use with the eSata array). Now I have a wrench thrown into my planning.
I will wait a short time to see if an aftermarket adapter comes out (fingers crossed), and if not, plan to purchase a “used” Mac Book Pro that does have the Express34 slot – so that I can do my job. I vote with my wallet. I am hoping that Apple hasn’t really blown it.
Blunder !!!!
I need express card slot ! firewire/ esata ..
for SD, use a express/SD adapter, works fine.
no I don’t want to carry a 17″,
and I do want higher rez than 1400×900 on a 15″
at least an 1680×1050, even take an 1920×1200.
and option to replace superdrive with disk, since SSD is nice,
but not enough space.
This is a massive mistake, and shows Apple turning its shoulder to the exact group that has been a large vocal cheerleader. Apple dominates the TV/Film production space. Production meetings 10 to 1 are using Mac laptops vs PC’s. While not all of those will use the ExpressCard slot, it’s mandatory (read: not an option) to not have the faster options for the few that need it. And those that need it are often confined (in either space, budget or simply preference) to the 15″ or smaller size. To stay in the Mac world, users will certainly seek out second-hand machines in droves.
I suspect (or perhaps strongly wish) that Apple will correct itself in the next models, after seeing the error of its ways. It’s happened before, and it MUST happen again, or face loosing a large part of of the professional world.
I’ll be getting a previous generation MBP thanks. I run an Apogee Symphony mobile with the express 34 slot for multitrack recording with Logic Pro. Firewire is not good or fast enough in a recording studio. Too much latency. Thanks a ton Apple.
I use my MBP 15 to transfer footage from my Sony EX-1 – that is until a large coffee landed on it. Was about to buy the new MBP – then realized I really don’t want it. Bummer – express 34 slot is how it should be – That’s why it is called a “pro” for professional users.
I think Apple will come to regret this one.
My wife uses a 15″ MBP and I have a 17″ MBP. We both rely entirely on our Verizon V740 Express Cards for on the road access. I have no problem with my 17″ MBP, but it is just too large for her to easily tote around.
Also of note… every digital camera I have every used allows you to plug it directly into your computer to copy photos. I seldom remove the SD card to download photos, even when they are coming from my Nikon D200.
So… who exactly does this switch to SD card help? Sure as hell doesn’t help me! I just hope Apple will offer some type of an internal device I can use to replace the now missing Express Slot?
A lot of pro video users will be sad just now.
Biggest issue is SXS cards and another one big, big issue is Matrox MXO2 which was developed specially for Final Cut Pro…
And Final cut Pro is yours software, Hey Apple – do you now?
It is still same story for a years. Many pro’s are still on the road and they need small light laptop with integrated I/Os. I remember many pro-foto guys they switched back to 12 inch PC laptops, because Apple didn’t offer any good piece of hardware.
Now there is a new pro target, apple wants to lost. Video guys. Hey editors! Do you want an express card? Spent a couple more hundred bucks more and buy 17 inch pro…, if you want edit.
Almost every PC laptop from between 600 and 1000$ has a eSATA port, express card and 7 in one card reader included, with optional choice of better resolution….
This decision means professional musicians wanting low latency audio in an Apple laptop have only one option. Firewire doesn’t cut it. Industry standard interfaces such as the RME multiface need the express card slot. Why not have SD AND express card? Plenty of windows machines seem to be able to provide this.
Very shocking news and a big blunder on the part of Apple. As it has been stated, cameras and other devices that use SD can be connected via the USB port, all that requires is having the appropriate cable handy. As photographer who shoots tethered to my mac book pro, I use my EC slot to connect to esata drives to download and back up my images . . . with the new crop of Mac Book Pro, I do not have the option of just having the appropriate interface cable handy.
There’s no way to do it . . and I don’t want to lug around the 17 inch model.
it should be called the MacBook SemiPro or The MacBook Prosumer . . . as it has most certainly lost it’s “Pro” Status in my book.
yup. no expresscard bad.
mirror on the display bad.
non-removable battery bad.
funny how everybody says how the unibody’s exterior shell
is sturdy, solid and tough……..whats the point if one big DROP
can potentially shATTeR the mirror inside?
…applecare wont cover that= byebye $$
its not fiber glass. its GLASS.
no point for a tough unibody shell
if u have to be gentle with it all the time.
no?
I think the biggest issue is that they traded a slot that has MANY uses (including SD if you choose) for one that more people recognize. I want options in a “pro” level machine, but I actually use the express card slot all the time.
My prediction is that apple is going to start delivering software on SD card and lose the optical drive next. That’s fine with me, I’d take the express card slot back in exchange for DVD drive.
Most people posting replies here supporting this move to SD only have no concept of the power and versatility the express card slot offers. I have a Verizon Air Card for wireless access, a Parallel port converter for updating printer firmware, a 21-in-1 multi card reader, and an eSata converter for my external drives.
I have used USB for wireless access and it’s worlds slower. I have not found a reliable alternative for the parallel port converter. Not all high end printers have a USB connector for firmware updates. My card reader supports SD as well as 21 other formats like the CF cards my digital SLR camera uses. I have used USB connected external hard drives, and they are the reason I bought the eSata converter. I can transfer hundreds of GB’s of data with my eSata Express Card in the time an external USB drive moves only a few GB’s.
With the loss of the Express Card Slot on the 15″ MacBook Pro, I will be forced to spend hundreds more for a bigger, heavier laptop. I believe Apple has screwed the pooch with this decision.
I think that not having express slots in the 15″ the calling it a Mac Book “Pro”
is an oxymoron. It’s not a “Pro” unless it has features that Pros use.
An SD card? WTF.
Should be called a “Mac Book Pleb”.
There’s no way I want to carry a big ole’ 17inch pizza box around with me!
Let’s hope Apple put their brains back in for the next release!
Macbook Pleb… Now even better for professional masturbators.
hey apple,
ich muss sagen, dass es jetzt kein mac book pro computer gibt, den ich mir kaufen würde, da ich auf einen ExpressCard Slot angewiesen bin !!!
ich bin musiker und arbeite mit der uad solo laptop.
der 17″ ist für meine anwendungen viel zu groß! 13″ und 15″ sind wirklich gute formate!
somit bin ich die 10% … :(
wenn ihr es vertreten könnt auf 10% der macbook-pro anwender zu verzichten, ist es eine sehr traurige entwicklung!!!!
Apple has blundered before- with the elimination of the larger slot on the old MacbookPro G4- the one I could put my compact flash card into for a fast download. I suppose the majority of non professionals will be happy with the SD slot for the same reason- but most “Pro” cameras still use CF cards.
Now, I’ve gotten used to using a card reader for stills -but the express card works great for video from my Sony XDCAM EX.
I can be shooting on one card while downloading another- something that will be impossible if I have to use the camera as a card reader.
I refuse to buy a 17″ laptop. My lap’s not that big.
I was considering going in the other direction-buying a 13″ Book Pro next time- now I’ll have to upgrade to a PC-or take really good care of my current MacBookPro. Apple has let me and a lot of other professionals down.
i just bought a $1599 refurb’d 15″ MBP. The March ’09 version, 2.66GHz, 4GB RAM, 512MB graphics mem. It was the older gen, so it doesn’t have the newer battery, but it does have the ExpressCard slot.
I shoot Canon 50D, using CF cards. What would be fastest for reading these CF cards, Firewire 800 or ExpressCard slot?
In terms of the hardware ExpressCard is faster. Firewire 800 runs at 800Mb/s whereas ExpressCard runs at 2500Mb/s.
That said, none of that is going to matter when it comes to CF as the cards themselves run significantly slower. CF cards run at multiples of 150Kb/s and even the fastest listed on Wikipedia tops out at 90Mb/s (a 600x card).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CompactFlash
In your case, you should need to ask yourself which port you want to tie up for the CF card and how much the reader costs.
well… it’s the last step to finally turn the MacBookPro in the perfect teenage toy. I see in this forum that college and high school students are really happy because they can transfer their girlfriend’s photographs much easier now Apple’s got rid of that funny hole … what the hell was that expresswhatever for- anyway!
seriously… it’s really pathethic. I am keeping my Santa Rosa MBP and I pray to god that it lasts a couple years more. New MBPs were a pee over professionals’ heads just for the matte screen and firewire removal but this SDexpresscard tradeoff is a poo over us!!!! And it’s just fun how people here talks about booting the OS over the SD card…. guys, it’s USB inside my god! (and by the way I suspect then all USB ports are shared) … What is going on?
Yep, the USB ports are all shared. They even state that the current is max 1/2 A TOTAL, not per port. Really sucks that you can run AT MAX one USB 2.5″ HDD without an external WALL wart. I’m mobile, not ON A WALL!
But an ExpressCard slot could have solved that IF THEY HADN’T REMOVED IT!
I bought a notebook not realizing this blunder. I tossed it in the trash.
This is a blunder. I’m a professional photographer and all my cameras use compact flash cards. So the SD slot would be useless for me.
The expresscard slot is something I’m thinking of using for installing an SSD. I couldn’t do that on the new laptop, so I’ll drive the old one into the ground.
Apple gave me a reason *not* to upgrade. I don’t think thats wise.
This seems like a shift to serving the amateur market rather than the pro market. Certainly a bad move for professional photographers. Ideally I’d like a 13″ with the pro features, that seems impossible. Its sad to see the 15″ going consumer as well. The 17″ is too heavy. I hate to say this, but if things keep moving in this direction I may be forced to hack Mac os onto a windows laptop when I need to upgrade.
On my current Intel Mac Book Pro I use my express card slot daily. I use it with media cards of all sizes and e-Sata hard drives. I was going to buy a new 15 inch mac book pro but I am going to hold off to see if it comes back into production. An SD card reader will always be an SD card reader. An express card slot can be a SD card reader and much, much more.
Blunder.
I now have a reason NOT to upgrade to a new MBP. I need the ExpressCard slot to offload video footage from an SxS card. Sure, I could get a 17″ MBP but portability is critical for creating media on the road so I need a 15″ or smaller… with an ExpressCard slot!
Hey guys I was thinking of getting a mbp 15″ 2.8 ghz, 500gb, 7200 rpm laptop, to start getting heavy into music production, use their logic studio I believe it’s called. Since I know pretty much nothing about comps or even professional music editing (I have an older Roland workstation, and I haven’t really gotton serious about it until now) will the lack of an ec port stop me later on down the road, when I become more experienced?
yes… for sure.
They should’ve made it a purchasable option. Besides, it’s about time that they start including an eSATA connector, in addition to FireWire.
Most serious cameras use CompactFlash, and professional photographers use fast FireWire card readers anyway.
My vote is to make this configurable at the time of the purchase. I’d choose the one with eSATA without hesitation.
Real pro’s use 17″! only posers would complain about their screen being too big when they are working in video. Apple has always made their 17″ model way more robust than the 15″ because real pro’s used 17′s. This last edition that gave expansion slots to 15′s taught them a lesson. People will always buy the cheapest solution possible. Apple has simply made your choice easier. 17″ or go home. most of you will go with 17″ because you will not want to take the time to deal with windows environment.
As a graphic designer, I’ve always felt that 15″ is too small. I inherited a 15″ powerbook G4, and i was never able to get work done, it sat next to the couch and became a web surfing computer and I reverted back to my desktop Tower for real work. That powerbook finally broke last week and I bought an early 2009 17′ MBP. I’ve died and gone to heaven.
Really what are you people complaining about, a 17″ is only a slightly bigger foot print (less than an inch all sides) and an extra pound of weight. If you are a power user, then most likely you have an external mouse, so you need more space than a 15″ will give you anyways. I don’t know of many designers and A/V people who work out of their lap.
what if your a pro & not working in video? xD
I just ordered one of the last remaining $1599 refurb’d 15″ MBpro, 2.66GHz, 4GB RAM, 512MB graphic mem. I said “one of the last remaining” because yesterday I wanted to order the $1699 2.8 GHz, but today it was out of stock.
I see in the picture that has the EC slot and it doesn’t say that has the internal non-removable battery nor the useless SD slot, so I guess that means is the March model that has the EC card slot, although curiously enough in the specifications doesn’t said so… look, no mention to the EC card
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC026LL/A?mco=MTA4MzQ4MTA
I cross fingers it has it, since I work in video and need to attach the P2 card reader.
I am not a pro but I wanted to buy a new 15″ I use my ATT card in the slot to connect to the internet when I am traveling. If I upgrade is there any way to connect that works as well as my express card?
of course you can use a 3G modem over USB if you have an USB port, but the computer USB bus will be quite overloaded and of course you are left with only one usb …
Besides you have to make sure that the total energy consumption of the USB ports don’t exceed 0.5A or you would need an external AC adaptor.
Does a 3G modem with USB work as well as an express card? Mac does not have an express card on the 15 ” so I know this is the alternative BUT is it a good one?
“work as well”….. its a hard question but the answer is …. probably not. Mind the ExpressCard slot is like a PCI slot, that is, connects the modem to the motherboard with a high speed bus, that is independent from the USB or FireWire lanes. To give a rough example, the PCI bus is like a High-speed train, while the USB is like a small motorcycle, and the Firewire, although it has a similar transfer rate, it’s much snappier, because it has circuitry specialized on maintaning a constant and predictable speed, opposite to the unpredictable bursts of the USB.
The MacBookPro has 2 usb hubs, that is, 2 usb “highways”, each of them capable of running at around 480 megaBITS/s, that is, 60 megaBytes/s. The real transfer rate goes down to around 45MB/s, as there is some overhead in the transmission. Compare this with the unshared Full-Duplex (two lanes) of 2.5 gigaBits of the ExpressCard slot, that is, 312,5 MBytes/s.
To worsen things, this transfer rate is SHARED, because on each USB port there’s a lot of fancies connected: ISight, Card Reader, Multitouch Trackpad. So the MacBookPro’s USB’s are already busy, and prone to receive intererference from the multiple stuff attached internally on each USB, specially if you attach demanding realtime hardware like Sound Cards.
To worsen things even more, the power rating of the USB’s in MBP is only around 1.2A (see previous post from Tom on this very subject), so if you connect the 3G modem and an (demanding) external hard disk, chances are you have to plug the external HD for the power is not enough to feed both things.
Said this, your 3G modem will probably work OK, but you are quite close to the edge.
I’d recommend you to attach only the USB modem, and attach external hard disks, if any, in the Firewire port. AND too, get information on how internal connections are done in your MBP, ie, one port will have the SD card reader attached, while other will have the iSight and the Trackpad. Always connect demanding stuff on the LESS shared port. For example, if you are using the SD card, avoid plugging a hard disk or the 3G modem in that USB. In the old MacBookPro (santarosa) for example, the right usb is shared with the isight and trackpad, while the left one thankfully is free. There are many users that complain about certain peripherals only working properly if attached to the left one. I don’t know how is it done on the unibodies.
hope this helps.
For me is a big blunder:
As musician and composer I use extensively the express card slot of my 15,4″ macbook pro (the first unibody model); I don´t like his glossy screen (I prefer the mate screen of my previous Macbook pro), but the loss of the express card slot is too much for me: I use it for extra firewire ports or e-SATA, so I have my firewire audio interfaces in a different bus than my Hard disks. for a pro machine this is not acceptable, and the 17″ model for me is not very portable.
Regards.
Blunder with a capitol B.
What’s more it sends out a genuinely alarming message to Apple’s Pro customers that they are second rate citizens compared to the high volume ranks of i-pod boppers.
It isn’t acceptable to have not one single genuinely Pro-level laptop in a 15 inch size.
Firstly let me answer that chap that said ‘pros use 17 inches’. That’s nonsense. Most true pros use Mac Pros at home anyway and need something portable for the road. 17 inch machines are a pain in the butt for travel. The clearance required to open the 17 inch screen means that you cannot use it in many, many train/plane situations.
The express card slot was a wondrous thing. You could use it for compact flash, e-SATA, FW800, FW400 etc… yes… probably even SD – not that I’ve ever bothered looking since it isn’t a pro card format and the USB slot was perfectly good enough for any SD needs I had.
Which is another thing… If you were going to limit a MacBook Pro to a single format, and you had genuine aspirations of serving your pro-community, wouldn’t you at least use a Pro card format rather than one used in ‘point and shoot’ snappy cameras and mobile phones?! To have switched the slot from Express Card to Compact Flash would have been a bad move but at least useful to a few pro photographers.
Many, many pros need the substained transfer speeds of e-SATA. They also need to be able to copy FROM an external source TO an external source. With the old model one could do that using the combination of express card slot and FW800. Now you can go fast (and only fairly fast, not very fast) in one direction only using the FW800. And yes, they do need to do such transfers on the road not just at their office with their MacPro!
If ‘no one realised what the express card slot was for’ as Apple claim, then how about a little education. They have Apple Stores and a website, no? And a paper flier explaining the wonders of the express card slot in an MBP box wouldn’t have cost too much.
Apple do seem prepared to listen on occasion – like the reinstatement of the 15 inch anti-glare screen option. Which was a great move. Now if there were an MBP 15inch anti-glare with an express card slot I would have bought one of those last week instead of deciding to pimp up my current machine and sit it out. Many, many of my film/video colleagues are doing the same. Waiting, hoping that Apple will see sense.
Or are Apple holding fire until USB3 or some new light pulse connection arrives, and is this just some sort of hiatus? At least that would be an honourable reason rather than an abandonment of the pro-market. But they should either say so or provide express card in the meantime or risk damaging their brand in professional arenas.
Brand management is the thing here. Currently in order to own the best operating system on the planet you have to buy in to limited hardware options. And so long as these meet your needs then everyone is happy. This is one instance where the pro-market has lost out and it has no other hardware vendor to turn to.
If Apple decide to reposition itself to the mass market and abandon it’s pro customers I believe it would be to the detriment of the company brand in the longterm.
I – and many of my colleagues – hope this situation is rectified with the next round of MBP updates.
yup agreed with most of your comments. I also hope they rectify, they should in fact, in the pro world people is not that concerned about alluminium or unibody. and some time ago macbooks did make a difference… just not now. they are living because of good press, but people is increasingly getting tired of such stupid decisions.
Blunder- What was Apple thinking? If they want the SD card Slot, they should have put it on the Macbook consumer line. With the Express 34 slot you have a variety of options which “Pros” need and use. and if it is not being used today, you have the option to use it tomorrow. I just can’t believe this! It shows the ignorance of “Todd Benjamin” and Apple needs to remove him. All they have to say is get a 17″MacbookPro, I lugged around a 17″ and could not stand it. It is too big to take everywhere. Try using a 17″ on a plane Mr. Benjamin. Most “Pro” photographers use CF cards, and Most Pro’s working with with use P2, SxS, CF, or a firewire deck, how can you hook up a firewire deck and a external HD to capture your media now Mr. Benjamin? 17″ right? Not if I’m paying !
Apple, you left the pros out of the picture here, and just a few months ago without have the Antiglare Screen. You did the right thing and brought it back, do the same with the Express34 slot.
I am really needing expresscard 34 for running external hardware with an PCI expansion chassis. – It is a HUGE step backward losing that expansion availability. whoever wants a SD cardreader can buy one with USB connectivity and plug it to any laptop. – If you need ec34 support on a laptop, which doesn’t offer it, this truly makes 15″ MBP totally useless for me.
And i really don’t like the idea of having a 17″ super big laptop, especially as 15″ offers everything i need.
I can only hope that the new MBP will offer ec34 again. – The other option of course is, purchasing a “normal” laptop that offers ec34 and run OSX on it.
But really, you guys at Apple, please keep MacBook PRO a PRO macbook, and not macbook! – if i spend half more money on an apple, i can at least ask for an ec34 slot, not ???
Boy do I feel silly. I just received my new loaded 15″ MBP and can’t use 1) My Verizon 3G card, 2) My 3 external eSATA drives, and 3) even my MOTU UltraLite audio interface, which uses only FW400 cables. I could buy an adapter cable for the audio interface, but then would have to get new enclosures just to connect the drives in FW400 mode (due to the interface). It never occurred to me that they might do this.
I will be trying to return the machine and keep using my older one, until hopefully Apple comes to their senses. The speed bump is not worth the loss of disk performance and connectivity. BTW a 17″ is too big for my requirements.
You’re kidding right? What kind of an idiot buys a computer without checking basic configuration settings?
Apple, I’m not going to get a MacBook until you give us back the Express Card slot! This is outrageous! Who cares if you say only 10% used it, WE WANT IT BACK, NOW! We don’t care of the SD card reader…it’s useless! You want to add SD card capability out of the box? Just include an SD card reader that fits into the Express Card slot. It’s worth less than $ 10.
Blunder!
Apple missed a sale today. I was shopping for a replacement for my 3 year old 17″ MacBook Pro, which uses the ExpressCard to hang 2TB of storage on the side. Its perfect except for being too big to be portable. I was shopping for a 15″ MacBook Pro, but, without the ExpressCard, it cannot replace my older machine. I’ll wait to see if Apple can correct their mistake. Otherwise, I’ll wait till my old machine is beyond repair before replacing it.
Blunder! I am using a UAD2 Solo/Laptop audio processing card on a 15-in MBP. 17-in is just too big — this means I won’t upgrade until they fix this.
The argument that an SD slot is NOT a pro option is a very valid one. They should have kept this just for regular MBs.
I’m using the same UAD card, and I’m in the same boat. It’s such a shame that Apple is making such a terrible mistake
The SD port is convenient for 90% of consumers but the Express card is an absolute necessity for 50% of pros. Mostly because of esata at the moment but also for professional audio break out boxes and professional video input. All of these items have higher data throughput than USB 2 or FW 800 can deliver. USB 3 might be able to handle the data rate but it will also eat up a good portion of the processor cycles to direct the data transfer, possibly interrupting realtime data, which is a failure in professional use.
Since there is little space on a laptop, the ports put there should enable as many uses as possible. Simply the SD card does only one thing, and it’s functionality is easily replicated by a usb or firewire port it should not have made the cut. Instead Apple should have put an express card 34 or 45 card in each laptop that has a usb and firewire port on an included card and removed the built in FW and usb ports. On the 15 have 2 express card slots and the 17 have 3.
An express card that had a break out box for home docking might show the average user the beauty of the express card. Especially if the external video and audio could be routed through it as well.
Plug in one card at home and connect to your printer, external screen, card readers, keyboards and home stereo. And still have plenty of USB and FW ports on the external box. One cable to rule them all, (evil laugh)… Oh that’s another story.
As BTO options you could get what ever express cards fit your fancy. Thats flexibility.
And for the comment that pros should buy the most expensive machine… if the 13″ had and express card and separate graphics card I would have bought that even if it were the same price as a 17″ Small size and light weight are more important for my particular application. I’ll use my Mac Pro at home thanks.
For those whom extoll the wonders of USB 3 please read up on how the CPU must direct data transfers making it poor choice of ports for realtime data streams or very large file transfers.
Blunder.
USB = Good
Firewire 800 = Better
eSata Drives and Express Card Speeds = No brainer best
Only a matter of time before we have our Express Card slot back or some other connection with real speeds. Get real apple.
ExpressCard slot and Firewire are absolute essentials. I have a 2008 MacBook Pro, 2004 white MacBook and a Dell laptop. I had the Dell before the MacBook and MacBook Pro, but I purchased the MacBook because it actually had Firewire 400. The MacBook Pro was purchased by my job. We do a lot of audio/video stuff and most of the equipment uses Firewire. I also keep my Windows virtual machines on my Iomega Firewire disk for some extra speed. That was the case until the disk was knocked off my desk and broke. Instead of going with another fragile external disk or an expensive tough disk, I purchased a 64 Gb ExpressCard SSD disk for the MacBook Pro. I still have Firewire desktop disks that I sync using Time Machine.
Everything was going well, until I spilled coffee on my MacBook and needed to replace it. Apple machines used to be a cut above the rest due to solid construction and the inclusion of pro options: full-size Firewire 400 and 800, etc. USB is not a good substitute. I would have to use both of the USB ports on the new MacBook just to provide power to most of the portable hard disks out there. I also won’t be able to chain devices to together. By cutting ports and not replacing them with anything better, Apple is really screwing the customer. I don’t like USB for things like hard disks and audio.
Cutting the ExpressCard slot is even worse! I had been waiting for the ExpressCard SSD disks to drop in price, and now that I have one, Apple goes and drops the ExpressCard slot from the 15″ MBP! ExpressCard is not even a pro feature; it should be on all Apple computers. I even have ExpressCard capability on my older Dell Inspiron.
Apple needs to put an ExpressCard slot back in the 15″ MacBook Pro.
I am now forced to buy either a used MacBook Pro or another brand of computer because there simply isn’t anything in the current Apple lineup that will satisfy my humble needs. That is very sad.
I recently had my MacBook pro stolen.
Working in IT I like how OS X has a great UI but still interacts well with other systems.
The new hardware (macbook pro 15″) is making my life more difficult:
- I loved the compatibility of the old DVI-I port
- I can no more access my external eSata drive (converter to firewire do not support sata multiplexing)
- there is no way to expand it
I’m disappointed. $200 netbooks are closed systems with USB ports and SD readers.
Todd Benjamin, I have officially put a curse on you and hope you get sacked from Apple or worse very soon.
Recently bought the 17″ MacBook Pro after 30 years of working on Windows machines. One of the many disappointments is the lack of an SD card slot, which I figured was a no-brainer so did not even check this out when I bought it. I suppose there is an expensive Apple workaround to get my pictures on the computer. Can you tell me what it is? Thanks!
An ExpressCard/34 slot is thousands of times better than an SD card slot! You have a lot more possibilities of expansion with it. If you really need an SD card slot, get a 4-in-1 card reader adapter for ExpressCard/34. It will support SD cards for sure.
An ExpressCard/34 slot is thousands of times better than an SD card slot! You have a lot more possibilities of expansion with it. If you really need an SD card slot, get a 4-in-1 card reader adapter for ExpressCard/34. It will support SD cards for sure. it is a very inexpensive solution.
Sony sxs cards don’t work in an SD slot, what about my E-sata too, . Apple FAIL. Macbook Pro, needs a Pro-summer line. Give us a computer that works in the professional environment or change the name. It makes perfect sense on the 13″ models. Digital photographers can use the 13″ and video-ographers and sound designers can use the 15″ with the express slot. Only 10% of the market uses the slot, because only 10% of “professional” users are using the laptop for that reason, and we are the ones that convince all our friends to buy Apple because it’s a great product. Whoever made that decision is an number cruncher and not a thinker.
I am one of those who has come to rely on the faster data transfers of eSata2 and feel the same way about the loss of the EC slot as many posters here. I think the point to make is that Apple have not ‘added’ anything with their new SD slot because SD was always an available option on my EC equipped 15″ MBPro 2.8Ghz …. but they have ‘subtracted’ an ability that some of their pro users relied upon. 0 + minus 1 = minus 1. The new MBPro is ‘less’ than it used to be. Ok, perhaps we only represent 10% of their customer base, but we are the 10% that give Apple its ‘good reputation’. Potential customers hear that ‘Macs’ are used by video & graphics pro’s and decide that despite their often more meager needs, that they will get what ‘the pros’ use. But if the pros and their need for P2 transfers etc cannot meet their needs on a Mac … we WILL migrate, we will HAVE TO. And gone will be Apples most effective marketing tool. Pretty silly I think.
I use my MBP early 2009 model for work, personal, and weddings. I have recently gone eSata2 from 800MB firewire. I am getting 3.7GBps transfer with time Machine backups and when I only back up my 70GB of Itunes. First Apple took away the option of replacing our own battery. Then adding insult to injury they eliminated our ability to utilize the variety of external cards like the 2 Port eSATA 3GBps ExpressCard/34 from IOGear. A $50 product that allows me to download backups at 3Gbps instead of 800Mbps.
I only just became a MAC user with the introduction of the dual processor. I still need the MS Suite for Outlook and the new MBP’s afforded me the ability to have both OS’s on one device. I am totally impressed with my new MAC and have been an Apple fan since the 2nd Gen Ipod. I have been through the last two Iphones and have Ipods of all sizes and types. However, I am very disappointed with Apple because of their decision to mess with a great product. Like several of the posters, if their stats are accurate about only 10% of us were using it, I for one have had significant influence on my Corporation’s decision to go Apple and when I pop open the 15″ MBP at a wedding and I am able to download photos from numerous guest with at least four or five different memory cards via the two different express card readers, the WOW factor is amazing. I have personally influenced over 50 individuals to convert to MBP’s due to my utilization and recommendation of the product. I am sorry to say, my customers and I are not happy with the elimination of the slot. Only one third of the pro’s in my circle use the SD memory cards. Wake up Apple. Why mess with a winning product? I am lucky to have discovered and purchase my early 09 model before the Apple engineers had chance to screw up a good thing.
As a pro user that does commercial video and audio work on my MBP, I use the express slot constantly. I have a 17″. It is indeed a hassle to lug around the globe. The inconvenience seems minor …until it isn’t. Then it’s a very real and annoying problem.
Personally, I wanted to upgrade to a newer model MBP 15″, but with out the express slot option I will not.
If you’ve never used the express slot, chances are you might be a user that doesn’t need to place high demands on your machine.
Those of us that do have high demands on the gear, need the options to do so. Take those options away and we’ll go somewhere else to get them.
Blunder.
My personal experience to add to the above:
1. I do pro audio and want the expresscard options.
2. Who knows what the future will bring? I’m currently making an old T22 Lenovo Thinkpad into a serviceable Linux-based recording studio USING THE CARDBUS to add firewire, which wasn’t around when this machine was made — and I’ve added wireless (on the cardbus) and may add USB 2. And other things.
You’re being short-sighted. Time makes the options (and lack of them) more important. Eight years from now, we could add a lightpipe to a MBP through the expresscard — if there was one. There WILL be lightpipe, or something like it (and there is already eSata and a dozen more things).
Blunder.
Change back, Apple.
I was going to buy one, this week. Now…well, the Linux Thinkpad recording studio was sort of a hobby, and sort of an experiment. You just made it more important. I really don’t like being tied to a secretive, monopolistic organization — and especially one that apparently has decided to abandon my demographic.
I see the reasoning behind getting rid of express slot on 15″, takes up a lot of space to only appease a very small percentage of users. Still have it on the 17″ macbook pro, yeah, yeah…15″ is more portable. I think a 17″ screen would be better for what most professionals use it for anyway.
Since light peak is going to come out it will be vastly faster then esata, with future revisions that can go up to 100 gbps, so Apple is two steps ahead in that regard. So light peak would probably a better options for those wanting even even express slots.
Light Peak will be great…when it’s a reality.
Right now we need the very fastest connections available.
Saying you think “a 17″ screen would be better for what most professionals use it for anyway,” shows how out of touch you are with real professionals. Some of us use portable computers for more than just looking at pretty things on the screen. The countless real professionals who have commented above have given plenty of examples of how we use our Macbook Pros with ExpressCard to earn a living. Besides, we have access to much larger external displays if size doesn’t really matter. 17″ displays are for watching movies in a hotel room, something any POS 17″ HP or Dell can do just fine.
For me, the portability and power of the 15.4″ is absolutely perfect. If anything I’d go smaller, not larger. These days carry-on space is at a premium and don’t forget about the camera equipment.
Having an integrated battery is “trick” and might help to boost sales for amateurs but I don’t see how it makes the computer more useful, especially when it comes at the expense of an actually useful feature. What do you do when the power runs out on location? Nothing, you’re finished.
Finally, I agree that in this case Apple is alienating it’s core demographic. We are the trend setters. We are the ones setting up our folks with iMacs, convincing our friends to get Macbooks, and impressing our colleagues into trying OS X. All the money (advertising) in the world can’t buy real “cool”. Just look at Microsoft.
C’mon Apple get your shit together. We thank you for bringing back the matte screen. Now figure out how to put an ExpressCard next to your “wonderful?” new battery, and do it quick before it’s time for all of us real pros to upgrade.
As said, if it was for “Pro”, it would be a Compact Flash and not a SD card reader.
The guy is just saying “the Pros have to get the 17″… the same they did when they built the 13″ without Firewire.
The seller told me : if you’re a Pro, go buy the 15, we discover that Pros did not use the 13″ Macbook…
Big lie to justify the fact that they wanted the Pro to spend more by buying the 15″ instead of the 13″ (but lots want the portability of a 13″), and now they do the same thing with Express Card, and from 15″ to 17″.
Even the 13″ should have a Express Card port.
You can do what you want with this port, while with a SD card…
I use an Apple solely because of Final Cut Studio. Now Apple decides to stir up the Pro Market, then go for Standard users and not even offer a choice on 15,4 inch Macbook Pros. So I can throw away my Expressslot video equipment now or I have to buy a 17 inch display Laptop which I don’t need at all ….
I am really starting to hate Apple more with every new Hardware they put out. They should be ashamed to kick their longtime supporting users like this.
Boycott them wherever you can and make them choke on their f*ing Ipad.
HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT…. stop the joke and drop the Pro from your Products unless you decide not to kick the Pro App Users in the teeth.
Sometimes I think apple does not always think things through, as much as I like them, I find an SD card slot like a fart in a high wind, I would much rather have an extra USB slot, you can always make use of any number of usb card readers, that run around 20 bucks, the idea that suddenly users want a card reader, does not make much sense from a user friendly point of view.
I don’t understand apple at all. Cause the Express port is not limited solution. I use ESATA, Firewire (apple chip sucks) , Audio etc. I have 4 different scenarios which i need to get high speed conn. out of it . And that’s not FW.
Think I’ll join the 10%. I’m not a “Pro User”, just that the novelty of using silly USB keys has worn off. USB keys being silly because of the not-so-solid connection & obvious growth sticking out the side which can drop off at any time, like a lepers limbs. Like some have said above, I too am confused by Apple sometimes, it seems they’re more interested in making ‘design classics’ to add to the time capsule (er, the metal box in the musem, not the app).
Pretty much everyone (Mac or PC) uses some kind of expansion, with the 34 slot you kill two birds with one stone: do away with protruding USB keys, or think of it as installing another hard-drive. Not to mention the 101 other uses for the slot. I thought compromises like this were what Apple was all about?
I think Apple should re-evaluate the usefulness of things instead of looking at stats of which things we actually use – I’m just using the 34 slot two years after buying my MBP15″.
I think the same of Jake:
“A blunder for Apple. I make extensive use of the express-34 card that’s on my MBP 15″. I normally upgrade macs every 6 months to a year, but not this time. All my external drives are SATA. Whoever talks about the express card-34 as being a ‘firefire’ has no clue. The express card lets you transfer about 5 times faster than the 800-FW. I have files that are 35 and 45GB, without express card, I’ll be living like a caveman waiting for the fire to start. According to Apple ‘only’ 10% of Mac users ever used their express card – Is that a reason to ‘spit’ on 10% of millions of customers? I am very disappointed with Apple. It has become too much of a mass market, with very small customer base. It boils down to sort of a monopoly”.
I want a 15″ MBP with Express Card 34!! Shit.
wow that sucks – i was going to buy a 15″ i7 tomorrow for video editing and planned to connect drives via eSATA. also looked forward to option of connecting more external displays.
now i have to contemplate a 17″ beast. i’d bet that’s what this is really about – forcing the 10% to spend more $$ than they would otherwise. Totally lame Apple, yet again. Amazing how i keep coming back for the abuse. i might just have to switch to Sony Vegas editing and dump these a-holes.
g*ddamn the more i read these comments i the more enraged i get. WTF am i supposed to do w/ an SD card slot anyway?? If it was at least Compact Flash i could ready my PROFESSIONAL nikon DSLR memory cards. I dont want to lug around a huge g*ddamn 17″! F@CK – was so excited to buy my shiny new 15″ tomorrow and now i’m all conflicted – F#CK YOU APPLE!
It is unfortunate that Apple is catering to the masses on a line of professional laptops… MacBook Pro laptops are what they are today because they were designed over the course of many years for creative professionals – easy to use, powerful, and versatile. Now the 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pros are just easy to use and powerful, but severely limited for many creative professionals.
Apple’s survey was flawed because it was based on the large quantity of non-pro users who buy what the pros use. Of course only 10% of the customer base for this laptop line use the Express Card slot – many of the people who buy this laptop is underusing it, but they bought it because it is the top choice of media professionals. Does this mean the Macbook Pro should be hobbled to meet the needs of the masses? Ducati doesn’t hobble some of their motorcycles because a percentage of their customer base are over 50 and might be better off on an electric tricycle.
I am a video and photography professional and I have a new MBP 15″. It is not as versatile as my last 15″ MacBook Pro and it is severely limited for some of my creative applications. I did not use the Express card sot on my last 15″ MacBook Pro, but now I need faster data rates because I edit bigger video files that need a larger data “pipe”. The Express Card slot is my solution, but instead, I have a slow SD card slot. This is very frustrating because an SD card reader costs about $20 dollars, while replacing my brand new light and highly portable 15″ laptop because it lacks one VITAL slot will cost over $2500, and the replacement will be a tank.
This gets to a larger issue – Data rates to external devices on all Macs are too slow. Apple is still fighting ridiculous data cable battles at the expense of their customers. FW800 should not be the fastest port on a laptop, or an iMac. FW is antiquated for data transfer and severely in need of an update. Today’s data rates for video editing demand eSata or USB 3.0.
Consumers and professionals alike are consuming more media than ever, storing more songs and pictures on our laptops, and using consumer apps like iTunes, iMovie and iPhoto more often… and these apps do not manage data well – they fill our system drives faster than manufacturers can make bigger laptop drives! With all this media clogging our laptops, even the non-professional would likely appreciate it if a Time Machine backup took 1 hour instead of 3 hours, or if we could move 100GB of pictures off a laptop in 10 minutes instead of forty minutes.
Apple needs to keep the Pro laptops pro, or creative professionals will move to some other brand and model… leaving the MacBook Pro to deteriorate via customer survey into a fancy netbook.
I just migrated from windows but this bobo might force me back, and I really don’t want to go back.
The 17″ MacBook Pro is to large to drag around.
An SD card slot is a mockery, a SD card reader cost less than 20$ and is fairly slow and could be connected using either USB or the expresscard. Besides a Professional camera often uses CF cards.
The SD reader if for yuppies and their phones, not professional users.
A bought a new MacBook Pro to use in a event company.
I need the ExpressCard slot for video hardware.
I’m going to en up buying hardware for almost 8 times more expensive because of the missing PCI ExpressCard slot, that is a huge difference. Then the video hardware will use to much of the bandwith to have a functional external storage solution upon that.
Bad move. Exchange a slot that can do many different things for a single and limited purpose one? I use mine for an eSata card. Try that with a SD card reader.
Tragic tragic tragic… The Macbook Pro was a great portable music production platform when coupled with a UAD-2 Solo Express card in it.
Not having the express card slot..SUCKS..any who works with pro tools and wateva else agrees..apple use to make workhorses..now daddy JOBS is trying to turn apple into a pc piece of sh….t!..when your using interfaces and external hard drives its a MUST..i repeat..its a MUST..atleast in pro tools 9 pc users can use usb 2.0 with there external hard drives..it leaves people like us who already paid for the best to pay more to use the best..APPLE..get your sh..t together
The real problem with this move is that while the 17 inch macbook pros have the slot, the sales of devices with mac OSX drivers will not justify the creation of the drivers.
I guess USB 3.0 and ethernet are supposed to take the place of a motherboard bus.
the problem is the fallacy, really.
I have to resort to backups less than 10% of the time.
That doesn’t mean that it isn’t really important.
The idea with expansion slots is not that they’re 100% necessary for a functioning computer, but that they give you options.
Somebody might own a machine for a year, and then it comes in handy. It’s true, lots of people just swear at their computer in ignorance when they’ve got their firewire or USB devices all traffic’d out. Maybe somebody might need to hook into some datacenter while running Linux via supercomputing fabric…
These are the people who really buy computers, and spend money. It’s not something one should marginalise. That’s the future, you know.
Obviously what with how uneducated people are when it comes to computing, the “bottom” or “newbie/lazy/cheapskate” side of the market has a large population, and is easy to sell to.
Agree with the posts regarding MBP surely being designed for professionals? I was recently videoing and photographing a flash mob for a mate with 7 others, all of us using Canon DSLR’s. Out of all seven there was ONE SD card – everyone else used CF, as do most higher ranged cameras. the stupidity of miniaturising cards that are already quite small enough is as astounding as Apple dropping the express card slot – what if your 10% of customers are buying all their cards & adaptors from your apple store?
And don’t get me started on display adaptors – I currently have 3 and now anticipating purchasing a 4th since they decided to change it again for no other reason than to make more money. Apple are nothing if not experts at making money!
(btw regarding Will’s “turning followers into plain old fags” comment and Joe’s follow up : while I agree its an unacceptable term in most cases, It IS possible Will was using the term to mean the english private school boy nickname for a junior forced to do the bidding of a senior boy. It does fit & is very appropriate in this instance!)
I’m just starting to look at a new external hard drive and came upon the Lacie Minimus that has USB 3.0. Now, it is 2.0 compatible but if you want to be able to use it to its capabilities then picking up the expresscard/34 usb 3.0 reader is a wise decision. Currently I have an old macbook pro still with the expresscard/34, but should I ever replace it, I would hope that they have a USB 3.0 port on the new machines so users are no longer limited to 2.0.
I own a MacBook Pro 15″, I7, 8GB Ram, 500 GB flash drive, a really expensive machine with no ExpressCard slot, so it’s not even possible to use a new technology like USB 3. This is to poor for me. I will not buy a new expensive Mac if Apple will come back to senses, but move back to windows with much cheaper hardware and more functionality.