Now I love Apple, I have everything they have out…twice. I made the switch from PCs to Macs when the Apple Cube came out and never looked back. As a video professional I don’t believe there is a better editing system for the price or the functionality.
At the WWDC conference today they blurred the line with what is a Macbook and what is a Macbook Pro because for my money the only TRUE Macbook Pro is now the 17″. Why? Because they have taken away the express card slot from the 15″ version and given it an SD card slot instead…I think this is madness. This machine is used by 99% of the video and photographic professionals that I know.
The big problem is this, and this applies to A LOT of 15″ users out there. I use my 15″ MBP to edit with Final Cut Pro. I shoot a lot using SxS cards from the EX1 and 3 which slot straight into the express card slot meaning super fast offload. I use the Express card slot for my Dual Adaptor when offloading P2 cards for super fast offload. I use my express card slot to offload compact flash video from my 5dmkII super fast. I also use my express card slot to give me extra firewire and USB ports without messy hubs. This is a GREAT part of the MacBook Pro and keeping it just for the 17″ is just plain wrong. It is forcing people to buy a more expensive computer than they want to and also a much bigger and heavier computer than they want. I have both the new Unibody 15″ and 17″ and love them to bits but REALLY miss having the extra firewire port on both of them. I don’t understand why we keep losing ports and slots. An SD card slot? I had that on my little Sony Vaio literally YEARS ago. Sure it’s nice to have, but why not have it in addition, after all, it’s very small and there is space on the side of the MBP. If not just get a simple and cheap express card to SD adaptor and you get, yes that’s right, SUPER fast offload.
Personally I have embraced tapeless workflow for my video work wholeheartedly and am a real advocate for the SxS system, i think it’s the best tapeless media in the world. The MBP is an amazing video editing machine and the 15″ is the perfect size for screen space/ weight/ size trade off. Personally this doesn’t effect me at all for the next 18 months or so as I upgraded to the new 15″ and 17″ earlier this year and cannot see my upgrading them again for sometime. But for anyone video professional, student, keen amateur out there on the fence about going to Mac from PCs, their best option has effectively disappeared.
Not just that buy many high end video capture devices use this express card port and again it’s going to force them all to just use the 17″.
I do love the idea of there being a smaller Macbook Pro. I miss the old 12″ G4 Powerbook. But again, with just an SD slot it’s of no use to me. If it had an express card slot I would be at the Apple online store now instead of writing this blog. So does a Macbook actually exist anymore? By calling everything a Pro, then nothing is Pro anymore surely 😉 But there is one really great thing about the 13″ Macbook Pro. As the unibody Macbook lost it’s firewire port I thought it became completely pointless. With the addition of firewire 800 and an SD card slot to new 13″ Macbook pro, makes it a proper new Macbook. So essentially they backtracked somewhat? Putting firewire back in the 13″. I am assuming there is going to be something totally new on the horizon that will use the name Macbook…maybe a net book sized computer? But at least they have made the old Macbook the computer it should have been with the re-badging and bringing back firewire (and the plus of having an SD slot.)
Just from reading the tweets about this SO many people are really gutted about this decision. With PC laptops having all these connections for just about everything, us Mac users are having to go all minimalist. If I wanted to be a minimalist I would buy a Macbook Air!
I love the idea of having an SD card slot. I have two stills cameras that shoot on these. I have two video cameras that shoot SDHC and I have my Zoom audio recorder that records onto SD, now it would a lovely addition. But NOT at this cost.
How do people feel about this, are Apple able to bring it back? Do you want them to bring it back? We are gaining effectively nothing that cannot be replicated by a cheap express card to SD adaptor from ebay. Yes the new MBP has awesome new features and looks amazing but the loss of Express Card slot is going to kill it for almost every video professional I know.
Please leave you thoughts below so it’s good feedback for Apple. Oh and by the way. If you are thinking of voting no, don’t forget you can simply turn that express card slot (that has ENORMOUS functionality and can be turned into so many things and used in so many ways) into a plain old simple SD card slot using this device.
I am collating this information and will send it to Apple periodically. In the meantime feel free to complain to them directly as well.
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42 comments
Not the greatest move by Apple I have to say. I’m annoyed they’ve upgraded the 17″ models so soon after they released updates earlier in the year.
Having an SD slot is great if that’s your media, and it’s probably the most common format these days for still cameras, but so many pro cameras don’t use SD it seems ridiculous to have done away with Express.
I agree Miles. I have a new 17″. Updated versions are a regular occurrence these days when buying computers and other tech so I am not hugely surprised but to take away an incredible useful port than can become just about anything for an SD card slot that, well, can take SD cards. That makes no sense. Sure add the SD card slot, that would be great and long overdue as I shoot stuff on some of my cameras and audio recorders on SD cards and it would be neat having it. But don’t add something nice but lose something very important.
it makes no sense other to appeal to the consumer more, if so then why call it a macbook pro?
Personally I really like the look of the 13″ and will probably get it as my fun travel laptop (when i am like a consumer) rest of the time I need my pro!
They’re forcing people to get hackintoshes. Personally, I think there should also be eSATA. Losing all those ports is not going to get them any more pro-customers.
Agreed, I am already struggling with losing my F400 port. They make the best computers and the best software. Please don’t forget us Pros!!
You do know that every Firewire 800 port is backwards compatible with FW400? You just need a new cable. You can mix and match FW400 and FW800 cables at will.
of course…but we still lost a port. I had a FW800 AND a FW400 on my previous MBP. Now I need to make sure I always have a cable or adaptor on me. I got caught out recently and had to go back home as I had taken that adaptor out my laptop bag and not put it in. Adaptors get lost etc…always good to have the actual port on the computer. Many of my accessories only have FW400 on them 🙁
Philip,
A videographer friend and I were discussing this issue earlier today after Apple made its announcement.
I’m pretty sure that what we’re seeing right now is the first step of a product line change. You’re right, when everything is called “pro”, nothing really is.
That is why I am pretty sure that Apple will soon be replacing the macbook (non-pro) that they just eliminated with a line of netbooks or tablets, which will be called “Macbooks” going forward.
As for the “pro” laptops losing the express slot, for the professional imaging community it surely is a loss. Given Phil Schiller’s comment that the percentage of users who used the express slot was “in the single digits,” it seems likely that Apple isn’t aware how important this slot is to the professional imaging community. And since the professional imaging community is one of Apple’s core customer bases, if you make enough noise, I’ll bet they’ll hear you.
Sincerely,
Chris
thanks for the post Chris. We need to make a lot of noise!!!
one year later and the new MBP 15 is still without esata capacities.. what a F$$$
Did they upgrade the 17″ today?
yes a few better specs…check out apple.com still has express card port thankfully!
What!… Just reading all this for the first time!… I think I’m in shock! what is the point in that? I was thinking of getting a 15″ for speedy, compact on the go editing. Don’t want to have to get the 17″. Wow… I’m dissapointed.
I personally don’t understand this, the only people who would really benefit in the video industry are HM700 users?
Thanks all your info Philip, keep up the good work!
Removing the ports does take everyone’s attention away from the fact that Apple has once again failed to include Blu-Ray compatible players and burners. Although I guess that would compete with iTunes.
ps. Are you eating these replies, Phil?
pps. I meant Blu-Ray as at least an option, not necessarily standard. Other than that, totally agree with all the comments regarding loss of expansion port.
And if they could throw in a MATTE display, I’d actually buy it!
I’ve waited for this announcement and now I’m sure I’ll get the 17″. There’s no other option for PROs.
AAAaaarrrggg!!!
Lost for words. We should turn our noise volume all the way to 11…
I’m surprised no one has mentioned it that its going to suit the owners of the new JVC HD 700 and 100’s nicely, not only do they shoot in Quicktime but now they also have a IO on the powerbook, apple not happy with sony BluRay, favor JVC??
sure, but the JVC user base is very small and is easily accommodated with that simple device i mentioned. The whole blu-ray saga is VERY frustrating too…can’t see it changing either!
I just wish my HVX200 would shoot on SD and then this would be perfect. Perhaps this will lead our Sony, Panasonic into giving us a cheaper SD option like JVC did. Meanwhile this option really is lousy for now. I hate paying $1000 for P2 and knowing what a $1000 could give me in SD makes me sick.
USB 3 will most likely be released next year and then you’ll have all the bandwidth you need. Its gonna be 10 X what USB 2 is.
prob is that’s next year. what till then?!
Henceforth I shall call them the 15″ Macbook Toy.
Media pros need the flexibility the Express 34 slot offers. Not only for SxS and P2 but also for eSATA. FW 800 isn’t fast enough for large FCP projects with lots of tracks.
Apple will revise this decision, pro users of the world don’t buy the new 15″ Mac Book Pro.
It was a stupid move by Apple. MacBook Pro ain’t Pro anymore!
I thought their next announcement would be Quad Core MBP’s. This is a strange direction.
Buy a refurbished one within the next 3 weeks and you will get one of this rare MBP with the express slot. They are the last ones till????….
cheers martin
for now. We shall not give in 😉
Weren’t people saying this when Apple got rid of the PCMCIA slot and upgraded to an SxS slot? SxS single slot readers are inexpensive now. I can’t say the same for P2 though. Maybe Apple didn’t want to pay licensing fees anymore.
I couldn’t agree with this blog posting more, Phil. I’m sure Apple has some how justified going to SD over express through financial analysis… It’s a shame that a company whose branding is about helping create unique professionals in the creative field, have been steering away for years (software wise) toward more consumer based products (not pro products, thank god FCP is still kicking) and now it looks like the hardware is following suit. The express adapter makes total sense to me, why create an SD port that limits capabilities?! Maybe they know something we don’t…
How about field SxS to HD backup devices? Essentially an inteilgent HD with media slots. No laptop required.
http://nextodi.co.uk/
usb adaptor, fine, just slow. In the field backup like you mention great. BUT that’s not a solution to the express port issue at all. Just a way around the SxS ingest issue. I want one of those, I also want the express port back!
I can live without the express slot, if and only if, they gave me an Esata port or two. I mean i almost wish they hadn’t even bothered to add the SD port.
Compact Flash would have at least been a more pro solution.
Arghh. I’d be buying the 15″ if it had either the Express slot/and or Esata.
As a video professional I know it sucks having all of these ports and slots change on us (and don’t even talk to me about the lack of viewing Blu-ray on Macs!)
However, Apple is now in business of pleasing the average consumer now, and not professionals, in order to expand their market share. It pretty much has the pro market sewn up and there’s no way they can expand that market. I think the way Apple sees it, the true video professionals will be buying the tricked out Mac Pro (It IS sweet, by the way) and the 17-inch MacBook Pro allowing the business to take the cost off their taxes.
Just my two cents.
I agree…to a point…there is little way to expand, but there is a way to reduce. I know a HUGE amount of people, wedding vidographers, news camera-edits, people who travel who want a fully functioning 15″ Macbook Pro. Why take away, what has essentially been the perfect size computer for them ever since the titanium powerbook came out (which I still have!)…I personally use the 17″ as I edit a lot on the road but I am in a minority. The majority of guys I know who shoot tapeless or are pro photographers use a 15″. Sky News has about 50 15″ Macbook Pros. They shoot P2, they use the dual-adapator. When those computers need replacing…which is ongoing, there are going to be forced into much larger computers.
The right hand giveth…the left hand taketh away.
so now I need a 17″ on plane with my 19kg of other camera gear , please keep the 15″pro, thanks phil for fighting this
Hi,
I’m a photographer and looking at converting to Mac so I can get into more video stuff and edit in FCP. Certainly a cheaper option like the 15″ MCP would be ideal.
Apple really started building up their pro customers starting from the powerbook G4, and now these are the very same people that they seem to be abandoning. Apple, these are the people who have probably switched companies to your exclusive platform, recommend the product family members and created a thriving creative industry around its software and portables. This is just insulting and makes a stronger case against PCs and CHOICE.
i’m happy to have that older mbp 15″ unibody with express slot. i don’t know what steve jobs is thinking about… hope that in next generation of mbp 15″ and maybe in mbp 13″ express slot will be, because most of us is use it day by day.