{"id":3824,"date":"2009-06-08T18:08:55","date_gmt":"2009-06-08T18:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/philipbloom.co.uk\/?p=3824"},"modified":"2009-06-09T12:45:34","modified_gmt":"2009-06-09T12:45:34","slug":"apple-why-15-mbp-loses-its-express-card-slot-and-gainsan-sd-card-slot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philipbloom.net\/blog\/apple-why-15-mbp-loses-its-express-card-slot-and-gainsan-sd-card-slot\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple, why? 15 inch MBP loses it’s express card slot and gains…an SD card slot?!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0professional\u00a0I don’t believe there is a better editing system for the price or the functionality.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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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<\/a> and you get, yes that’s right, SUPER fast offload.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0disappeared.<\/p>\n

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″.<\/p>\n

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 \ud83d\ude09 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.)<\/p>\n

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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!<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Please leave you thoughts below so it’s good feedback for Apple. \u00a0Oh 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.<\/a><\/p>\n

I am collating this information and will send it to Apple periodically. In the meantime feel free to complain to them directly as well.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Follow me on twitter @philipbloom<\/a><\/p>\n

Want to learn how to create the film look? Click below.<\/p>\n

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Hear me talk about Canon 5dmkII workflow and meet me at the first London FCPUG Supermeet, with special guest the legendary Walter Murch!!<\/p>\n

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