Now I Know

[Mike Farley]

I find my 13" MacBook Pro to be a useful, albeit expensive, accessory when I am travelling. It has a high quality screen which means I can process my images with confidence. That has never been the case with other laptops I have used as they tend to be fitted with cheap screens which are unsuitable. One thing I appreciate about my MacBook Pro is the built in SD slot, so it was a bit of a surprise when Apple decided to remove this feature in its latest iteration of the product. What is even more astonishing are its reasons. Apparently the slot is "too cumbersome" according to this report on PetaPixel. Yes, SD is not the only option and I need to carry a card reader if I use other formats, but that does not mean the SD slot is not useful. Form over function is not the way to go, Apple. Not that it is an issue, as the new MacBooks are eye wateringly expensive and look greatly overpriced for what is on offer. Even by Apple's standards.

http://petapixel.com/2016/11/02/apple-k ... umbersome/

[Rose]

Apple apparently think people should be transferring their images wirelessly now ..
How arrogant are they to assume that everyone has a fast or stable enough connection ! I've yet to get fast, let alone super fast broadband, and neither our old house in Biggin Hill nor our new one in Wells are connected to cable or fibre. Our new house needs a wifi booster just to get the signal from the old part of the house to the newer extension because of the thckness of the old walls. And what about travelling ??! Whilst the hotel here in India has free wifi, it drops in and out sporadically ... not to mention the power cuts !

[Mike Farley]

I believe that Apple is relying on a wireless connection between the laptop and camera. It's true that a lot of newer cameras have wireless capability, but not everyone will be upgrading their gear. While I have some sympathy with Apple in that removing the SD card slot removes incompatibility issues as standards evolve, the SD slot in my MacBook Pro has proved to be a useful feature. That is especially so, now that I am using my Fuji cameras, both with SD cards, for most of my shooting.

Much the same fuss occurred when Apple removed the network port. I have not missed it on my MacBook as Wi-Fi is so ubiquitous. In this instance, though, I think Apple has been premature. That said, the MacBook range has clearly gone upmarket and is aimed at those who will be using the latest equipment, be it laptop or camera, for their professional work. The iPad tablets are intended for those who would previously have used a laptop for e-mail and web browsing. Presumably Apple is not too fussed about the comparatively small enthusiast market, some of whom who will buy anyway. I also suspect that as applications such as Lightroom Mobile evolve, there is going to be less need for laptops while on the move.

[walterconquy]

Mike , that is crazy , taking the slot away. I find it so useful on my iMac. Its not so inconvenient but so useful if you go out without your card reader however small it is.
I haven't thought of using wi-fi to transfer my images from my D300s yet although how I would do it is another matter.
Wally

[Mike Farley]

Wi-Fi on cameras is a recent innovation which I suspect the D300s lacks. Maybe it's possible with an expensive accessory. A card reader would be cheaper.

[Mike Farley]

I have just noticed that in addition to the SD card reader, the HDMI port has gone walkabout in Apple's latest Macbook Pro laptops. That means the two interfaces which I use most frequently are missing. Apple has reduced the price of certain accessories, including HDMI and VGA ports, and a SD card reader, in an attempt to appease potential buyers. Given the price being asked for the new machines, I would have thought that Apple could have included them in the box.

https://www.dpreview.com/news/993003751 ... pro-buyers