It is a legitimate need. SD card are very common these days.
You have read far to much applying a negative filter. I saw this as a glowing report on the device. If the article gives people a reason to pause and thing about their need for ports it will have done its job. The reality is many people do leverage the ports in their laptops. It is all about enabling people to make informed decisions.
It is a legitimate requirement for *some* people (don't oversell it), but to criticise this machine for not having an SD card reader, or not having a port that connects to an existing SD card reader is ludicrous. But, it's worse than that, the whole review is tainted by the fact there was an issue getting pics from an SD card to the MacBook, tainted so much that the tone of the article is that the machine fails because of this and this alone. It wasn't just my personal "negative filter" obviously, just look at the number of people taking away exactly what I read, and it's not the first time, the first review of this machine on this site was the same - it was wrong then and it's still wrong now, don't make this my misinterpretation or misunderstanding or my being overly sensitive, take it as the reviewer not understanding the target market for this machine.
It's like standing there with an optical disc in front of the new MBA years ago declaring the machine to be useless (oh, I remember the years leading up to that point and hearing these same arguments over and over, and look at how the MBA turned out!). This argument also reeks of early iPhone/iPad days when all the Apple attackers were out in force complaining the devices didn't support SD cards. My how quickly we all forget the past. There are not only alternatives (in machines), but there are options to get that data today.
I have a device that requires an SD card, it's something I travel with, but nothing whatsoever I would fault the MacBook for not supporting more directly. I have a USB card reader, and that will plug into something, either an adapter into the MacBook, or into another machine altogether, ultimately everything gets uploaded to the cloud for me somewhere sometime. The SD card and USB reader I use are older technology as far as I'm concerned. That's okay, I use them and they work a treat, if I were hell bent on using the device more widely or frequently, I'd do something else like purchasing a new device (or going wifi SD), I'd fault my choice in devices, not the MacBook which is just one machine I'd use to access the data on the SD card.
The MacBook is what it is, people (reviewers and their sycophantic followers included) have to stop demanding the machine be something else and criticising it for not being that. Stop turning this into your own personal Homer.
The good news I think one should focus on, rather than what it lacks is what it possesses and look forward to the day when those elements will be folded into machines that are more appropriate to people who need such things as easy SD card access (and other such functionality), but negative nelly is the way of the world it seems, something that captures the attention of far too many people, so it's always easier to complain. Techies are the worst, they think their criteria are everyone's criteria and then argue against products that meet others' needs, but not theirs. I got attacked for telling someone else that I characterise such an attitude as self-centred, but it wasn't meant as an attack, it's a valid description of an attitude many are espousing. Adding the SD card to the mix is just another way people like to declare their PRO requirements to be "average, everyday Joe" needs - that's BS.
Reps ones like this highlight a significant ignorance on the part of many in these forums, weather that or people can't read for content. The article did not bash the machine at all, it was actually a fairly positive review. It did point out really issues with the lack of ports which limits the machines Appeal to many.
It is a great article because it reflected his experiences using the machine. It wasn't a piece of fluff written by someone pretending to be a bleeding edge user. Rather It is valid commentary from a real user
I really don't know what is the matter with people here, you take a good review that is honest and trash both the messenger and the message because it apparently ruffles a few feathers. Is that really rational.
The review is tainted by his initiial experience with the MacBook, all because he was ill prepared to use it as it was intended.
You're missing the point that I never said anything like that. In fact, I said just the opposite. I said that I would even recommend the new MacBook to anyone who doesn't have the need for additional ports. My point is that many people are excluded from this product because they have needs beyond it. It's not that this product isn't good for you, have at it. It's a fantastic product for anyone who's needs are met by it. The frustration is in the fact that Apple didn't make a more inclusive product that was at the same level with everything that's in the new MacBook, i.e., that the MacBook Air still has the heavy bezel 11" non-retina display, lack of USB-C, lesser trackpad and keyboard.
Exactly. All those 'trashing' your response don't get. Even to the point of, sorry no more room for an extra port.... Oh please! ( as in no shit Sherlock, not now it doesn't ). Whatever.
I've run into this road block before. You buy a camera and stick the SD card into it and then you have to get a card reader to get the pictures off of it. Ridiculous!
Look, get an adapter and move on with your life. In a few months Belkin will have a USB 3.0 hub that powers your laptop and gives you all the ports you would need. In the mean time have some forethought to get an adapter.
Way to blow credibility. Most modern cameras use some variant of SD. SD interfaces are extremely common in the embedded world and other places also.
You realize Apple probably has an idea of how much the ports are used, right?
Actually I don't thing Apples new product development works that way. Beyond that you do remember the stupidity of the original Mac Book Air. Apple turned that machine into a massive success and part of that is the result of supplying users with ports. This Mac Book is somewhat like a replay of the Mac Book introduction.
I'm sure they can track replacement data from Apple Stores, among other things. My guess is they ran the numbers and realized it wasn't that much of an issue. Lets not forget Apple didn't even start putting them on the darn things until LONG after the PeeCee folks did.
Your view here is a bit warped. Apple went with USB as an industry leader back in the day. They went to USB 3 as soon as Intel had suitable chips.
Sure Apple can run the "numbers", but this machine strikes me as an effort to promote an idea rather than an attempt to meet customer needs. What I find difficult to accept is the idea being offered up in this thread that people don't need the extra port. Some don't of course but that is countered by the reality that many do have a need for more ports.
Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalconNope, more people (including me) would have complained for the loss of the 3.5mm jack. And you aren't taking into account the taper of the machine. There is no physical room.
The second port would be on the other side, where the audio port is. There was room there if they didn't put the audio port there, or if they were willing to go just a millimeter thicker on the case or slimmer on the battery.
Like I said, many would complaint about the lack of an audio port, but keep in mind, in addition to Bluetooth, there are USB to Audio adapters. I'm not saying this would've been the best solution, but better than just one USB-C port, and in the surveying I've done, that seems to be the case.
I would expect every person who buys one of these new MacBooks to buy the dongle they need to connect whatever peripherals they are using today so they don't go through what the reviewer describes. I don't think this is a problem of the MacBook, it is a problem of the user. Why not complain it hasn't cd-rom then? Since its presentation, it was clear that the MacBook is designed for wireless connectivity. If you really want it and don't have wireless peripherals then buy the dongles!
Your view here is a bit warped. Apple went with USB as an industry leader back in the day. They went to USB 3 as soon as Intel had suitable chips.
...
Sure Apple can run the "numbers", but this machine strikes me as an effort to promote an idea rather than an attempt to meet customer needs. What I find difficult to accept is the idea being offered up in this thread that people don't need the extra port. Some don't of course but that is countered by the reality that many do have a need for more ports.
I agree with your comment. I think the previous comment was about the SD slot, which Apple added late in the game. While Apple was first on USB. They were a bit late in USB 2 and USB 3.
Woof, dudes! What a load of hogwash! The only reason it's better to have fewer inputs and outputs is that it makes the device cheaper to manufacture. No mention of that sorry fact.
And the comments here are pitiful. "Oh, dude all you had to do was spent $19 and then you could do what you needed to "
People on this forum do not represent the predominant buyers of Apple products.
That may be true, may not be true. IMO if the MacBook was the least expensive computer product in Apples product line up, a huge argument of iPad w/keypad could be made... Maybe it will be in the future? Time will tell. Till then, it's a bit of a head scratcher for some/many.
(tl;dr: new MacBook is all about looking forward, Apple's standard battle plan)
When Apple introduced the first iMac, their existing customers complained "No SCSI, no ADB, no floppy drive". They could not see that it was a future-based machine.
The iMac's practical design drew many new customers to Apple. It may have been a little pricey, but for the feature set, no other manufacturer was able to compete.
iPhoto and iMovie (and later iWork) offered a path away from the Wintel duopoly. Over time, these applications have been more or less perfected for the average user.
At first glance the new MacBook appears underpowered, given the price Apple is charging. However, I suspect the user experience for the 21st century road warrior is more or less perfect.
PCI SSD overcomes a lot of perceived performance issues left behind with 5400 RPM hard drives. A 27" mini-USB3 retina monitor with accessory hub will overcome the remaining issues.
BYOD, the iPhone and the iPad drove a stake through the heart of the Wintel duopoly that cannot be revived.
Microsoft's biggest mistake was to delay the introduction of Office for iOS: by the time it was released, it was irrelevant. Thanks, Ballmer!
Nobody sets up new IT infrastructure using Windows and Microsoft anymore - Wintel is simply never a first or second choice.
This MacBook is the first in a new direction for Apple. Soon enough, the entire industry will follow Apple once again down the rabbit hole.
Woof, dudes! What a load of hogwash! The only reason it's better to have fewer inputs and outputs is that it makes the device cheaper to manufacture. No mention of that sorry fact.
And the comments here are pitiful. "Oh, dude all you had to do was spent $19 and then you could do what you needed to "
Gimme a break! (Even a shore break)
What would have happened if the MacBook Pro didn't come with a SD card slot? I guess he wouldn't be able to publish this article?!
My first read of this article was that it was a shameless attempt to have new news on the front page.
If you need additional ports you have choices you can charge and have an SD card reader at the same time with the multiport adapter. Because he didn't have an adapter handy that was reason for the article? If you want to go cheap just get a USB adapter. They are $10.
If you leave the multiport adapter affixed to the end of your usb charge cable, the combo of the cable and brick and adpter are still smaller than any MacBook out there.
For the 4 pictures need to "complete" the article a wifi connected camera would have worked fine. If the camera isn't wifi connected why not blast on the camera company these days?
Apple has given users 3 different laptops to consider. For me I believe the MBA 11 and 13" are both pretty irrelevant devices with the MB introduction. The 13" MBP has a smaller footprint than the 13" MBA, has retina display, has been made much lighter and thinner, has much better battery life that even a year or two ago. Who is the MBA now aimed at?
Last word the fit and finish on the MB is the best I've ever seen in a laptop.
I know this is showing up as my first post but I've had to change over my userID just now. I'm a long time AppleInsider reader.
The Macbook is for people who want an iPad with a keyboard running OS X. At least that's why I'm buying one. I plan on never plugging anything into it except the power cable, just like I do on my iPad.
You essentially nailed it, in my opinion. Had this come few years ago, I would have bought it instead of an iPad. It's funny, I was just reading Paul Thurrott's initial review of the original iPad, and it is scary similar to AI initial review of the Macbook. Essentially, the same criticisms.
The machine is tapered. There isn't room for a second one on the left, and the right is occupied by the 3.5mm jack, which is far more important for the average user of this machine.
There's plenty of room for another USB-C port, even with the taper. Remove your head from the sand and perhaps instead of blindly supporting anything and everything Apple does, you'd be able to see that Apple isn't 100% perfect 100% of the time. If they were, the design of their devices wouldn't improve since they'd be perfect from generation 1.
Nope, more people (including me) would have complained for the loss of the 3.5mm jack. And you aren't taking into account the taper of the machine. There is no physical room.
Oh really, where's the source for this data? You've taken a MacBook apart and discerned that it's totally impossible to fit another port in? Even with Apples engineering prowess? God forbid Apple goes against Ive's obsession with thin, and go 0.1mm thicker for another port for 10x the convenience.
What would have happened if the MacBook Pro didn't come with a SD card slot? I guess he wouldn't be able to publish this article?!
Some high end DSLR's, and even many older DSLR;s don't in fact use SD cards at all, so an SD slot, while covering a wide swatch of the market, doesn't cover it all.
The problem I see here is the stark evidence of the trash culture clashing with people more conservative with their funds. Generally most people, at least in the past, considered the purchase of a decent camera as a long term investment. To put it simply buying a new camera every two years would be considered wasteful and an unreasonable production of trash.
Sadly in today's culture of cell phone upgrades every couple of years, there is no social stigma against wasting money and generating trash. So we see a string of responses here about tossing the current camera to update to a "modern" camera. This clearly is a manifestation of a liberal trash generating culture.
Almost everything is recyclable. Most people sell their old iPhone after the buy the new iPhone, so no trash produced there. Same can be done with almost everything. And what ever trash is produce keeps people working at the recycling plants. I see it as job security for people
Almost everything is recyclable. Most people sell their old iPhone after the buy the new iPhone, so no trash produced there. Same can be done with almost everything. And what ever trash is produce keeps people working at the recycling plants. I see it as job security for people
So you think that every iPhone ever made is still in use?
The attraction of this little beauty is formidable power in an elegant, lightweight, highly portable package. On that front it's an absolute winner. The gorgeous minimalist design and Retina display, alone, are reason enough to crave it. But add to that it's superb keyboard, it's next level track pad, and its seamless integration into an Apple environment and you've got a viable, if not superstar hot new product. This first iteration is more of a marketing prop, a hard copy version of a virtual concept that's only a couple modest tweaks away from perfection. If you can't see and recognize the genuine brilliance of this sexy beast, well then you probably could never get a job at Apple. Maybe as a janitor, or an IT manager. Ha!
Comments
It is a legitimate need. SD card are very common these days.
It is a legitimate requirement for *some* people (don't oversell it), but to criticise this machine for not having an SD card reader, or not having a port that connects to an existing SD card reader is ludicrous. But, it's worse than that, the whole review is tainted by the fact there was an issue getting pics from an SD card to the MacBook, tainted so much that the tone of the article is that the machine fails because of this and this alone. It wasn't just my personal "negative filter" obviously, just look at the number of people taking away exactly what I read, and it's not the first time, the first review of this machine on this site was the same - it was wrong then and it's still wrong now, don't make this my misinterpretation or misunderstanding or my being overly sensitive, take it as the reviewer not understanding the target market for this machine.
It's like standing there with an optical disc in front of the new MBA years ago declaring the machine to be useless (oh, I remember the years leading up to that point and hearing these same arguments over and over, and look at how the MBA turned out!). This argument also reeks of early iPhone/iPad days when all the Apple attackers were out in force complaining the devices didn't support SD cards. My how quickly we all forget the past. There are not only alternatives (in machines), but there are options to get that data today.
I have a device that requires an SD card, it's something I travel with, but nothing whatsoever I would fault the MacBook for not supporting more directly. I have a USB card reader, and that will plug into something, either an adapter into the MacBook, or into another machine altogether, ultimately everything gets uploaded to the cloud for me somewhere sometime. The SD card and USB reader I use are older technology as far as I'm concerned. That's okay, I use them and they work a treat, if I were hell bent on using the device more widely or frequently, I'd do something else like purchasing a new device (or going wifi SD), I'd fault my choice in devices, not the MacBook which is just one machine I'd use to access the data on the SD card.
The MacBook is what it is, people (reviewers and their sycophantic followers included) have to stop demanding the machine be something else and criticising it for not being that. Stop turning this into your own personal Homer.
The good news I think one should focus on, rather than what it lacks is what it possesses and look forward to the day when those elements will be folded into machines that are more appropriate to people who need such things as easy SD card access (and other such functionality), but negative nelly is the way of the world it seems, something that captures the attention of far too many people, so it's always easier to complain. Techies are the worst, they think their criteria are everyone's criteria and then argue against products that meet others' needs, but not theirs. I got attacked for telling someone else that I characterise such an attitude as self-centred, but it wasn't meant as an attack, it's a valid description of an attitude many are espousing. Adding the SD card to the mix is just another way people like to declare their PRO requirements to be "average, everyday Joe" needs - that's BS.
Sorry for the long winded rant.
Reps ones like this highlight a significant ignorance on the part of many in these forums, weather that or people can't read for content. The article did not bash the machine at all, it was actually a fairly positive review. It did point out really issues with the lack of ports which limits the machines Appeal to many.
It is a great article because it reflected his experiences using the machine. It wasn't a piece of fluff written by someone pretending to be a bleeding edge user. Rather It is valid commentary from a real user
I really don't know what is the matter with people here, you take a good review that is honest and trash both the messenger and the message because it apparently ruffles a few feathers. Is that really rational.
The review is tainted by his initiial experience with the MacBook, all because he was ill prepared to use it as it was intended.
Exactly. All those 'trashing' your response don't get. Even to the point of, sorry no more room for an extra port.... Oh please! ( as in no shit Sherlock, not now it doesn't ). Whatever.
Look, get an adapter and move on with your life. In a few months Belkin will have a USB 3.0 hub that powers your laptop and gives you all the ports you would need. In the mean time have some forethought to get an adapter.
Your view here is a bit warped. Apple went with USB as an industry leader back in the day. They went to USB 3 as soon as Intel had suitable chips.
Sure Apple can run the "numbers", but this machine strikes me as an effort to promote an idea rather than an attempt to meet customer needs. What I find difficult to accept is the idea being offered up in this thread that people don't need the extra port. Some don't of course but that is countered by the reality that many do have a need for more ports.
The second port would be on the other side, where the audio port is. There was room there if they didn't put the audio port there, or if they were willing to go just a millimeter thicker on the case or slimmer on the battery.
Like I said, many would complaint about the lack of an audio port, but keep in mind, in addition to Bluetooth, there are USB to Audio adapters. I'm not saying this would've been the best solution, but better than just one USB-C port, and in the surveying I've done, that seems to be the case.
Your view here is a bit warped. Apple went with USB as an industry leader back in the day. They went to USB 3 as soon as Intel had suitable chips.
...
Sure Apple can run the "numbers", but this machine strikes me as an effort to promote an idea rather than an attempt to meet customer needs. What I find difficult to accept is the idea being offered up in this thread that people don't need the extra port. Some don't of course but that is countered by the reality that many do have a need for more ports.
I agree with your comment. I think the previous comment was about the SD slot, which Apple added late in the game. While Apple was first on USB. They were a bit late in USB 2 and USB 3.
And the comments here are pitiful. "Oh, dude all you had to do was spent $19 and then you could do what you needed to "
Gimme a break! (Even a shore break)
That may be true, may not be true. IMO if the MacBook was the least expensive computer product in Apples product line up, a huge argument of iPad w/keypad could be made... Maybe it will be in the future? Time will tell. Till then, it's a bit of a head scratcher for some/many.
(tl;dr: new MacBook is all about looking forward, Apple's standard battle plan)
When Apple introduced the first iMac, their existing customers complained "No SCSI, no ADB, no floppy drive". They could not see that it was a future-based machine.
The iMac's practical design drew many new customers to Apple. It may have been a little pricey, but for the feature set, no other manufacturer was able to compete.
iPhoto and iMovie (and later iWork) offered a path away from the Wintel duopoly. Over time, these applications have been more or less perfected for the average user.
At first glance the new MacBook appears underpowered, given the price Apple is charging. However, I suspect the user experience for the 21st century road warrior is more or less perfect.
PCI SSD overcomes a lot of perceived performance issues left behind with 5400 RPM hard drives. A 27" mini-USB3 retina monitor with accessory hub will overcome the remaining issues.
BYOD, the iPhone and the iPad drove a stake through the heart of the Wintel duopoly that cannot be revived.
Microsoft's biggest mistake was to delay the introduction of Office for iOS: by the time it was released, it was irrelevant. Thanks, Ballmer!
Nobody sets up new IT infrastructure using Windows and Microsoft anymore - Wintel is simply never a first or second choice.
This MacBook is the first in a new direction for Apple. Soon enough, the entire industry will follow Apple once again down the rabbit hole.
Woof, dudes! What a load of hogwash! The only reason it's better to have fewer inputs and outputs is that it makes the device cheaper to manufacture. No mention of that sorry fact.
And the comments here are pitiful. "Oh, dude all you had to do was spent $19 and then you could do what you needed to "
Gimme a break! (Even a shore break)
What would have happened if the MacBook Pro didn't come with a SD card slot? I guess he wouldn't be able to publish this article?!
My first read of this article was that it was a shameless attempt to have new news on the front page.
If you need additional ports you have choices you can charge and have an SD card reader at the same time with the multiport adapter. Because he didn't have an adapter handy that was reason for the article? If you want to go cheap just get a USB adapter. They are $10.
If you leave the multiport adapter affixed to the end of your usb charge cable, the combo of the cable and brick and adpter are still smaller than any MacBook out there.
For the 4 pictures need to "complete" the article a wifi connected camera would have worked fine. If the camera isn't wifi connected why not blast on the camera company these days?
Apple has given users 3 different laptops to consider. For me I believe the MBA 11 and 13" are both pretty irrelevant devices with the MB introduction. The 13" MBP has a smaller footprint than the 13" MBA, has retina display, has been made much lighter and thinner, has much better battery life that even a year or two ago. Who is the MBA now aimed at?
Last word the fit and finish on the MB is the best I've ever seen in a laptop.
I know this is showing up as my first post but I've had to change over my userID just now. I'm a long time AppleInsider reader.
The Macbook is for people who want an iPad with a keyboard running OS X. At least that's why I'm buying one. I plan on never plugging anything into it except the power cable, just like I do on my iPad.
You essentially nailed it, in my opinion. Had this come few years ago, I would have bought it instead of an iPad. It's funny, I was just reading Paul Thurrott's initial review of the original iPad, and it is scary similar to AI initial review of the Macbook. Essentially, the same criticisms.
There's plenty of room for another USB-C port, even with the taper. Remove your head from the sand and perhaps instead of blindly supporting anything and everything Apple does, you'd be able to see that Apple isn't 100% perfect 100% of the time. If they were, the design of their devices wouldn't improve since they'd be perfect from generation 1.
Oh really, where's the source for this data? You've taken a MacBook apart and discerned that it's totally impossible to fit another port in? Even with Apples engineering prowess? God forbid Apple goes against Ive's obsession with thin, and go 0.1mm thicker for another port for 10x the convenience.
What would have happened if the MacBook Pro didn't come with a SD card slot? I guess he wouldn't be able to publish this article?!
Some high end DSLR's, and even many older DSLR;s don't in fact use SD cards at all, so an SD slot, while covering a wide swatch of the market, doesn't cover it all.
Almost everything is recyclable. Most people sell their old iPhone after the buy the new iPhone, so no trash produced there. Same can be done with almost everything. And what ever trash is produce keeps people working at the recycling plants. I see it as job security for people
So you think that every iPhone ever made is still in use?
The attraction of this little beauty is formidable power in an elegant, lightweight, highly portable package. On that front it's an absolute winner. The gorgeous minimalist design and Retina display, alone, are reason enough to crave it. But add to that it's superb keyboard, it's next level track pad, and its seamless integration into an Apple environment and you've got a viable, if not superstar hot new product. This first iteration is more of a marketing prop, a hard copy version of a virtual concept that's only a couple modest tweaks away from perfection. If you can't see and recognize the genuine brilliance of this sexy beast, well then you probably could never get a job at Apple. Maybe as a janitor, or an IT manager. Ha!