New 15″ Apple laptops lacking ExpressCard/34 slot

[Craig Seeman]

The more complete picture:
MBP 17″ Express Slot, Firewire 800
MBP 15″ SD Slot, Firewire 800
MBP 13″ SD Slot, Firewire 800

So basically we lose SxS on 15.” Gain the use of SD on 15″ and 13″ for SDHC users. Firewire returns for those who need it.
_____

For EX users with SxS cards, they may have to buy a 17″ MBP. What a lug!
On the Other hand, for those using MxR, MxM, Hoodman with SDHC they can now use a 13″ MBP with SD slot. That’s attractive for those needing a smaller portable computer and not wanting to use USB.

Note the return of Firewire. This might be useful if EX in HDV mode could be used with 13″ MBP as a portable live streaming HD system.

I really do think there’s a need for an Express slot 15″ model though. Apple claimed in the keynote that fewer than 1% are using the Express slot. Realistically EX and eSata card users probably don’t make up much of a market to cater to.

The SD slot makes the use of SDHC cards in EX that much more compelling. Of course there’s an awkward situation if your shooting SxS for Slow Motion and have to find a way to xfer that (or make sure your next Mac laptop is 17″ MBP).

[Olof Ekbergh]

I guess Apple is in business to make as much money as possible. They are not the only ones.

I am happy I have 2 of the 15″ and an older 17″ w/Express slot. They should last a couple years.

Who knows what will be available then.

Now may be an opportunity to get reduced price on a discontinued unit.

I am sure there will be fw800 to Express and there already are usb to express adapters.

There will also have to be adapters to CF cards, a lot of people use those in still cams like the 5DmkII. I know there are always the slower USB adapters for this.

My Matrox MX02 will only work in an Express slot so I hope Apple will continue to keep the Express slot in the 17″ MBP’s.

Olof Ekbergh

[Tom Parke]

Sorry ’bout trying to change the subject towards a slightly different topic, but, I hope that the ExpressCard/34 slot is retained in the future . . . however, my experience using it for a G-Speed eSATA has been horrific. I’ve re-mirrored my MacBook Pro (per advice from Apple), replaced my eSATA controller card twice, testing with four different cards, and I have purchased three different cables, all because my 15-inch MacBook Pro locks up whenever I edit with the RAID attached. I started with the $60 eSATA card from an Apple store (tried three of these), then purchased a $120 FirmTEK card, same problem, now I see a faster one advertised from Sonnet for $300.

Remember when Lucy kept pulling the football away when Charlie Brown would try to kick it? Charlie Brown is me!

I only use the MacBook Pro for editing when connected with other G-RAID FireWire drives; I do use it to ingest all EX1 footage, however.

Now, what to do with that $900 G-Speed eSATA . . . ?

Tom Parke
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Tom Parke
ProScan DP

[Ron James]

Are there any FW800 solutions for reading the SXS cards? Are the USB readers so slow that they’re useless for location transfers?

[Noah Kadner]

That’s flipping the bird to Sony’s SxS. Time to get that MxR adapter if you haven’t already.

Noah

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[Craig Seeman]

[Noah Kadner] “That’s flipping the bird to Sony’s SxS. Time to get that MxR adapter if you haven’t already. “

The problem is if you shoot Slow Motion you’re tied to SxS and will need to xfer that. I do think the future is affordable SDHC or CF media. Now if someone can find a way to shoot 720p24/60 on SDHC . . .

[Ron James]

Again, what are the available options for SXS transfer now? Just the Sony USB reader?

[Clint Fleckenstein]

If you shoot SDHC for everything but overcrank, the use of a Sony USB reader won’t be too big a workflow bottleneck. I’ve never considered it terribly slow.

[Olof Ekbergh]

I actually think it is not really a big deal.

Apple has tried to introduce a lot of stuff over the years, and I think the express slot was not a big hit with most of their users. I hear most users actually prefer the SD slot, they say Apple listened.

I am happy they make it available in the TOL model, witch is really the model they see vid users using most.

And we have lots of other ways of getting SxS cards read. (of-course I already have 3 MBP’s with Express slots, so it is easy for me to rationalize).

In the short term, the price just dropped on 15’s with Express slot. Take advantage of it.

Olof Ekbergh

[Chris Babbitt]

Don’t be surprised if the Express slot disappears on the next version of the 17″ MBP as well. This was the only model that only received minor improvements, since they updated it just a short time ago.