Apple's Phil Schiller explains why the new MacBook Pro doesn't have an SD card slot

"bold risk"? Bold would have been if they would have done something innovative improving the notebook. What is bold in removing an internal SD card reader that could have serviced 90% of all camera owners?
I would say, an arrogant risk, or a stupid one.
It is sad to read such a failed attempt at explaining away their failure to think about function, not primarily design.

Look, I'm a salesman, I am paid to sell you stuff, and I say whatever comes into my head to get you to buy the stuff I am paid money to sell. I know its BS of the worst DT faeces but we really need to offload a lot of these gizmos so we'll keep saying less is more and keep giving you less for more. What's wrong with that? WE know you want to join the club, the exclusivity of which is guaranteed by the price-tags and decades old design- you cant help yourselves!! Its you whose stupid, not us at Apple, because otherwise you would buy an ordinary Windows laptop that costs a third the price of ours for exactly the same effective specification. I mean how many of you ever actually need 16Gb Ram, an i7 quadcore chip and a separate graphics card eh? Go buy a Lenovo, and stops bothering me, go on, go, away with you, you are missing your own life! Lots of Love, Travis.

Merely keeps with Apple's ongoing policy of "give you less for more". After being an exclusively Apple user since mid 80's, I am finally ready to move away and consider Windows hardware again. Steve Jobs I'm sure wouldn't be as blasé about customer's bitches.

MSNG. My 500GB flash storage MacBook Pro was full, l and I have been saved by using a 256GB TarDisk Pear that slots beautifully into the SD slot.
I use an external reader in the USB slot to download photos.
So unless Apple produce a 750GB or 1T flash drive for their future MacBook Pro - then they have lost a loyal customer.

I expect almost anyone would agree that a built in high speed sd card slot would be way more useful and important then a fancy extra display panel that adds hundreds to the cost. SD card slot maybe a $10 to $20 cost feature and something I would use all the time and something I will now have to carry with me where ever I go because Apple decided it was best that I bring my own.

Bo**ocks. They just didn't want people to be able to upgrade their storage!

I am a pro photographer with a 2012 MBP with SD slot, which I always use, but I also ALWAYS carry a USB card-reader in case that integrated slot ever fails - isn't that what anyone serious about reliability would do? It weighs about 10 grams and occupies a space of a box of matches, so what's the problem?

Wait. The SD cards were sticking out? I'm pretty sure I have a 2nd wave Asus netbook (remember those?) that had an SD card. Guess what? It didn't "stick out" half-way. In fact, it went all the way in and I used it as a "RAM expansion" for Win7 when it first came out. It never fell out or bumped out because it recessed and stayed inside the base.

That was at least 6 years ago. You're telling me Apple engineers couldn't make it flush inside the Macbook base? Also, with faster SD cards for both read and writes, you REALLY expect me to do wireless transfers of my 4K videos? What part of "efficient workflow" does Apple not understand?

It was already a known fact that Apple hate IT guys, but Apple also hate photographers... My iPad just won't allow me to zoom to the finest detail of my photos (others apps are required like Big Photo or Actual Pixels) or have access to the EXIF information... And why does the iPad change the name of the photos I store??? Please just stop doing things just to bother people...

I suggest this device (no tons of dongles..just one adapter..problem solved?)

https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3A0879961005634

unbelievable for a nature photographer or even any photographer that move of Apple which defines SDCX port as "cumbersome" "sticks out" etc is a complete failure to read the market and photographers needs.
I wonder if anyone there has ever tested moving "raw files" from an to any system usine wireless ! Apple's ridicules explanation will make them lose more then earn them additional clients . I personally own the 2015 MAcPro which does have the sdcx port

RH,

And USB-A is still widely used for printers, external storage, external DACs.

It's not really akin to the removal of optical drives from MacBooks.

Sure some party was going to try only USB-C, it's still early for that.

The laptops are designed for carrying into coffee shops.

Future Apples Macpro would keep screen+screen connector(wired/wireless)+keyboard(wired/wireless)+...would sell separately.. to get more money out of the system.ALL separates akin to music system One have to buy component separately and carry each component when travel so have to buy individually to complete a system!...c'mon please keep it simple and keep straight...........Apple money squeezing machine........
ABA anything but apple my home is apple free...

As others have noted, Apple has a history of abandoning older interfaces before other computer manufacturers. In that respect, Apple is a leader in the industry. If you're not ready to jump into Apple's brave new world, then just stick with what you have for a while. In the end, cameras, computers, etc. are just tools. Some tools are easier to use for some users compared to others. I use both Macs and Windows machines on a daily basis and each have their strengths and weaknesses, just like deciding between a Nikon or a Canon DSLR - you can create great things with any of these tools.

The reason is that the people making this decision are MORONS.
End of story.

I forgot one crucial question:
If someone gives you an USB drive, where do you stick it?
Right into Apple's innovative ports?
Just asking.

It has been Apple's history to eliminate legacy interfaces to push the development of next gen peripherals. This sucks at first but works out later with better performance. In this case your buying a top end laptop that is missing a critical on the go interface like an SD slot is ridiculous. Do I need to drain two batteries to do a memory card dump? Do I need to tie up a camera as a memory card reader? Do I need to carry one more dongle that gets lost in a bag or just lost?

Of course a SD card sticks out so if that is such a big deal do a spring loaded insert/eject. This is as lame as removing the headphone jack.

I'm totally okay with it. Sure it's convenient if you're still using SD cards, but they are already obsolete. Get over it. Technology moves on, gets smaller and faster and the fact people are having a hissy-fit that their legacy port is no longer relevant will not shed a tear for me.

micro USD cards, CFast cards and other newer formats will not work with this slot so it's already moot. Quit complaining. USBc and (especially Thunderbotl3) interfaces will mean any new format will be accepted with blazing speed.

Honestly, are the same people complaining about this the same people that want to bring back the VGA port and Floppy Drive?

Stupid decision, I need SD card to view my pictures and video on the field, also to edit and transfer on location or film trip. Apple , you failed us.

I definetly do not agree with this choice. Wifi transfer isn't the same thing. You have to take up a usb slot. On the contrary, working with many cards, I'd actually prefer two sd slots.

It's simple. I bought a 2015 MBP. I will not buy this gen. I'll wait to see if Apple gets its head right. Otherwise, Windows machines are looking better every day.

The mess is even worse, see this:
http://www.gsmarena.com/new_macbook_pro_faces_thunderbolt_3_connectivity_issues-blog-21493.php

Clearly a decision to reduce their production costs and to gain some additional profit from the inevitable adapters for sale.

"One, it’s a bit of a cumbersome slot. You've got this thing sticking halfway out."

This comment is baffling to me. Apple is supposedly all about design and what they are telling us is that they could not be bothered to design an sd slot that did not stick out. For their information, my Asus has a built in SD slot that does not stick out in any way.. It is in fact recessed *into* the laptop. It appears that Apple simply could not be bothered to make the sd slot into the body.

And what about all those photographers that are in places that don't have wi fi or cell service such as parts of the Grand Canyon, Mount Rainier, or other remote parts of the world? Apple has made it clear-those folks should not buy Apple.

Interesting reading. But kind of makes one wonder about the Apple management trade off reasoning; for example on the one hand they remove the mini head phone jack from their iPhone but retain it on their latest Pro laptop. While they removed the SD reader because the SD card stuck out, but have no problem selling the customer an expensive adapter that sticks out even further. The statement that they were surprised by the level of criticism shows a "Let them eat cake" level of corporate arrogance. While loyal die hard Apple customers will continue to defend Apple management choices (i.e. can do no wrong) and buy the latest and greatest laptop, others may elect to look elsewhere as the Apple magic dust finally wears off.

Why waste money on apple? Asus, Acer, HP and even Microsoft have far better high-end / flagship laptops..

It is plainly clear that Apple Corp are courageous pioneers of a brave new, legacy free, world. Their heroic stand in driving peripheral manufacturers to get with the One True Program will go down in History as a watershed of technological progress.
Anyone who disagrees with any part of this profound pronouncement is, ipso facto, a stupid ignoramous.
Your Welcome!

Apples definition of legacy is things I own and want to use. Their definition of mainstream is things they want me to buy.

I recall going into the cameras repairers I used, to have my Schneider lens/shutter CLA'd. The guy said come and have a look at this! A Leica lens and a Tokina lens both stripped down, we looked he smiled I laughed, they were both exactly the same inside.

You can only fool some of the people all of the time.

"Pro" computer without as many ports as possible... I'll stay with my Thinkpad.

Meanwhile Microsoft is offering computers withscreens just for photographers and graphic artists at substantially less than Apple. I'm voting with my wallet

Isn't it high time Apple users told Apple what they think about this move by not buying this crippled machine? And... is this going to happen? Or are the Apple sheep really up to their reputation? Any bets?

To my opinion, Apple is going the wrong way!
MAC's without CD/DVD, now a laptop not able to read SD's without additional hardware.Who controls the the development? Geuss they never had the need to import pictures from a serious cam. For shure they don't care about the needs of photoraphers!
Maybe the "PRO" stands for prohibited...

Wow, over 1,000 comments so far. Is this not a potent indicator of market discontent 😈

..so we must have i-net everywhere and all the time? That is the "low-down" future plan?
If you not allow us to hook-up our umbilical cord to your bank account, will be no reason for software or PC for you. – The “cloud” is your future! - You will always owe us, while you own absolutely nothing.