Why no builit in card reader??

[fleurya]

You want this bolted onto your beautiful MBP...

Well, that's going a bit far. There's much better, more compact designs availible that wouldn't look much different than the expresscard slot.

 

[djames42]

Exactly. People say Apple was forward-thinking and allowing for future capability when it incorporated the expresscard slot, but really limited it's use when it only put the 34mm slot in. I'm pretty sure the 54mm slots also asccept the 34mm cards.

The Express/54 slot can indeed utilise 34mm cards, but I'm not so sure that Apple's decision was backward thinking. As SDHC format has come out (high density SD), we may see CF becoming less common. Nikon has switched their DSLRs to use SD (one of the reasons I'm considering their line over Canon), and we may see others follow.

In the meantime, I do agree that it will be hassle to carry an external card reader if I do end up with a CF camera.

 

[Sawday]

I can read and write to CF cards inserted in my Epson R300 printer connected to my old Dell and I expect to be able to continue doing so when I make the switch to a new iMac. Since most printers now have card readers built in - problem solved?

 

[baggss]

I have exactly 2 devices that use a card (SD). My Nikon D50 and my Palm Treo 700P. They both use the same type of card. I plug the camera directly into the Mac to download pictures and I simply sync my Treo. I don't have any real need for a card reader and certainly would rather not have one included when it would never be used. Just my $.02.

 

[fleurya]

The Express/54 slot can indeed utilise 34mm cards, but I'm not so sure that Apple's decision was backward thinking. As SDHC format has come out (high density SD), we may see CF becoming less common. Nikon has switched their DSLRs to use SD (one of the reasons I'm considering their line over Canon), and we may see others follow.

In the meantime, I do agree that it will be hassle to carry an external card reader if I do end up with a CF camera.

I still think Apple is forward-thinking, but I think it was a mistake to use a 34mm rather than a 54mm for more flexibility of use. I didn't make my previous statement the way I intended.