Why the new MacBook Pro doesn't have an SD card slot but does have record orders

Ever thought about that the SD card slot is a permanent storage upgrade of (at least) 128 GB for barely no expense? An adapter which completely vanishes in the casing of my Macbook Pro costs around 20-30 €. Nothing comes out, nothing to be stick in and out every day. A good microSD costs me around 30-40 €, has fare better dimensions, weight etc. etc. than any annoying USB stick. Thus even a big collection of those is much more portable and affordable than a USB device ever will be. No one would deny that USB-C will be the future. But since there is more then enough space on both sides of the Macbook Pro why not add a refreshed version of Magsafe on the left and an SD card slot on the right? It's only utterly absurde.

Just buy a $19 Apple USB-C to USB Adapter and attach a SD card reader to it. If it doesn't work then directly attach your camera to the same adapter, every camera provides USB connection. If your camera is just your Android phone then attach it to the same adapter and you may see your Android phone on Macbook desktop as "USB storage device" or in Photos application as "USB Camera", depending on the Android phone's USB settings. This also may help: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/2840804?hl=en

Ah, Good ole Apple, THey are always willing to let me pay them to fix the need they created. I mean, Sure, Very few of us can get stuff that already uses USB-C. But if Apple was doing this to push technology forward, couldn't they have just.. I dunno, Included the dongle in the box.. Like.. the many PC makers that do similar? I'm not one of those enraged people though. I was looking for something to replace my 2014 MBP. I needed more onboard storage space. Apple didn't make the laptop that works for my use case, so I went to a competitor and got a Surface Book. Lucky me, All my pro software is cross platform and has cross platform liscences. As A musician and DJ, I'll miss Core Audio, But To make the MBR work for me, I'd need to spend another $100+ on dongles and/or cables to get the already more expensive machine to work for me.

$100 on dongles is a ridiculous exaggeration to exclaim your hate for the new ports. It's a next generation MacBook Pro, it should have next generation ports. Dongles are only needed during the transition, soon there will be an abundance of USB-C devices and accessories so dongles won't be needed anymore

Well, except at no point did I say I hated them. I just said I can use them. I need to either purchase several USB 2.0 or micro-b or replace flash drives. Or I need to have a powered USB3.1 hub plugged into the $80 multimedia out adapter, as I would need video out.

I don't see why they could not have included at minimum one conventional usb port.

Apple are changing convention, that's why. A next generation MacBook Pro should not have any old ports

I agree, the comment that the card stuck half way out just speaks of how poorly this slot was implemented on the Mac in the first place, I work with a Dell 6510 and M4700 at work and guess what? The card goes all the way in and is 'clicked' into place flush with the case, so neat and tidy sometimes I forgot it was there until I opened Windows File Explorer and say it listed. The truth is Apple designers won this battle, form over function. The fact orders are up is just a function of pent up demand for any refresh with better CPU/GPU specs, remembering Pro software isn't cheap so abandoning a platform is hard given your ecosystem of clients and partners, etc. The fact is this laptop is still big enough an SD card slot could have been included. Phil's quip about Compact Flash is just FUD, have you tried buying a CF card lately, only speciality stores have them, box stores dumped them a couple of years ago. SD cards are still available everywhere.

Your comment about CF cards is nonsense. You can still get these cards at the major retailers like B&H, Amazon, and Best Buy. Many pro-level dSLR cameras use CF cards, including my Canon 5D Mark III. I've always used a card reader to read both CF and SD cards on my iMac.

SD card sticks halfway out.... mmmmmokay. Guess this is better. https://www.apple.com/search/SanDisk-Extreme-Pro-SD-UHS-II-Card-USB-C-Re... $50 bucks!!!! WTF!!! Why is Phil allowed to talk. Like seriously...

There is a $19 Apple USB-C to USB Adapter. Every camera connects via USB so that $49 card reader is not a must. For Android phones https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/2840804?hl=en

Too funny. I'm convinced Apple has OCD and just does not like the mess of any ports. The comment about cameras now offering wireless transfer is a joke. First and foremost, the 2 major camera brands are still in the stone ages electronically (Canonikon) and until they are put out of business by Sony, good luck with doing anything wirelessly.
But luckily, Photoshop works on both Microsoft and Apple software.
I'm gonna call Apple's bluff one day -- oh, who am I kidding. I'll just put up with it, like a habit of a spouse that ticks one off, but are not divorce-worthy.
But luckily, my wife bought me a loaded MacBook Pro 15 last year -- and this will be just fine for the next 5 year of so -- and it still has those dinosaur ports and card slot, that I use every day. And I guarantee that in 5 years, Canonikon will still be in the stone ages.
For the record, there is an SD card sticking out of the side of my computer right now, and I last took pictures 5 days ago. Not intrusive at all.

wow, you haven't used your camera since 7+ and thus it's fine, because you can air drop pictures, and that's what everyone should use a pro machine for $2600+, to move pictures on their phone. this is the problem with apple, they seem to be targeting bloggers, bloggers are the first ones to test drive the machines and your narrow needs and views justifies this machines limited capabilities, which honestly is absolutely perfect for your use. everything is a tool, and a tool is only worth what you can get out of it. now my tool (apple) expects my other tools to upgrade to its new standards, so i should expect Canon and all other camera manufactures to be on the leaping edge of transfer technology? i personally could care less, as what i want my camera to do is to take the best pictures through the glass (which actually has value, camera itself is just a dumb light box). no thanks. try uploading your 7+ pictures to getty or istock, or doing commercial or for pay photograph with your 7+ and see how far that gets you, oh but wait, it actually works witlessly with the new MBP so that's all that matters -- next time i meet with a client i'll try to convince them of that argument, and now that 7+ has bokeh that's all they need! woohoo! and can you explain to me why exactly anyone would need a mouse pad the size of a door mat? what is the need to have increased the stupid thing so much?

Listening to Alex Lindsay on MacBreak Weekly yesterday showed me how someone who uses these top of the line products, is being hurt by these changes. Especially with he loss of the MagSafe connector and how he was so disappointed in that. For a pro I think of them as being away from home quite often and in need of getting work done. Going the way of the dongle is such a bad idea. Even for basic needs like ethernet or SD card. I'm not a pro, but since I got my iPhone SE I don't use my digital camera anymore. How I get my photos off is with the iPhone dock and soon as I dock it, my photos go to dropbox then sync with my Mac mini. So the SD card slot on my Mac mini for me is no longer used in a way, but due to my case of having a iPhone. If the new Mac mini came out with just C ports, I wouldn't be happy I had to buy some expensive multi port hub. Like Alex said, I don't care if things are small. I know the hardware inside is getting smaller, but the product still has to be useful and promote workflow. The recent changes really take a hit to productivity I think. Alex mentioned that fear of being on a work site and not having the proper dongle with him, since now you have to carry even more dongles. Missing a dongle, then you mess up the job, don't get it done, and don't get paid. Sorry for the rant. Just still having growing pains with these new changes.

Both Alex and Andy made strong arguments for keep what Apple is no viewing as 'legacy' ports. None of them apply to me as my needs are far less industrial. But they articulated what is normally lost in the typical foaming at the mouth diatribe. If the next mini ships with usb-c ports instead of usb-3, I'll feel their pain. As a desktop platform, it would probably keep the other ports. I'd hate to have to buy dongles for a *desktop* or that LG monitor to get my ports back. I think Apple should have waited for the next MBP update to drop change the ports; this move seems too soon to me.

I agree with the timing part. I think what most people really wanted right now was just to get all the mac's up to speed. But that 12" MacBook foreshadowed this dark time of change to come. Dark to me at least. I live in the lower end of Apple so I just hope the mini, iPhone SE and air sort of products will stick around. The new HP Spectre is C also but they left one sole USB port which was a nice offering. I just can't go to windows ever again so I hope apple won't be pushing me out by pushing prices way up. I think my 2012 Mac mini will keep on trucking for a long time though. I hope to pick up a 13" air this week also.

A few points to consider. Like many, I too would've liked the possibility of a 32GB MacBook Pro. In my line of work, I have Windows and Linux VM's configured through Virtual Box and would love to experiment with more than just two of them running at the same time. Still possible even though I approach memory limits when three are open but still no big deal even on my 2015 15" MBP.
Thanks to you Rene I now know why they couldn't give us this option, this year. The headphone jack. No problem there for most people. They can leave their old hardware with the 3.5mm on their desk and plug them in when necessary. Apple's vision of the future, isn't one with wired devices anyways. Once the new AirPods hit the market, I'm sure many who complain now, will forget there ever were wired speakers. For those that own expensive Bose, Beats, Grado, B&W headphones, hey you can still plug them directly into your new 2016 MBP. Other ports. It all comes down to transition periods and pushing technology forward. The ultimate setup for many pros may turn out something like this. High capacity MBP when on the road, no dongles, external drives or other stuff. When at home or the office, one TB3 cable over USB-C connected to a 27" 5K monitor and on the monitor a RAID array daisy-chained. Just a simple clean setup.
Keeping legacy ports around only delays future better technology. Remember the complaints about the removal of the CD/DVD drive? Does anyone really miss them nowadays?

Sorry, people, but I'm part of the 99% who has never used the SD slot and never will. Apple builds computers for the masses. The 1% can use dongles. That's just the way it is.

Much as I don't like it I agree with this. Apple does build for the masses and hence the lack of the slot. Even with the removal of the rest of the ports, the main thing that grates is the rip off laptop price added to the money you now have to fork out for unsightly and ungainly dongles.

I don't mind the dongles considering they're pushing new technology, but they should have been provided in the box

+1

I'll bet the vast majority of users never used the the Thunderbolt ports on their computers. I never did. Obviously people will use the Thunderbolt 3 because that's the port of choice now. I do think Apple could have fit in an SD card slot that inserted cards FLUSH with the computer. It would have allowed users to add storage to their computer too since SD cards can hold 512 GB (and more eventually). It could have been used as an onboard Time Machine backup. But I also think they should have included one "legacy" USB-A port since everything uses USB-A right now and probably will for awhile. USB-C has been around for over a year and there still aren't a lot of devices using it.

It wasn't too long ago that I remember 99% were asking Apple why don't they just add an SD card slot. Suddenly they were in your MBP, iMac, and even the Mac Mini.

Sounds like this is an opportunity for iMore to publish an article on which cameras support this wireless transfer to the new Macbook Pro. Also a how to article on how to use them.

Maybe for you the iPhone 7 replaces your DSLR, but shooting on a real camera just has a different feel that makes it magical. I'm sure this goes for a lot of others. I thought the same when I got my Lumia 920 years ago. I did stop using my DSLR for a time, but when I started again with it, it was just really nice to shoot with. Even with the iPhone 6S+ I thought I would go back, but now I have to shoot with my mirrorless.

Yep. Smartphone cameras are great but not near dlsr quality especially for a Pro photographer. I guess these are the Pros this laptop is for. Posted via the iMore App for Android

Right, and I would guess that most of those guys use card readers to transfer photos anyway.

The laptop is for professional photographers as well. Most modern cameras now have Wi-Fi transfer, and as always, using old technology with new technology requires adapters, to adapt

Phil's a moron. He doesn't want the SD card sticking out a millimeter yet is perfectly fine with an Octopus of dongles. Posted via the iMore App for Android

The majority don't use the SD card slot on the MacBook Pro, that's why it was removed. As for the dongles, USB-C is the next generation of USB with great benefits, that is quickly becoming popular

Please let me know the source of your survey to obtain this information. Posted via the iMore App for Android

I'm surprised by all the backlash to this laptop. I know it doesn't fit everyone's needs, but it still looks like a great computer. This just looks like a transition to the future. Sent from the iMore App

Hey, I agree this is an awesome computer, I don't think anyone disputes that; what is at issue are a bunch of pre-mature design choices that directly effect the 'Pro' users it pretends to be for. This is change for the change itself. Clearly they weren't trimming out features to save on costs to boost margins this thing is very expensive, I think an HDMI port and SD card slot could have been added without too much of a financial hit. Apple just figured out how to boost their margin by forcing you to pay full price for a stripped down laptop and pay again to restore the features they stripped out.

"...pre-mature design choices" I think this is exactly the problem. Or a big part of it. I still think Apple should have *one* top tier model that actual imbues 'Pro'. Not every possible bell and whistle— somebody would still have a use for the ExpressCard slot, but really... Maybe the next CPU upgrade will allow for 32G of low-powered RAM. And seriously, drop the 8G minimum and make it 16G across the board. Ethernet. Maybe next year... At this point it feels like this line of MBPs was designed literally *solely* for aesthetics and from, with next to no regard for function, with the results rationalized, not explained. That usually the mantra when Apple drops a feature, but time usually shows that Apple made a reasoned decision regarding functionality, and not a whimsical one. I wish Phil had a set of 'courage' and had said 'We wanted to build the slimmest, lightest, most elegant MBP ever, regardless of the impact on functionality. Deal with it.' Hate to think that would have been more honest, but that's my feeling.

Well, it's not just a financial hit. The old legacy ports are larger, which, like the old headphone jack, takes up valuable space inside the machine. The new USB-C ports are quite a bit smaller, which is partly why the ne MBP has such a smaller volume compared to its predecessor. So take your pick... a fatter, heavier machine with the ports you want, or a slim lightweight machine with one port from which you can use a connector. Apple believes most regular people (not the bloggers or tech press) will be in the latter category.

+1

Bigger doesn't really mean heavier does it?

It depends on the materials used, I mean it's always going to be heavier but it could be by a trivial amount

So, what is the difference in weight exactly? I'm still on the fence. I have a late 2012 MBP 15". RAM's been upgraded and I've replaced the hard drive with an SSD. It's still a fast machine but I really want a nicer display. Personally, I'm just tired of having to get new cables and adapters every time Apple decides what is better for us. You'd think they could at least give us one free cable so that I could connect my iPhone? The choices they're making lately are really irritating me. I guess I'm just getting old. LOL.

Legacy ports are certainly larger and USB-C is the future and there will be these growing pains but, this is supposedly a "pro" laptop so yes, a slightly fatter, heavier machine that can do the job it needs to do is preferred over a light machine that costs a fortune and can't do the job; I think that's one of the reasons people are frustrated. The touchbar may be the start of something amazing but as it is, and I don't think I'm alone here, I'd take 4 USB-C slots, 16GB RAM and and SD slot in exchange.

I've never used the SD slot on my former MBP or my Mac mini. With the reports of record orders of the 2016 MPB, I wonder why people are buying it. There's been a LOT of coverage of the torch and pitchfork reactions. That's to be expected. Given what the MPB has dropped, I'm curious as to who is buying this, and why. But that doesn't make headlines or clicks, so that'll get little if any coverage. Not really in the market for a new MPB just yet, I'll probably wait until the 2017 models and the next Intel processor.

Who is buying it? I think the record orders have more to do with simple pent up demand waiting for the new machine than the particular selection (or omission) of ports. The new Touch bar and other updates likely outweigh what's been removed for most.

RE: "Schiller is a huge camera enthusiast, particularly for Leica..."
Ah, so he's one of those "lifestyle" photographers. Got it. RE: "... more and more cameras are starting to build wireless transfer into the camera. That's proving very useful."
He's right there, I admit. Many pro SLR's do indeed include wifi transfer nowadays. RE: "That last part is illuminating."
That part about more people than ever ordering MBPs? Yeah, Apple execs have been saying the same about "more people than ever" switching from Android, or "more people than ever" buying iPhones, blah blah, and yet sales of Apple products are down across the board compared to past years. RE: "We've been through these transitions before, with FireWire, MagSafe 1, DVI, VGA, and more. I've bought and used dongles every time."
True, but have you ever needed a dongle for connecting Apple products to Apple products? Apple are supposed to masters of ecosystem integration. This isn't a masterful move in the least. Considering the price of these new MBPs and the 12" MacBook as well (heinously expensive for what you get), they should have included adapters in the box, at the very least. RE: "The kind of people who self-identify as "pro" is broader and more diverse than it was in generations past."
Like bloggers who identify themselves as journalists, or emoji pack makers that identify themselves as graphic designers, or Beats and Bose users that identify themselves as audiophiles? Okay, got it.

I really don't understand all the complaints about missing this and missing that. OMG!!!! This new laptop is incredible.. I have two Canon Prosumer Camera's that have built in wifi for transfers. I've never even used the SD Card slot.. Forgot it was there.. In my older MacBook Pro that has a CD drive, I took it out and put an additional 2TB HD. That was useful. I haven't burned or even used a CD or DVD in almost 3 years. Technology is moving forward and some people just hate change. I Love it and embrace it all. To all the complainers out there, theirs plenty of other computers you can buy....

Oh, just let us complain a little! First world problems, you know.

I have a Sony a6000. It takes forever to transfer 100 photos using the built-in wifi. Also, if you didn't happen to use wifi to transfer photos from a previous shoot and transferred them a different way, it includes them as well and there is no way (that I know of) to change that. Not all the complaints are without merit. Hey, I'm all for moving forward. In fact, I preach it. For me, I'm just tired of having to buy new cables and adapters so often. For Pro users, I think Apple has to realize we have a huge investment in the equipment and peripherals we use for our livelihood. A legacy port would have helped in the transition. As for your comments on other computers to buy. What other computers are there to buy if you want Mac OS?

I agree. My common workflow for a non high volume photo-shoots is to load the SD in the computer, open the images with lightroom or bridge and pick those photos I want to edit and keep, and I then just erase the rest from the card. Wireless has no role in this. But then again, It can still be done with yet other adapter -- that I hope I do not lose when in a remote area while traveling. I'll probably buy 2! It will be just a minor annoyance.

Right but have you every ended up with hundreds of RAW files after shooting for an event or tried moving video files via WiFi? It's definitely a sh***show. And yes, DVD/CD slots have gone away but, cameras didn't write to them natively so it's not quite the same comparison. And it's not just complaining, it's a whole audience of users who are being told that a prettier machine is better than a well-rounded one. People who have used MBP to do photo/video/design/web work as a way of earning a living.With only 2 ports on the new sub-$1800 MBP means I can't charge, connect to a monitor and offload footage at the same time, which is a very light workflow. As this is a "pro" laptop made by a company who so regularly provided kickass versions of this series, it's a let down to a decent number of professionals to be told these limitations are necessary. Yes it's beautiful, yes USB-C is a good move but, no SD and only 2 ports on cheaper models is a bit of a bummer to many people. It sounds like this works fine for you but, that said, a solid MB Air would probably have done the job too. It's that the MacBook Pro has disappointed the "Pro" audience that has always loved and felt considered by this line of laptops because they appear to be catering to the a different user group all of a sudden. Time will tell though, I mean, I'm gonna need a new laptop myself in the next year or two so, we shall see...

The record orders are simply because of the people holding off purchase because the old models were so outdated and everyone knew a design refresh was in line. I ordered a 15 inch on release date, but thats because I was holding off purchase for so long.

I disagree that a card reader (essentially a dongle) is a better solution than a built in SD card slot. The only part that I agree with is ditching the magnetic charger; the most hated part of my Macbook Pro.

The magnetic charger can be annoying when it constantly pops out, but at the same time it prevents many expensive machines from being destroyed. It'd be cool to have something on the MacBook Pro that allows you to use a magnetic charger, if you want it that is

Yet another dongle -- a magnetic one! This thing is going to start looking like medusa.

I think Apple users are justifiable in being perturbed that Apple took out the SD card slot and didn't provide even a single USB-A port. Apple had the room. Instead they made a ludicrous design decision to supersize the track pad, something nobody asked for or particularly needs. That might have been okay if the track pad did anything more than it does, like Pencil support. But it apparently does not. So what's the point? You take away things people do want, give them things they don't want or didn't ask for, and you hike the price. I think that's bad design choices made by an insular group who each think of themselves as Steve Jobs. I think there's no SD card or USB-A because someone has OCD and it would mar his idilic vision for his creation. Next they'll get rid of the physical keyboard and tell us all the problems with keyboards.

"Next they'll get rid of the physical keyboard and tell us all the problems with keyboards." What a ludicrous and asinine statement. LOL! But at the rate Apple is going with removing usefulness from their products, you may be right. I am heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem. I have a 5K iMac and an aging 2009 MacBook that I was looking to replace. I wanted to go the Pro route so I could do some of the heavy lifting my iMac can do, on the go. But since I mainly use the MacBook for web surfing (because it only has 4 GB RAM). I guess I could purchase an MacBook Air and forget about editing on the go.

Apple isn't removing usefulness from their products, they're either removing things that the majority don't use, or removing things that are old

Would be true if they switched to is usbc on their new phones. But no.

I think the iPhone will use USB-C at some point, it's a shame that it didn't happen on the iPhone 7. The MacBook Pro is going forward though by switching to USB-C, whichever way you look at it

I have the Nikon D5500 camera and I hate the wireless transfer utility. It's either slow, kills off the battery much quicker, or the images transferred aren't full size or raw. Every now and again, when I take photos from my DSLR, i pop the SD card into the laptop, load the raw images in, and then sync the RAW images as is to the iPhone... and then can edit those images directly on the iPhone as needed. "We've been through these transitions before, with FireWire, MagSafe 1, DVI, VGA, and more. I've bought and used dongles every time. No dongle I've ever used proved necessary beyond about a year, though, even when the MacBook lasted me three or four." I don't think that this'll be the case this time around. Time will tell! Connectivity options, available ports, etc. are a major part of any professional's decision in choosing a machine. My current laptop has 4 USB Ports and Two display outputs (HDMI + Mini-Display Port) and all 6 of them are in use. There's the SD Card and 3 audio ports, and they're frequently used as well - i tried using wireless headphones and hated it as anything in a good price doesn't sound too good and anything that actually does sound good is a bit too overprice - plus there's the whole hassle of charging the item too. Yes, there are certain ports (2 USB ports) that i can free up as the devices connected to them are not used for a major part of the day, but as a professional, i have my desk set up with two displays with the laptop sitting between the external displays, and the other devices connected all over, etc. and it gives me peace of mind. When I need to disconnect something and use another device in its place, it can be quite annoying working through the dongles and/or wires. But then again, like you said, this here is my case only. Others may be just fine with the ports and no SD-Card on their machine.

Can't you connect your camera through USB to transfer the files?

Rene you seriously give Apple a free pass for any stupid move they make. Posted from my Nexus 6P

Not really, he explained why it was removed pretty well

Pretty well? Have you ever tried to wirelessly transfer images from your camera to computer? You can't seriously tell me that turning on wifi, connecting, and using a third party app to transfer images is more convenient then taking a card out and inserting into your laptop. This laptop is not for a pro, it's for the same people that buy beats headphones. "Prosers" - People that want to look pro, but have no idea what they are buying it for other than the brand perception and that it's expensive.

Yes I have, and it's quick and simple. Wireless is always easier than wired, as you don't need to be dealing with cables, or finding the cable if you don't know exactly where it is

Are you kidding me? Wireless IS NOT always easier than wired! Have you tried transferring images wirelessly on a Sony a6000. It's slow and sucks. And who are these people who have trouble "finding the cable"? LOL. Thanks to Apple, I have two desk drawers full of cables AND dongles. Wireless is great, no doubt, but easier? Nope.

Personally, I don't use the SD-card on my MBP. That is mainly because I use CF on my SLR even when there are both CF and SD-card. And when I do use SD-card, I was using the adaptor. To be honest, I don't even know when was the last time I use the SD-card slot on the MBP. For me the new MBP without SD-card slot is fine. I will not miss it.

It's not just the SD slot, Apple decided that every peripheral I own now needs a dongle, every peripheral. My USB backup drive, my thunderbolt scratch disc, my scanner, my thumb drives, my monitor and my SD card. Now I haven't seen the new machines up close but surely we could have squeezed a port or two onto these babies without adding too much weight? Will we even notice the weight loss since we'll be adding the dongle bag to our back packs?

I agreed that it is more than just SD-card. I am sure Apple could keep a legacy port. Perhaps, Apple did it to avoid a technical debt and move on. As we all knew, it's how Apple is doing thing. At some degree, I am agreed with the move. I do have few peripherals myself including monitor with display-port. I also agreed that it will inconvinience me at time and it is usually lesser as time go by. Perhaps, Apple should included a cheap adaptor to make transition. I have 2016 MB and I have been using it since MB was refreshed. I do have USBC hub for other pheriperal which I rarely use. I am sure at somepoint, I would say "oh crab, I forgot the dongle". Again, I am still good with the move Apple made.

Using USB-C on the new MacBook without any old ports was a good idea, they should've just provided the adapters in the box

I love the Macbook. it look absolutely gorgeous. I personally don't mind having certain ports taken away since it i will be using the laptop for at least 5 - 6 years and by then things would have changed. but i don't like it when Apple give stupid reasons for removing things. Especially this quote regarding SC Card Slot. "One, it's a bit of a cumbersome slot. You've got this thing sticking halfway out." Doesn't the charger stick out when its plugged in? i bet you it sticks out more than the SD card slot. lol
Every single thing on the Macbook Pro sticks out a little once you have plugged something in. So I'm not falling for that reason.. #RantOver ^_^

so you're perfectly okay with being inconvenienced during the first third to half of your device's lifespan (instead of just the end) because you're hoping it lasts 5-6 years ... got it.

Of course he's ok with that, Apple are pushing people and other companies towards the future, using USB-C for almost everything, no more dealing with 5 different types of ports. Using adapters for a short-while isn't that much of an inconvenience, really.

I bought my first MacBook Pro back in March, well aware that it was probably going to get refreshed over the summer. I went against my own better judgement to wait because I was just so sick of dealing with all of the Windows updates and lockups (windows user since the 90s, haven't touched a Mac since high school - pre OS X). As summer approached I began to dread the possibility of immediate buyers remorse if Apple released anything groundbreaking. The rumored touch bar was intriguing. But time passed and no new Macs. Now it's late Fall and the worst of the rumors turned out to be true: Apple completely neutered the MacBook Pro! Now understand me. If this were the Air, a device for the masses, I doubt we would see as much of a pushback. But this is the MacBook Pro, targeted at power users who use their computers to get stuff done. I'm not in that field, but I bought this thing because I wanted the convenience of all of the features built in so I didn't need to carry around the dongles. Looking back I have zero regrets. The new MacBook Pro has 4 of a port that almost nobody uses yet, and none of the useful ones. Unlike the iPhone, they didn't provide even a single adapter in the box. They ditched MagSafe, which is one of my favorite MacBook features. I have a 13' MacBook Pro so the new processor is only one generation newer than what I have. The TouchBar is interesting, but may still be a gimmick. Only time will tell there. But they priced it out of my affordability range, so I'll have to wait and see what the consensus is. So for me this generation is a pass. I'll take another look next year. And let's stop making excuses and pretending that Apple did this for any reason other than the fact that they WANTED TO!

That's a lot of negatives without seeing the positives. "The new MacBook Pro has 4 of a port that almost nobody uses yet, and none of the useful ones." The new MacBook Pro has 4 next generation ports, which is what you'd expect from a next generation MacBook Pro. Regardless of whether anyone uses it or not, it's the next generation of USB and it will be widely used soon. It's already on some other laptops and on some new smartphones too, currently we're just in a transition process but it won't take too long. As for saying they're not "useful", that's absurd, USB-C can be used for almost anything, video/audio, data transfer, charging, it's amazingly useful to have a single type of port that can do all of these things without having to require a different cable for a different task. "They ditched MagSafe, which is one of my favorite MacBook features." I agree with you on the MagSafe, although one thing you have to remember, is that some people found it a nuisance. The best solution would be to provide an option that would allow people to choose whether they wanted MagSafe or not, maybe something that plugs into the USB-C port that then allows you to connect a magnetic charger. "I have a 13' MacBook Pro so the new processor is only one generation newer than what I have." Well, you bought it in March, so that makes sense. "The TouchBar is interesting, but may still be a gimmick." It may be a gimmick, but given history, generally things Apple have implemented in their products that appeared to be gimmicks at first sight actually proved to be very useful. Stuff like Live photos, 3D touch on the iPhone, were seen as gimmicks to a lot of people but they're actually great features. The only big problem that the Touch Bar might have is application support. Hopefully developers will get on this quick, and then I can see it being really useful. "But they priced it out of my affordability range" I agree on this as well, not sure what's with the price but I think everyone agrees that the prices are ridiculous. "And let's stop making excuses and pretending that Apple did this for any reason other than the fact that they WANTED TO!" I'm not really sure what's meant by this unless you're referring to the price, in which case yep Apple definitely wanted to put the prices up, it's all about those green bills, however I still think this is a great machine and a great upgrade for a lot of people providing the price doesn't set your wallet on fire.

His reasoning may be solid, but the presentation of the idea is ridiculous considering every extended use case now requires an even more obtrusive piece of plastic in the form of a dongle or an adapter of some kind.

As someone in the comments mentioned earlier, an SDcard can represent a cheap and easy permanent storage upgrade, in addition to being a standard for cameras. I have an SDcard in my laptop persistently that has 128 gigs of music, books and TV shows/Movies. It allows all of the space on my SSD to be "working space"

I am a photography enthusiast. I NEVER used the built in card reader in any of my notebooks. Mac or PC based. I always used the card reader as I found it faster, and having different cards I could just use the USB reader. I do NOT see the big deal. ****, my last three PC based notebooks never had them either…NO big deal!

Was looking forward to the release of a new MBP as I've worked on my mid-2010 MBP for the last almost 7 years. It's served me well but is now getting long in the tooth.
I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in with the new MBP. I do not want to spend 1500+ and have to get by with two ports - even two that I cannot use. and then have to have these ridiculous looking dongles hanging off of it. I love the form factor of my 2010 - I don't care if the new one weighs a pound lighter and is and inch thinner. Big F'N deal. - I don't want to be ripped off for a tiny hard drive, lose conventional usb ports, lose a magsafe adaptor, and a sd card slot. And from everyone I hear from, no one likes the new keyboard....seriously.
Now I'm in the market for a Macbook Air, or a refurb'ed 2015 or 2012 MBP. Apple is pricing out people by offering them less.

Why? Because apple saves a lot money not putting one in.
When Steve was around apple made great products. Now Apple makes beautiful products. Which are just beautiful but missing a lot features and innovation

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