[CASA]

MacBookPro is not the digital Hub which Steve Jobs promised !

Apple has created a new laptop computer, the MacBookPro, excellent !
Apple is interested in photographers with their new "capture" oriented software ... Excellent !
Apple, represented by Steve Jobs will hold a Press conference on 25. October, 1 day before the official opening of the PhotoKina in Cologne... Excellent !

But there is a new problem which puts the trust photographers vow to Apple to the test.

MacBookPro is not digital Hub that Steve Jobs promised. All the professional laptops were always equipped by Apple with a built-in reader making it possible to import from compact flash cards (via a PCMCIA/CF adapter). With the MacBookPro it is not possible any more to insert a card because the available housing is too small! (Compact Flash card is 3,7cm wide whilst the ExpressCard 3/4 is 3,4cm wide) However, Apple, though having certainly made the right choice of technology – the new standard "ExpressCard" is indeed much faster than the old PC card standard. But where we are baffled, is why Apple chose the worst of the two version of ExpressCard since the standard "ExpressCard 5/4" (5,4cm broad) would have made it possible for photographers to work as they were used to and hope being able to go on working.

"An external reader it is the solution!" This official answer from Apple will not calm the anger of the photographers, because an external reader has three major defects: it is cumbersome, can be forgotten/lost and is more likely to quickly break down - which is quite simply not acceptable for professionals.

Our wish is that Apple quickly re-examines this element for the next line of MacBook pros, the confidence that photographers and creators in general have in Apple depend on that.


Didier Casagrande, Photo Studio Casagrande, Geneva Switzerland