[skyhawkmatthew]

I used my new MacBook Pro's SD card slot for the first time today, and noticed that, in true Apple fashion, a cute SD card icon appears on the desktop instead of the generic "removable media" icon we all know and love. I just thought it to be an interesting observation.

Desktop icon:


Get Info window:


In the Finder:


Also note that, like when the aluminium iMacs came out, the new MacBook Pro doesn't have the correct corresponding "computer" icon, showing up as a non-unibody model.

[media sorcerer]

I used my new MacBook Pro's SD card slot for the first time today, and noticed that, in true Apple fashion, a cute SD card icon appears on the desktop instead of the generic "removable media" icon we all know and love. I just thought it to be an interesting observation.

Desktop icon:


Get Info window:


In the Finder:


Also note that, like when the aluminium iMacs came out, the new MacBook Pro doesn't have the correct corresponding "computer" icon, showing up as a non-unibody model.

[media sorcerer]

i noticed the same icon today too!!!!! i got a 2gig sd card as well from supermarket just to see how it works,and good pikup on computer icon in finder window,!!!!!

[Genshin]

Seeing as you can create a copy of OS X on your SD card to use as an emergency bootable backup, I'm wondering if I was to purchase an SD card reader - would I be able to do the same thing with my earlier unibody MacBook Pro? Theoretically that sounds right. Anyone know?

[media sorcerer]

Seeing as you can create a copy of OS X on your SD card to use as an emergency bootable backup, I'm wondering if I was to purchase an SD card reader - would I be able to do the same thing with my earlier unibody MacBook Pro? Theoretically that sounds right. Anyone know?

i kno u can boot from an external hdrive so why not,so long as theres enough memory to hold the os etc,you would need an 8 gig card i think,but not sure.

[mickdevlin]

Seeing as you can create a copy of OS X on your SD card to use as an emergency bootable backup, I'm wondering if I was to purchase an SD card reader - would I be able to do the same thing with my earlier unibody MacBook Pro?

I don't know but you could follow the instructions given on this podcast using a card reader then tell us if it works.

[bitingmidge]

It's all very cool and everything, but why in reality would one want to boot from an SD card?

Surely if you've got a major headache, you'd boot from a repair disk or your backup?

Cheers,

P

[bitingmidge]

Well, for one thing, carrying an SD card around sure is easier than toting a bootable DVD.

Well now I'm curious.

How many people actually carry bootable drives "just in case"?

I do, but it's my superduper backup, I figure if I have a problem half way between Thargominda and Boulia, or France and Italy for that matter, well it's going to stay a problem!

Now I'll ask another question if I may: How many times in the life of a computer does one need to actually boot from a separate disk and if you do, what am I doing wrong that gives me so much reliability?

My eMac is still in daily use at one of my kid's houses, and hasn't ever been booted from a CD (except to upgrade the system).

My iMac is a mere 18 months old, and I can't imagine why I'd want to separately boot it.

My PowerBook, has had it's share of CD booting this week as I've been doing a bit of trouble shooting, (and finding it too I might add.... trouble that is), but after nearly six years, that's the first time, and we've just got back from six weeks on the road without needing it.

None of the above is an attempt to be smart, I just want to know why some people clearly need to boot from a disk so often that they need to burn and OS on an SD card and carry it beside their heart!

Cheers,

P

[MacDavo]

My guess is no-one is missing the expresscard slot right? Of the 2 I'd rather have express card than SD. I've got too many digital devices that take different media types, so the SD slot would only be of limited use.

[media sorcerer]

if you think along the lines of, its better to have it and not need it,than to need it and not have it,then being able to boot from a tiny highly portable card is quite the very handy,i was wondering if instead of having to carry an external harddrive you could carry 2 usb flash drives and an sd card,if they were each 16 gig,youd have 48 gig of external memory,if each ext storage device is 32 gig,youd have 96 gig ,thats a lot of memory for a tiny footprint,i dont miss the express34,but im sure lots will,one of those things about apple ,cant please everyone i guess.

[bitingmidge]

The point has already been made that we all have different requirements.

I bought a 320Gb drive last month for $149.00 and have a 500 one will be TM, one Super Duper. I'm debating which one to leave at home at the moment, but in three months away, I'll easily do 100GB of photos (after turfing the crooks ones away!) so I'm happy with some decent backup.

The drives are wallet size, so one gets carried in my wife's kit, well away from the laptop and other gear to minimise our chances of losing the lot if a bad guy catches up with us!

Cheers,

P

[mickdevlin]

My guess is no-one is missing the expresscard slot right? Of the 2 I'd rather have express card than SD.

I'm reluctant to use the Express/34 Card slot on my (mid-2007) MBP because of the potential for heat build-up.

I've got too many digital devices that take different media types, so the SD slot would only be of limited use.

That problem is the reason that I consider what type of media such devices use when shopping for a new gadget. I prefer to standardise on SD cards, so avoiding the problem of having a plethora of different and incompatible cards.

[mickdevlin]

For those without SD card slots (i.e. the majority of us), Ted Landau found a while ago that it was possible to boot a Mac from a thumb (USB) drive. He posted the procedure on MacFixIt.

[media sorcerer]

For those without SD card slots (i.e. the majority of us), Ted Landau found a while ago that it was possible to boot a Mac from a thumb (USB) drive. He posted the procedure on MacFixIt.

thats good to know mick,will have a look at that,i rekon not many usually carry install cds around when out wit mac,but easy to carry usb flash etc,

[bitingmidge]

But if I'm in San Francisco and the night before Macworld my MacBook Pro can't start up without a kernel panic, I'm more likely to run a fresh system install and recovery from back-up than try to troubleshoot the problem, which likely will take longer than the nuke and pave approach.

I guess that's my point Chris, but I must be special, or boring, or something, because I've never had a kernel panic, not ever. I've had a complete hard drive failure, and yesterday at home while trying a few "things" like resetting the Power Unit after swapping RAM cars to diagnose a slot failure, but never, ever since OS10 have I had to boot from a disk in anger.

What am I doing wrong?

By carrying a bootable backup, in theory I can access all my stuff via another Mac in anycase. Perhaps it's a bit like driving in the desert, where, after water, the fundamental rule is "Carry two spare tyres". If you carry two spare tyres, you are guaranteed never to get a flat.

I ask it as a serious question, one that I've asked at the top of this thread; - how often does one in the normal course of events, have to boot from a separate disk?

Cheers,

P

[Genshin]

I've never had to use a backup, or had to boot from another drive. That doesn't mean it may never happen however.

I like to think I have a good solid backup and recovery plan. I make a regular Carbon Copy of my internal drive with Carbon Copy Cloner to an external desk-top drive, as well as using TM on a portable drive. My other WD passport drive which was only 5 months old recently packed it in (it contained my entire iTunes and iPhoto libraries), so I bought the larger external desk-top drive.

I just thought it was an interesting question. Better to be safe than sorry. Besides, 32GB SDHD cards here are very cheap as are 32GB USB thumb drives and they are easier to carry and more reliable (?) than HDDs.

[skyhawkmatthew]

I don't think there's much of a reliability difference between HDDs and flash drives, except of course, when you're moving around a lot the HDD is more likely to be damaged than the flash memory. I expect, however, that the added reliability is nullified by the extra "loseability" from being so small

[Genshin]

I don't think there's much of a reliability difference between HDDs and flash drives, except of course, when you're moving around a lot the HDD is more likely to be damaged than the flash memory. I expect, however, that the added reliability is nullified by the extra "loseability" from being so small

Mmmm. Good points.