5 ms·
Interestingly, the Retina MBP has a combo Ethernet MAC/PHY + memory card reader chip of which they're only using the latter function. I would guess that either
by sern 14y ago
Interestingly, the Retina MBP has a combo Ethernet MAC/PHY + memory card reader chip of which they're only using the latter function. I would guess that either the decision to drop the Ethernet port was made pretty late in the process or the board designers were kept in the dark about the mechanical design until it was too late to pick a different part.
Also, a PCI-E lane actually is 4 pins :)
Edit: reply to dead - standalone memory card reader ICs are standard components. The USB SD ICs they used in earlier models would have been easier to route (than the PCI-E combo chip) and probably cheaper.
- gte910h 14y agoThey have a SD card reader
- Morg 14y agoWell you guess wrong, Apple doesn't get much stuff made for them specifically, far less in the PC segment. I.E. they mostly use standard components, and that would be why they have a combo chip instead of the right stuff, as in many cases. Their SSDs are overclocked mSATA where they should be pcie, and there are many more stupid design decisions or just ease of production compromises that I won't even take the time to look at the black pcb to find out. Main thing is, most companies have suboptimal PCBs, and that doesn't matter much.
- gmac 14y agoI note from Anandtech's review that there were serious problems with the SD reader in earlier models, so perhaps they were deliberately avoiding those ICs?