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Poor Design on iMac 27" with CD and SD slots

jjo

jjo

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 22, 2007
71
12
Pittsburgh, PA
Just had a scare. I went to insert my SD card into the SD slot, and--whoops! I put it in the CD slot. I got it out with tweezers, but just be careful.

They should have spaced it better, or put them on opposite sides of the machine.
 
its a design flaw , i mentioned it in another post its a accident waiting to happen and its costly if you cant get it out yourself ,in the other post one was quoted ~200 dollar to get the sd card out of the superdrive from someone in a apple store as they have to take it apart

and in my opinion it certainly would not have spoiled the look if they would have fitted the card reader at the bottom corner and the superdrive at the top corner insted of both direct in the middle

new-iMac-SD-card-slot.png

absolutely to close together, apple cant expect people to stand up walk around the desk to see where they slot in the sd card , usually people sit in front and just put the sd card in the side intuitive , but this close together and same width there will be hundreds soon who try to get their sd card out of the superdrives
 
Is it reasonable to suggest that, just because a few people can't watch where they're sticking their SD cards, that it's a "design flaw"? There's only so much nannying that can be done before you have to be responsible for your own actions y'know...
 
I agree it could of been put lower but it's certainly not a poor design overall.
 
InsertName said:
Is it reasonable to suggest that, just because a few people can't watch where they're sticking their SD cards, that it's a "design flaw"? There's only so much nannying that can be done before you have to be responsible for your own actions y'know...
Click to expand...

I would normally agree for some other desktop, but the display is so damn big on the iMac you can't see the side of it when you are in front of the monitor! I don't use SD cards, preferring hooking my cameras up via USB, but I have found it annoying that I can't see the CD/DVD slot when inserting a disc (unless I stand up and move around the desk, which is too much to ask IMO). Instead, I end up fumbling around with the DVD on the side where I think the slot is until it slips in. At least I don't have to worry about putting the DVD in the SD slot, or I would be in trouble! :rolleyes:

I'm not complaining about the widescreen, however...it's amazing. But I agree that seperating out the SD and DVD slots (such as having the SD at the top or bottom and DVD in the middle) would have been more intuitive.
 
I'm sorry to talk smack about Apple, but yes, it IS a design flaw. It could have easily be place elsewhere. Heck, I would even liked the SD slot to be placed on the FRONT.

Sometimes, Apple is TOO concerned with form rather than function. (And I bet on future models, Apple will realize their mistake and the SD slot will be moved.)
 
i almost put the SD too far

i saw this topic in another post after reading i fell victim to it as well. luckily i noticed that the SD went to far and i pulled it out before it went all the way. it would have been nice if the sd reader was in front because its really hard to find on the side.
 
I always keep a CD or DVD halfway sticking out of my iMac, so I guess that might prevent this problem? I do this because I don't like the disk in the machine as it makes noise when it tries to spin it up sometimes even if you don't want it to, so I always have a disk halfway out. Sounds like it might be a good idea for owners of these machines.
 
the overall design is great , i do not say the whole iMac is a design flaw
its just the two slots are to close together


i love my iMac g3 `s design , drive at the front , ports on the side easy to reach same on my eMac drive on the front ports on the side and the emac has even the tilt and swivel stand so just a slight turn and ey all ports in sight

ok i understand that is not a option on the new ultra thin iMac to place the superdrive in the front , but back to the sd card reader what is wrong with hiding it behind a flap on the front maybe behind the apple logo press the apple logo and flap opens and sc card reader appears , it would not spoil the look
and if that is no option there would still be the keyboard it ould not even make the keyboard bigger , sd card readers are no floppy disc drive`s, sd card readers are very small they are very small , i do not have one on my eMac they did not come with one , but i do have one in the usb port of the apple alloy keyboard
and its very small just about a tiny bit bigger then a normal flash drive and it reads all cards sd ,micro sd ,mmc ....without adapter
 
If you can get a girl's bra unhooked without looking, you should be able to feel your way to inserting an SD card in the tiny little SD slot and not into the BIG DVD slot.

I may be assuming a lot here.:D
 
I'm sorry, but the CD slot is what.. 4-5"?.. the SD slot is 1"? How can anyone mistake the two?

It's a "design flaw" because people are stupid enough (and lazy), to stick a SD into the CD drive? Really? Are you people serious?!

Sorry, it's not a design flaw whatsoever. It's called stupidity on the user end.
 
nyguy4u said:
I'm sorry, but the CD slot is what.. 4-5"?.. the SD slot is 1"? How can anyone mistake the two?

It's a "design flaw" because people are stupid enough (and lazy), to stick a SD into the CD drive? Really? Are you people serious?!

Sorry, it's not a design flaw whatsoever. It's called stupidity on the user end.
Click to expand...

x2
 
nyguy4u said:
I'm sorry, but the CD slot is what.. 4-5"?.. the SD slot is 1"? How can anyone mistake the two?

It's a "design flaw" because people are stupid enough (and lazy), to stick a SD into the CD drive? Really? Are you people serious?!

Sorry, it's not a design flaw whatsoever. It's called stupidity on the user end.
Click to expand...

x3 - What are you people...on dope??
 
powerbook911 said:
I always keep a CD or DVD halfway sticking out of my iMac, so I guess that might prevent this problem? I do this because I don't like the disk in the machine as it makes noise when it tries to spin it up sometimes even if you don't want it to, so I always have a disk halfway out. Sounds like it might be a good idea for owners of these machines.
Click to expand...

Don't know if it addresses your particular concern, but did you know there's a new update that stops the Superdrive making any noise when the computer comes out of sleep? There are different versions for different Macs, including the iMac. They're on the Apple software page.
 
MacHamster68 said:
and in my opinion it certainly would not have spoiled the look if they would have fitted the card reader at the bottom corner and the superdrive at the top corner insted of both direct in the middle
Click to expand...

No, they can't. The internal design pretty much prevents the slots from being anywhere else, and changing the design would make things quite complicated.
 
jjo said:
I'm sorry to talk smack about Apple, but yes, it IS a design flaw. It could have easily be place elsewhere. Heck, I would even liked the SD slot to be placed on the FRONT.

Sometimes, Apple is TOO concerned with form rather than function. (And I bet on future models, Apple will realize their mistake and the SD slot will be moved.)
Click to expand...

And if they would have put it in the FRONT there would be 500 threads on why didn't they put the ugly slot on the SIDE?

"You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can`t please all the people all of the time..."

Apple could put out a gold covered iMac and people would bitch that the gold wasn't thick enough.

IMO.
 
ok i have the sollution next imac without cd card reader inside, and without superdrive instead everything external inside a new keyboard , it would just be a bit deeper so overall the design would not differ from now modern dvd rw drives are slim , and sd card readers anyway, but as its wireless or maybe wired whatever your preferences are, i prefer anyway wired devices , it would be the ideal as then you would have everything you need right in front of your fingers and in front of your eyes

but maybe apple thought about our health and a little exercise by standing up walking around the desk is good for us who sit 24/7 in front of the computer...did you kow that some gamers wear nappies because they do not want to go to the toilet in the middle of a game
 
ScottFitz said:
If you can get a girl's bra unhooked without looking, you should be able to feel your way to inserting an SD card in the tiny little SD slot and not into the BIG DVD slot.

I may be assuming a lot here.:D
Click to expand...

X10

you said it all! lolol if u can't get a girl's bra open without looking you don't deserve to own an imac! lolol, kidding.

Are people in such a worry, that can't look what they're doing, or so lazy that they can't get up a bit just to see the entrance?!?

How do they do with the USB/ethernet/other entrances, wich are on the back?!? would they blame Apple if they "accidently" connected the ethernet cable on the USB or firewire port?

For god sake people, wake up!!!
 
Design Flaw

I wouldn't have said the spacing between the CD/DVD drive and the SD cards slot was a design flaw itself...sure the large size of the 27" iMac makes for more reach in inserting cd's etc into the drive compared to smaller screen models, but not to the extent of the SD card slot being hard to use.

I find that Apple not including a Compactflash slot more of a design flaw as Pro togs like myself use digital SLR's that utilize CF cards and not SD cards, and considering that this iMac is aimed at people that want a near Mac Pro system...I'm often left wanting and having to resort to using an external CF card reader which takes up space and looks a bit silly when I already have a wireless mouse and keyboard that gives me more uncluttered working space.
 
Heilage said:
No, they can't. The internal design pretty much prevents the slots from being anywhere else, and changing the design would make things quite complicated.
Click to expand...

bull**** The inside parts can easily be moved. It would not even require moving the hard disks or other ports, just a minor redesign of the motherboard.

Teardown

I agree with everyone saying it's a design flaw. It's minor, but should be considered. On a screen that big where you have to reach around the side and feel where you can't see, that's just an accident waiting to happen.
 
Can you hear yourselfs?

Your chairs don't have wheels? Can't you moove sideways? Or are you in a 2x2 space?

i really can't understand you. why don't you ask for a job in the design department at apple?
 
Is it that hard to put a little vertical pressure on the card to tell if it is fitting in its designed hole or the larger disc drive? If it is going in the SD slot, you wouldn't be able to move it upward.

This "flaw" seems nothing more than haste.
 
ScottFitz said:
If you can get a girl's bra unhooked without looking, you should be able to feel your way to inserting an SD card in the tiny little SD slot and not into the BIG DVD slot.

I may be assuming a lot here.:D
Click to expand...

It depends of the size of the bra:D. Actually, unless your iMac sits in a box I found it rather easy to lean over and poke my head around the corner of the screen to see the slots. Its much more difficult to see the USB and firewire ports without going behind the machine so I bought a powered USB hub. I don't like having to feel for the ports.
 
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