Macbook Pro future compatibility

travisjpeterson · Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 10

I've noticed on the new Macbook Pros they've eliminated the Express34 slot. It is still available on the 17inch but it would appear that the Express34 slot will eventually be eliminated entirely. Will the MXO 2 ever be suited for a different interface--- USB 3.0? Firewire? I'm worried about the future compatibility of the MXO 2.

Andy Mees · Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 1016

The MXO3, if such a product is planned, who knows? But the MXO2 ... I'd say No. Firewire does not have the bandwidth for Uncompressed HD (which is why products like AJA's IoHD etc cannot handle it). USB 3 has the potential bandwidth but is packetised and so would not be suitable for sustained transfer. Other future protocols/interfaces (light peak etc) may be suitable for sure but these should not be expected to work with existing equipment .. you'd need new equipment. Nothing is future proof in this regard Travis, what possible reason would any manufacturer have to produce hardware that never needs upgrading? ... in our business we all have to move with the times, and whilst that can be expensive, its nowhere near as expensive as it used to be!
Hope it helps
Andy