You can add up to 128GB of additional storage to your MacBook without having to have a new disk installed. With the Nifty MiniDrive, you can add storage to most recent models of the MacBook with an SD card slot. The MiniDrive is essentially an SD card adapter for microSD cards, but it’s designed to fit flush with the side of the MacBook. Since the card doesn’t stick out the side of the laptop, you can leave the card in place all the time, without worrying about accidentally hitting the card or finding that the laptop doesn’t fit into its protective sleeve with it in place. The MiniDrive is made of “precision-machined and hand-polished aluminum”, and it’s available in silver to blend in with the MacBook or in red. It fits so snugly, you’ll need to use the included removal tool if you want to take it out to swap microSD cards. It’s plug-and-play, so you won’t need any software to use it. Treat it as a secondary disk for storage or as an always-available backup disk. It’s available in different versions to fit MacBooks with or without Retina displays and to fit the 13″ MacBook Air. (There’s no model for the 11″ Air, because that laptop has no SD card reader.) The Nifty MiniDrives come with a 2GB microSD card, and you can replace it with up to 128GB microSD cards. Each MiniDrive is $39.99. They are available at Nifty’s website or Facebook page.
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I have said this many times but it bears repeating. If Apple designed the SD slot right, this product would never exist…
Why would one buy a non-standard flash card instead of an SD card?
@RainyDayInterns Because Apple didn’t use a standard SD slot…
But the SD cards will still work …no?
Ahh…this is a micro SD card adapter and will work with any micro-SD card. Guess that is a pretty option if one does not want anything sticking out.
Of course, regular SD cards will work in the MacBook slots. The MiniDrive is a way to use microSD cards in an adapter that fits flush against the side of the MacBook so you can leave it in all the time without worry that it will get hit against something or keep your laptop from fitting into sleeves and cases.
$39.99 for a SDCard adapter??? Are the folks at Nifty’s insane??? Or do they feel Macbook owners are burdened with too much cash and need to be relieved of it?
Adafruit has these for $6
@Leslie Wong Adafruit has standard SD card adapters. They aren’t the same thing as these MiniDrives. They will stick out the side of the laptop, just as standard SD cards do, not fit flush against the sides of the laptop as the MiniDrive does..
All for the sake of Esthetics! 🙂
As of 5/2/14 at 6:15 am, Nifty’s no longer has the model for the 11 inch MacBook Air and will not be making more. 🙁
@Sandee I don’t believe any version of the 11″ Air has ever has a built-in SD card reader, so they can’t use one of these MiniDrives. That’s a shame, too, because we have 11″ Airs in my family, and my daughter could certainly use one with her 128GB model. Right now, she keeps a 64GB microSD card in an Elago Nano USB microSD card reader always plugged in. It’s pretty low profile, but it does stick out about 1/4 inch.