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Apple's New MacBook Pro Requires a $25 Dongle To Charge Your iOS Device (networkworld.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Network World: As Phil Schiller explained during today's event, Apple's new MacBook Pros feature four Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C ports, and conveniently, each of these can be used to charge the machine. Now, USB-C is incredibly versatile, and Apple will use the advanced port for power charging, HDMI and much more. However, with USB-C the only game in town, you might reasonably be wondering: How in the world do I connect my iPhone to my sleek new MacBook Pro? The frustrating answer is that you won't be able to do so out of the box. Instead, you'll have to buy a dongle. This is especially frustrating because many people use their notebooks for a) charging purposes when an outlet isn't necessarily handy and b) for transferring photos and other data. Now, you might reasonably state that you can just rely upon the cloud for items like data transfer, but there's no getting around the fact that Apple's efforts in the cloud still leave much to be desired. How much will it cost to connect your iPhone to your brand new MacBook Pro? Well, Apple sells a USB-C to Lightning cable on its website for $25. While this is undoubtedly frustrating, we can't say that it's entirely unexpected given Apple gave us a preview of its preference for USB-C when it released its 12-in. MacBook last year. Still, it's a funky design choice for a decidedly Pro-oriented device where the last thing a prospective consumer would want to do is spend some extra cash for a dongle after spending upwards of $2,399. Lastly, while we're on the topic of ports, it's worth noting that the new MacBook Pros also do away with the beloved MagSafe connector.
Especially when you chain 37 adapters and hubs together to gain back the functionality you had just 3 years ago...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
Non-techies often giggle when I use the word "dongle". Can't we find a better word before HR hauls me in for alleged harassment?
Table-ized A.I.
It looks a lot like the past
This signature is false.
How can Apple possibly justify wasting valuable internal space on the 3.5mm headphone jack? If they removed that archaic interface they could likely shave off another 0.15mm, present another glossy graphic where that 0.15mm saving looks like a 30% reduction in thickness, and sell their customers yet another dongle.
It converts between Lightning and USB-C but accomplishes it by converting the Lightning port to an internal Firewire port, which then converts to an internal USB port, which converts to an HDMI port, and finally goes out as USB-C.
They are currently busy removing that archaic interface known as the keyboard one row at a time. Given them a chance to finish that before they start removing all the remaining ports.
...to "Throbbing Pleasure Shaft."
There! Problem solved!
Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)
http://www.lawrenceperson.com/
Wow, charging over wireless? I hadn't heard of that feature.
It requires a dongle -- that you plug into the wall.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
No, you don't get it. Apple makes a greater percentage profit on their cables than on their laptops. For example, with the $25 dongle the article mentions, Apple makes 235% profit. That's right, Apple makes $58.75 in profit, and that's after deducting the $1.18 cost for material and labor.
In addition, you haven't heard about the mandatory Cable-a-Month club membership that comes with every new MacBook. Since Mac users aren't good at maths, they never realize the monthly charge on their credit card for a USB-C to Lightning cable. They just assume they are getting a new cable in the mail every month for free.
So, you see, it's very simple how Apple makes much more money off their $25 cables than they do on their $2500 laptops.
If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.