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Design For the Present (marco.org)
Technology critic Marco Arment, who co-hosts an Apple-centric podcast called ATP with John Siracusa and Casey Liss, has shared his take on the design of the recently launched MacBook Pro models. Apple's decision to get rid of USB Type-A ports has irked many, with some saying that the company should have left at least a few USB Type-A ports on the computer, even if what it strives to do is lead the industry in how a computer should look like. Arment shares the sentiment. From a blog post: The new MacBook Pro is probably great, and most of the initial skepticism probably won't age well. But I want to pick on one aspect today. Having four USB-C ports is awesome. Having only four USB-C ports is going to hurt the versatility requirement of pro gear, because there's a very real chance that you won't have the right dongle when you need it. This is going to happen a lot, because even though USB-C is the future, it's definitely not the present. We've had the standard USB plug (USB-A) in widespread use for 18 years, and it's going to take a few more years for USB-C to become so ubiquitous that we can get away without USB-A ports most of the time. A pro laptop released today should definitely have USB-C ports -- mostly USB-C ports, even -- but it should also have at least one USB-A port. Including a port that's still in extremely widespread use isn't an admission of failure or holding onto the past -- it's making a pragmatic tradeoff for customers' real-world needs. I worry when Apple falls on the wrong side of decisions like that, because it's putting form (and profitability) over function."Design for the future, but accommodate the reality of the present," he adds.
I'm ticked not only about the lack of USB-A ports, but that they're moving away from MagSafe power supplies. I LOVE that feature, and it has saved many a laptop of ours from damage as we have a rampaging standard poodle who does not respect power cords when we're sitting on the couch. My current laptop is a MBP 2011, I can't see me moving past the '14, which I think is the last year for MagSafe and SD card reader. Maybe I'll just keep my '11 and we'll see how long an SSD will keep it alive, then we'll see if Apple comes back to their senses or the ghost of Jobs returns to take over the company.
I'm surprised that Belkin or someone else hasn't made a C-to-MagSafe adapter for MacBook owners.
When you sympathize with stupidity, you start thinking like an idiot.
No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.
When everything is USC-C then this whole argument about having the right dongle inverts. Right now I have storage bins filled with various saved cables converting between all different USB plugs, DVI, HDMI, VGAWall warts with all different diameter plugs, firewire, thunderbolt... I'm sure I have over 100 cables to cover all the possible ports on the vavious machines in my office.
Standardizing on one port for the next 5 to ten years is going to be a joy. I'll gladly carry dongles for he various peripheral connectors I target if I can at least standardized one end of them to USB-C. It's the interconversions that turn a few into many by creating a product space.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Anyone with a clue knows they removed the headphone jack because PoS services such as Square Reader were in direct competition with Apple Pay and Square relied heavily on the jack. Courage is nothing but marketing bullshit.
Fixed the subject line for you.
Apple creates superior interfaces. Through custom (& patented) hardware and software. And a lot of thought.
Personally I can't stand the Apple tax (that those same patents enable), but as an engineer, designer and analyst I have to give them full credit for their interfaces. Well. Thought. Out.
As to the latest MBP, it is much like Windows 10 -- put annoying stuff into your product when sales are flagging -- it will give the press something to chatter about and any publicity is good publicity.
I come here for the love