Apple computer users are used to having to use an adapter for video for most of the designs
That right there says to me they have a failed approach to product design. When your product simply will not work UNLESS you include additional, external parts. That's simply not user-friendly.
As far "it's hard!" to add HDMI, pretty much all other computers manage to do it. As well as type A. Cheap and easy.
I think this is more like the iPhone dropping the 3.5mm jack - it's done so that people HAVE to work the way Apple wants them too OR buy a lot of really expensive dongles to force them to change their habits. It's not done for convenience or for the general consumer. It's done for Apple.
You can say what you want about Apple's design decisions; but I thought we were focusing on changes between the all-USB-C/TB3 MacBook Pros and earlier incarnations of the same products. To now go back and criticize Apple for continuing to do something they have been doing for DECADES is not germane to this particular debate.
As for the "adding HDMI", yes, some other laptops (though CERTAINLY not ALL) do have a dedicated HDMI port and/or USB-A port(s); however, as I stated in my previous post, if we are talking about the same series of CPUs as in the 2016 and/or 2017 MBPs, then the addition of those features could ONLY come at the expense of losing others. Namely, one of the USB-C/TB3 Ports.
There are only so many PCI "lanes" on these CPUs, and if you eat up some on a dedicated HDMI Port, then you don't have them available for Thunderbolt (at the very least). And it might come as a surprise to you; but not everyone needs a dedicated HDMI port on their laptop. So, having the option to do something ELSE with that I/O bandwidth is, for me, a much smarter decision than having that I/O bandwidth simply WASTED on an unsused HDMI port; especially knowing that it is easy for me to gain that capability whenever I might need it.
Bottom line: There is absolutely no compliment of ports that can be built-into a laptop that will satisfy even close to 100% of users, and ALL engineering is nothing but a series of compromises and competing requirements; but I sure as hell applaud Apple for attempting to make the 2016/2017 MBP as expandable and future-proof (at least as far as the I/O goes) as any one hardware-realization can bring at this point in time.
All dead links... Not a surprise, really. But the fundamental question is WHY does he even NEED a dongle in the first place? Why not include a type A and HDMI connectors at a minimum? You don't get it...
Sorry, I obviously didn't copypasta them correctly, and then screwed up by not testing the result, sorry about that!
As to why Apple "Can't just put an Port on it?", the answer is likely that the internals are likely designed around using TB/USB-C, and, although it would likely just be an inexpensive chip and connector to offer a USB-A port, adding an additional HDMI port is far more involved, especially when all your PCIe lanes are already dedicated to USB-C/TB3 use.
You will notice that all of the Windows laptops that offer USB-C/TB3 (and there are many), that are based on the same series of CPUs, none of them offer FOUR USB-C/TB3 ports. Therefore, they give up a LOT of I/O flexibility to expose a couple of Dedicated "Legacy" Ports. It is a short-sighted approach.
And, as I have said before, given the average lifespan of Macs, Apple's decision to go with "USB-C/TB3" will seem less and less "dumb" in a year or two, as the rest of the industry catches up (which they are OBVIOUSLY doing).
Plus, Apple computer users are used to having to use an adapter for video for most of the designs. As for the "lack" of an HDMI output, only a very few Macs released in the past 5 years (and really, throughout their history) have had a directly-connectable video output. Whether it's ADC, MiniVGA, MiniDVI, MiniDisplayPort, or USB-C/TB3, Apple has usually elected to provide a multi-protocol video output, rather than having dedicated VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs. So, the continuation of that concept (that video connections require an interposing adapter) is certainly of no moment to 99.999% of experienced Mac users, and quite frankly, is becoming quite common many Windows laptops/tablets and AIOs, as well. So, you are definitely in the minority, there.
We're gonna have to agree to disagree, then, I guess.
Don't get me wrong: I bought that particular model of MBP, even though the 2013 rMBP had already come out, SPECIFICALLY because it had built in FW (which I have used exactly ONCE) and an Optical Drive (which I think I have used ONCE, maybe); so I get the reasoning behind the "you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many laptop ports"); but that was before TB3 and USB-C, and the spectacular flexibility and expandability they represent.
So, that's kind of my final thoughts on the subject...
Yes, this might be better than 1990's laptops, but that doesn't mean it isn't a huge step back from 2014.
You're certifiable.
I have a mid 2012 non retina MBP with the Hi-DPI screen. It has MagSafe, a TB2/MiniDP, FW800, GigE 2 x USB 3.0, SD Slot, and a SuperDrive.
I would trade it for a 2017 15" MBP with 4 X USB-C/TB3 and a ToichBar/TouchID and decent speakers in a heartbeat.
I would miss the FW800, only because I have a friend with a nice Mackie Board with a built in 18 in, 2 out FW I/F, and it is good for doing live recordings, because Mackie was very smart about from where in the signal path they tapped-off the input signals. But I could just as easily borrow my other friend's Tascam 16X08 USB audio I/F, I guess.
But other than that, I would much rather have the FLEXIBILITY afforded by the 4 USB-C/TB3 ports. Seriously.
Something about the size of a dollar bill would be too thin for the ports; it's considerably larger than even a band of bills. Perhaps some of us feel we shouldn't need $300 in adapters and dongles and docks to make our $3000 machines as useful as their $300 PC counterparts. Progress usually means being able to do more with a single item, not less.
I obviously wasn't including the "Z" axis, you putz! So, let's say a stack of dollar-bills about 1/2" high.
Better?
Who said $300? Unless you need a couple of certain ports (miniDP, FireWire), you can get by with a multiport Dock for around $50, and you bloody-well know that, since I sent you a sample of about four multiport docks that fit that description. One was $89; but the rest ranged from $38 to $50.
And, even if you need MiniDP, there are Docks around $100 that can supply that, too. In fact, there were a couple that supported MiniDP for around $50; but they looked a little sketchy. Here's one for $123 that is actually a TB3 Dock and sports TWO 4k@60Hz-compatible MiniDP connectors (which can also drive certain 5k displays@60Hz, too), plus a USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet port. It is slightly larger than a credit card (and about 1/2" tall).
Step up to this $229 Dock and it has everything you could want except Firewire. USB 3.1 Gen 1 X 2, DisplayPort X 2, HDMI, VGA, GigE, 87W USB-C Passthru Port. Slightly longer and skinnier than a dollar bill, by around 1/2" high.
Unfortunately, If you need FireWire, you are really stuck with either Apple's two-cascaded-adapters solution (ick!) for a total of $70, or that expensive $349 OWC 13 Port Dock. But that is the EXTREME exception to the rule! But that probably wouldn't be any more expensive than using a PCI-Card solution back in the day.
Remember when a lot of laptops made you go through that horseshit JUST for a MODEM or and Ethernet port? And Diety help you if you needed BOTH...
Plugging it in is simple. Having to carry it is a step backward; everything I want to plug in that necessitates it in the first place is stationary, I need carry none of it with me.
I'm all for time marching on, I love progress in all forms. This is not that.
Actually, it is progress having to deal with legacy.
And I still don't have any sympathy for someone who complains about "having to carry" something about the size of a dollar-bill.
They're a hell of a lot less portable than slipping the laptop alone into a slim bag, yes. If I'm going to end up with something the same size and weight as a 17" that actually has the ports built in, I'm just going to grab the 17" with ports built in. That's only one thing to fiddle with and a hell of a lot more convenient.
And you can't claim that the 2011 17" model is just as portable as the current 15" models. Well, you can, but it would be extremely twofaced and a bullshit argument given that you've, many times, defended Apple's choice to sacrifice ports and battery size in the name of thinner and lighter because it makes the machines more portable than their predecessors. And you're right, if all you need is a Facebook machine, they're more portable because they're smaller and you don't have to carry anything extra; but, then, you shouldn't be buying a Pro machine if that's all you need, and Apple shouldn't be bastardizing the Pro machines in the name of the consumer market.
If you think plugging ONE simple USB-C cable from Dock to laptop is a horrible, onerous task, I sincerely can't believe you ever got into a multitrack recording hobby/business. That world is nothing BUT cables and outboard equipment and adapters and gender-changers, oh, my!
Give it a rest. You're just bitching to bitch. Time marches on. Deal with it.
There's still laptops being sold in 2018 with VGA ports and PC motherboards with old DB-9 serial ports. And given the mess that USB-C is right now, it may prevent it from becoming the "new normal" for quite a long time. There's also USB-C ports which can do everything, other USB-C ports that cannot, etc. It really is a mess.
And nothing prevented Apple from adding USB-C ports while still keeping at least one USB-A port. They did it for the iMac, which still has the regular standard power connector while the MacBook requires its only USB-C port to charge the computer, meaning you can't physically connect anything to it while charging unless you're suggesting to carry around a hub, which is way bigger than a tiny adapter.
That article had to do with USB-C CHARGING. But your point it well taken.
Apple likes being disruptive. And it goes against their grain to put in an "legacy" USB-A port, when they very well know that a USB-C port has, as its base-spec, the ability to function as a USB-A port, electrically and protocol-wise. And I'm sorry, a $2 passive USB-C -> USB-A adapter is just not at all onerous.
An iMac has an internal power supply. 120VAC comes straight into the iMac. Not so with the MacBooks; so that's (pardon) Oranges and Lemons.
You really ARE making a mountain out of an adapter, here.
The goal of a laptop is to have everything integrated into one unit. As soon as you need to carry something else, it means it lost some functionality along the way.
Apple could make their laptops even thinner and smaller if they removed the keyboard completely, and we'd have people like you telling us we shouldn't complain about having to carry external keyboards.
Entirely different. Nice strawman.
And there ARE ports integrated into those Mac laptops. There ARE USB-C memory sticks, HDD/SDDs, Displays, etc.
The world is just now beginning to embrace USB-C on the peripheral end. Just like with the original iMac, Apple's decision will not look so stupid in a couple of years. And given the lifespan of a typical Mac laptop, they will still be going strong when USB-C is is "new normal", and those other laptops' USB-A connectors will largely sit idle.
The problem is the app store. Apple should not be allowed to be the sole vendor. By law, they should be forced to support other stores. There is absolutely no reason to allow Apple to continue on this path.
Well, the problem is, Apple does build real walls around its gardens, these are no accident. You are only quibbling over which of Apple's walls are real.
Problem was, when that original MacBook with the single USB-C came out, there really wasn't that spectacular, to put it mildly. Now, it is quite different! There are several inexpensive (~$50) USB-C Docks that have a typical compliment of, for example, 3 or 4 USB 3.0 Ports, an SD/MiniSD (and sometimes also a CF) slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 4k HDMI out (and sometimes VGA), and occasionally even Audio I/O, plus a pass-through USB-C charger port.
But the better ones need two USB-C ports. Also, if you are giving up your only USB-C port for a dock that doesn't provide a functional USB-C port, then what's the point of having a device with USB-C ports? It's a lot more reasonable on the Pro, where you only give up half of your USB-C ports.
The biggest problem with the MacBook is that Apple completely misunderstood its target market. Students, on average, have limited desk space, so they have a laptop sitting on their desks, and their phone is plugged into the laptop to charge. With only one port, you can't do that. They designed the thing to be more like an iPad, acting like an accessory device, failing to recognize that laptops are more typically used as the central hub for your digital life.
The only ones I have seen that eat up 2 USB-C ports are the ones that attach directly to the side of the MacBook Pro, and use the second Port merely for Stability.
I say that, because they don't have any more capability than the similar ones that only use ONE USB-C port. Like these, for example:
And that was with about 2 min. searching on Amazon. There are many more configs., sizes, and price-points.
But, as I said, I am not a fan of the single USB-C port MacBook. I agree it took a good idea too far. But the MacBook Pro 13" has 2 USB-C/TB3 Ports, and of course the 15" has FOUR. With the 15", you can actually have a "fanout" of up to FIFTY-TWO Ports, using the OWC 13-Port ThunderBolt Dock:
Those are on the VERY high-side as far as cost; but they really DO demonstrate the extraordinary port-flexibility afforded by ThunderBolt 3.
Yes, USB-C does not imply Thunderbolt 3 (I don't think); but if we are talking what Apple has to offer, then this demonstrates both the low and high-ends of port-expansion.
A product manager at one of the companies I consult with is famous for being a strict Apple adherent. He has the MacBook and still raves about its clean, thin lines, perfect aesthetics, and it does everything. Of course he also has a big piece of Velcro stuck to the top, and half a dozen dongles Velcro'd to that so that he has what needs to do work. But still says it's the best laptop ever (other than when he forgets a dongle or it just doesn't work, which is about half the time he's trying to project to an HDMI projector).
I can't help it if he is mentally challenged, or just too damned LAZY to spend 2 minutes on Amazon:
No one holds up Google's hardware design as "world class". Many here (and elsewhere) espouse Apple's hardware design as "world class". Shipping a laptop with a single connector for everything is decidedly NOT "world class". Yet because APPLE - we have to assume it was the right choice anyway, and the rest of the world is too stupid to realize it.
I am ABSOLUTELY with you that the single USB-C MacBook was a "what were they thinking?" moment! I guess the idea was that you would get an appropriate Dock that had a port-compliment to suit your needs.
Problem was, when that original MacBook with the single USB-C came out, there really wasn't that spectacular, to put it mildly. Now, it is quite different! There are several inexpensive (~$50) USB-C Docks that have a typical compliment of, for example, 3 or 4 USB 3.0 Ports, an SD/MiniSD (and sometimes also a CF) slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 4k HDMI out (and sometimes VGA), and occasionally even Audio I/O, plus a pass-through USB-C charger port.
In 2011, the highest-end MacBook Pro had power, 3x USB-A, ethernet, headphone, cardbus, and a card reader. That's 8 ports.
Today, the highest-end MacBook Pro has 4x USB-C and a headphone jack. That's 5 ports, and we need dongles for USB-A, ethernet, and a card reader. I'll grant that cardbus is largely replaced by thunderbolt, but the overall situation is still a massive step backward in portability and capability, if you use any peripherals.
Wrong.
It is neither.
In fact, it it is far MORE flexible, unless you rely on FireWire (which is still possible; but your choices are quite limited). And as far as total available "fanout", there is simply no comparison with any other laptop with ANY combination of dedicated ports you care to name.
Eliza just scans for random keywords than gives pre-baked responses in an effort to fool the reader into believing the question was actually read. The fact that Eliza even tries would be an improvement.
No, you can't. The official recommendation for the flagship phones with USB C connectors and USB 3's fast charging / power delivery shit is to ONLY use a C to C cable. They explicitly state things are NOT supported with an A to C cable or adapter.
If you are talking about charging, then that is an entirely different story. I was talking about data transfer (with maybe minimal power supplying, like to a USB-stick).
Slashdot Mirror
...and 30 minutes of battery-life, are here!!!
I mean, why even call something like this a Laptop? It is about as able to work without being tethered to an AC power source as is a Cray-1.
Not to mention that it is either going to have a fan that sounds like a furnace-blower, or spend its entire life in thermal-throttling mode.
Just because you CAN do a thing, doesn't mean you SHOULD do a thing...
Apple computer users are used to having to use an adapter for video for most of the designs
That right there says to me they have a failed approach to product design. When your product simply will not work UNLESS you include additional, external parts. That's simply not user-friendly.
As far "it's hard!" to add HDMI, pretty much all other computers manage to do it. As well as type A. Cheap and easy.
I think this is more like the iPhone dropping the 3.5mm jack - it's done so that people HAVE to work the way Apple wants them too OR buy a lot of really expensive dongles to force them to change their habits. It's not done for convenience or for the general consumer. It's done for Apple.
You can say what you want about Apple's design decisions; but I thought we were focusing on changes between the all-USB-C/TB3 MacBook Pros and earlier incarnations of the same products. To now go back and criticize Apple for continuing to do something they have been doing for DECADES is not germane to this particular debate.
As for the "adding HDMI", yes, some other laptops (though CERTAINLY not ALL) do have a dedicated HDMI port and/or USB-A port(s); however, as I stated in my previous post, if we are talking about the same series of CPUs as in the 2016 and/or 2017 MBPs, then the addition of those features could ONLY come at the expense of losing others. Namely, one of the USB-C/TB3 Ports.
There are only so many PCI "lanes" on these CPUs, and if you eat up some on a dedicated HDMI Port, then you don't have them available for Thunderbolt (at the very least). And it might come as a surprise to you; but not everyone needs a dedicated HDMI port on their laptop. So, having the option to do something ELSE with that I/O bandwidth is, for me, a much smarter decision than having that I/O bandwidth simply WASTED on an unsused HDMI port; especially knowing that it is easy for me to gain that capability whenever I might need it.
Bottom line: There is absolutely no compliment of ports that can be built-into a laptop that will satisfy even close to 100% of users, and ALL engineering is nothing but a series of compromises and competing requirements; but I sure as hell applaud Apple for attempting to make the 2016/2017 MBP as expandable and future-proof (at least as far as the I/O goes) as any one hardware-realization can bring at this point in time.
All dead links... Not a surprise, really. But the fundamental question is WHY does he even NEED a dongle in the first place? Why not include a type A and HDMI connectors at a minimum? You don't get it...
Sorry, I obviously didn't copypasta them correctly, and then screwed up by not testing the result, sorry about that!
Here you go:
https://www.amazon.com/HyperDr...
https://www.amazon.com/VAVA-VA...
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter...
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-...
As to why Apple "Can't just put an Port on it?", the answer is likely that the internals are likely designed around using TB/USB-C, and, although it would likely just be an inexpensive chip and connector to offer a USB-A port, adding an additional HDMI port is far more involved, especially when all your PCIe lanes are already dedicated to USB-C/TB3 use.
You will notice that all of the Windows laptops that offer USB-C/TB3 (and there are many), that are based on the same series of CPUs, none of them offer FOUR USB-C/TB3 ports. Therefore, they give up a LOT of I/O flexibility to expose a couple of Dedicated "Legacy" Ports. It is a short-sighted approach.
And, as I have said before, given the average lifespan of Macs, Apple's decision to go with "USB-C/TB3" will seem less and less "dumb" in a year or two, as the rest of the industry catches up (which they are OBVIOUSLY doing).
https://www.ultrabookreview.co...
Plus, Apple computer users are used to having to use an adapter for video for most of the designs. As for the "lack" of an HDMI output, only a very few Macs released in the past 5 years (and really, throughout their history) have had a directly-connectable video output. Whether it's ADC, MiniVGA, MiniDVI, MiniDisplayPort, or USB-C/TB3, Apple has usually elected to provide a multi-protocol video output, rather than having dedicated VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs. So, the continuation of that concept (that video connections require an interposing adapter) is certainly of no moment to 99.999% of experienced Mac users, and quite frankly, is becoming quite common many Windows laptops/tablets and AIOs, as well. So, you are definitely in the minority, there.
We're gonna have to agree to disagree, then, I guess.
Don't get me wrong: I bought that particular model of MBP, even though the 2013 rMBP had already come out, SPECIFICALLY because it had built in FW (which I have used exactly ONCE) and an Optical Drive (which I think I have used ONCE, maybe); so I get the reasoning behind the "you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many laptop ports"); but that was before TB3 and USB-C, and the spectacular flexibility and expandability they represent.
So, that's kind of my final thoughts on the subject...
Yes, this might be better than 1990's laptops, but that doesn't mean it isn't a huge step back from 2014.
You're certifiable.
I have a mid 2012 non retina MBP with the Hi-DPI screen. It has MagSafe, a TB2/MiniDP, FW800, GigE 2 x USB 3.0, SD Slot, and a SuperDrive.
I would trade it for a 2017 15" MBP with 4 X USB-C/TB3 and a ToichBar/TouchID and decent speakers in a heartbeat.
I would miss the FW800, only because I have a friend with a nice Mackie Board with a built in 18 in, 2 out FW I/F, and it is good for doing live recordings, because Mackie was very smart about from where in the signal path they tapped-off the input signals. But I could just as easily borrow my other friend's Tascam 16X08 USB audio I/F, I guess.
But other than that, I would much rather have the FLEXIBILITY afforded by the 4 USB-C/TB3 ports. Seriously.
Something about the size of a dollar bill would be too thin for the ports; it's considerably larger than even a band of bills. Perhaps some of us feel we shouldn't need $300 in adapters and dongles and docks to make our $3000 machines as useful as their $300 PC counterparts. Progress usually means being able to do more with a single item, not less.
I obviously wasn't including the "Z" axis, you putz! So, let's say a stack of dollar-bills about 1/2" high.
Better?
Who said $300? Unless you need a couple of certain ports (miniDP, FireWire), you can get by with a multiport Dock for around $50, and you bloody-well know that, since I sent you a sample of about four multiport docks that fit that description. One was $89; but the rest ranged from $38 to $50.
And, even if you need MiniDP, there are Docks around $100 that can supply that, too. In fact, there were a couple that supported MiniDP for around $50; but they looked a little sketchy. Here's one for $123 that is actually a TB3 Dock and sports TWO 4k@60Hz-compatible MiniDP connectors (which can also drive certain 5k displays@60Hz, too), plus a USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet port. It is slightly larger than a credit card (and about 1/2" tall).
https://www.amazon.com/StarTec...
Step up to this $229 Dock and it has everything you could want except Firewire. USB 3.1 Gen 1 X 2, DisplayPort X 2, HDMI, VGA, GigE, 87W USB-C Passthru Port. Slightly longer and skinnier than a dollar bill, by around 1/2" high.
https://www.amazon.com/Mantiz-...
Unfortunately, If you need FireWire, you are really stuck with either Apple's two-cascaded-adapters solution (ick!) for a total of $70, or that expensive $349 OWC 13 Port Dock. But that is the EXTREME exception to the rule! But that probably wouldn't be any more expensive than using a PCI-Card solution back in the day.
Remember when a lot of laptops made you go through that horseshit JUST for a MODEM or and Ethernet port? And Diety help you if you needed BOTH...
Sorry, this is MUCH better than all that.
Plugging it in is simple. Having to carry it is a step backward; everything I want to plug in that necessitates it in the first place is stationary, I need carry none of it with me.
I'm all for time marching on, I love progress in all forms. This is not that.
Actually, it is progress having to deal with legacy.
And I still don't have any sympathy for someone who complains about "having to carry" something about the size of a dollar-bill.
They're a hell of a lot less portable than slipping the laptop alone into a slim bag, yes. If I'm going to end up with something the same size and weight as a 17" that actually has the ports built in, I'm just going to grab the 17" with ports built in. That's only one thing to fiddle with and a hell of a lot more convenient.
And you can't claim that the 2011 17" model is just as portable as the current 15" models. Well, you can, but it would be extremely twofaced and a bullshit argument given that you've, many times, defended Apple's choice to sacrifice ports and battery size in the name of thinner and lighter because it makes the machines more portable than their predecessors. And you're right, if all you need is a Facebook machine, they're more portable because they're smaller and you don't have to carry anything extra; but, then, you shouldn't be buying a Pro machine if that's all you need, and Apple shouldn't be bastardizing the Pro machines in the name of the consumer market.
If you think plugging ONE simple USB-C cable from Dock to laptop is a horrible, onerous task, I sincerely can't believe you ever got into a multitrack recording hobby/business. That world is nothing BUT cables and outboard equipment and adapters and gender-changers, oh, my!
Give it a rest. You're just bitching to bitch. Time marches on. Deal with it.
There's still laptops being sold in 2018 with VGA ports and PC motherboards with old DB-9 serial ports. And given the mess that USB-C is right now, it may prevent it from becoming the "new normal" for quite a long time. There's also USB-C ports which can do everything, other USB-C ports that cannot, etc. It really is a mess.
And nothing prevented Apple from adding USB-C ports while still keeping at least one USB-A port. They did it for the iMac, which still has the regular standard power connector while the MacBook requires its only USB-C port to charge the computer, meaning you can't physically connect anything to it while charging unless you're suggesting to carry around a hub, which is way bigger than a tiny adapter.
That article had to do with USB-C CHARGING. But your point it well taken.
Apple likes being disruptive. And it goes against their grain to put in an "legacy" USB-A port, when they very well know that a USB-C port has, as its base-spec, the ability to function as a USB-A port, electrically and protocol-wise. And I'm sorry, a $2 passive USB-C -> USB-A adapter is just not at all onerous.
An iMac has an internal power supply. 120VAC comes straight into the iMac. Not so with the MacBooks; so that's (pardon) Oranges and Lemons.
You really ARE making a mountain out of an adapter, here.
The goal of a laptop is to have everything integrated into one unit. As soon as you need to carry something else, it means it lost some functionality along the way.
Apple could make their laptops even thinner and smaller if they removed the keyboard completely, and we'd have people like you telling us we shouldn't complain about having to carry external keyboards.
Entirely different. Nice strawman.
And there ARE ports integrated into those Mac laptops. There ARE USB-C memory sticks, HDD/SDDs, Displays, etc.
The world is just now beginning to embrace USB-C on the peripheral end. Just like with the original iMac, Apple's decision will not look so stupid in a couple of years. And given the lifespan of a typical Mac laptop, they will still be going strong when USB-C is is "new normal", and those other laptops' USB-A connectors will largely sit idle.
The problem is the app store. Apple should not be allowed to be the sole vendor. By law, they should be forced to support other stores. There is absolutely no reason to allow Apple to continue on this path.
Yes, Comrade.
What's the point in having thinner laptops if we need to carry adapters around?
This is what I am talking about:
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter...
If you think that's too onerous while the world catches-up to USB-C, then you are one entitled little biotch...
Well, the problem is, Apple does build real walls around its gardens, these are no accident. You are only quibbling over which of Apple's walls are real.
Um, isn't that kind of the point?
When you have to use those ports to charge and connect screens, yes it is too few. But at least it's still got a headphone jack.
How MANY of what resolution screens are you talking about?
Unless you just login as root with no password.
Other than that; super secure
They fixed that in like 24 hours.
Nice try.
But the better ones need two USB-C ports. Also, if you are giving up your only USB-C port for a dock that doesn't provide a functional USB-C port, then what's the point of having a device with USB-C ports? It's a lot more reasonable on the Pro, where you only give up half of your USB-C ports.
The biggest problem with the MacBook is that Apple completely misunderstood its target market. Students, on average, have limited desk space, so they have a laptop sitting on their desks, and their phone is plugged into the laptop to charge. With only one port, you can't do that. They designed the thing to be more like an iPad, acting like an accessory device, failing to recognize that laptops are more typically used as the central hub for your digital life.
The only ones I have seen that eat up 2 USB-C ports are the ones that attach directly to the side of the MacBook Pro, and use the second Port merely for Stability.
I say that, because they don't have any more capability than the similar ones that only use ONE USB-C port. Like these, for example:
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-... [amazon.com]
https://www.amazon.com/HyperDr... [amazon.com]
https://www.amazon.com/VAVA-VA... [amazon.com]
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter... [amazon.com]
And that was with about 2 min. searching on Amazon. There are many more configs., sizes, and price-points.
But, as I said, I am not a fan of the single USB-C port MacBook. I agree it took a good idea too far. But the MacBook Pro 13" has 2 USB-C/TB3 Ports, and of course the 15" has FOUR. With the 15", you can actually have a "fanout" of up to FIFTY-TWO Ports, using the OWC 13-Port ThunderBolt Dock:
https://eshop.macsales.com/sho...
Or, if you don't need FireWire, they sell a 12 Port model for $60 less:
https://eshop.macsales.com/sho...
Those are on the VERY high-side as far as cost; but they really DO demonstrate the extraordinary port-flexibility afforded by ThunderBolt 3.
Yes, USB-C does not imply Thunderbolt 3 (I don't think); but if we are talking what Apple has to offer, then this demonstrates both the low and high-ends of port-expansion.
A product manager at one of the companies I consult with is famous for being a strict Apple adherent. He has the MacBook and still raves about its clean, thin lines, perfect aesthetics, and it does everything. Of course he also has a big piece of Velcro stuck to the top, and half a dozen dongles Velcro'd to that so that he has what needs to do work. But still says it's the best laptop ever (other than when he forgets a dongle or it just doesn't work, which is about half the time he's trying to project to an HDMI projector).
I can't help it if he is mentally challenged, or just too damned LAZY to spend 2 minutes on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-... [amazon.com]
https://www.amazon.com/HyperDr... [amazon.com]
https://www.amazon.com/VAVA-VA... [amazon.com]
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter... [amazon.com]
And that was with about 2 min. searching on Amazon. There are many more configs., sizes, and price-points.
So, anyone who thinks they have to have a forest of "dongles" to effectively use a USB-C/TB equipped MacBook/MacBook Pro is SADLY mistaken.
Perhaps you could pass-along those links to your acquaintence.
And therein lies my point: docks aren't portable.
Oh, BULLshit!
You mean to tell me that something like THESE aren't PORTABLE?!?
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-...
https://www.amazon.com/HyperDr...
https://www.amazon.com/VAVA-VA...
https://www.amazon.com/Adapter...
And that was with about 2 min. searching on Amazon. There are many more configs., sizes, and price-points.
So, GIMME A BREAK!
As an owner and user of both, I wholeheartedly disagree.
What do you need to fan-out to, that cannot be found in one, or at most, two inexpensive (around $50 apiece) USB-C Docks these days?
No one holds up Google's hardware design as "world class". Many here (and elsewhere) espouse Apple's hardware design as "world class". Shipping a laptop with a single connector for everything is decidedly NOT "world class". Yet because APPLE - we have to assume it was the right choice anyway, and the rest of the world is too stupid to realize it.
I am ABSOLUTELY with you that the single USB-C MacBook was a "what were they thinking?" moment! I guess the idea was that you would get an appropriate Dock that had a port-compliment to suit your needs.
Problem was, when that original MacBook with the single USB-C came out, there really wasn't that spectacular, to put it mildly. Now, it is quite different! There are several inexpensive (~$50) USB-C Docks that have a typical compliment of, for example, 3 or 4 USB 3.0 Ports, an SD/MiniSD (and sometimes also a CF) slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 4k HDMI out (and sometimes VGA), and occasionally even Audio I/O, plus a pass-through USB-C charger port.
We've had this discussion before.
In 2011, the highest-end MacBook Pro had power, 3x USB-A, ethernet, headphone, cardbus, and a card reader. That's 8 ports.
Today, the highest-end MacBook Pro has 4x USB-C and a headphone jack. That's 5 ports, and we need dongles for USB-A, ethernet, and a card reader. I'll grant that cardbus is largely replaced by thunderbolt, but the overall situation is still a massive step backward in portability and capability, if you use any peripherals.
Wrong.
It is neither.
In fact, it it is far MORE flexible, unless you rely on FireWire (which is still possible; but your choices are quite limited). And as far as total available "fanout", there is simply no comparison with any other laptop with ANY combination of dedicated ports you care to name.
I'm one of those people with Surface 2 RT. To be honest, the support has been a lot better than I've seen with any Android device I've ever owned.
LOLOLOLOL!!!
Talk about "Damning with faint praise!!!!"
That's the funniest thing I've read today...
At least with Linux support fora, if you can get past certain attitudes, [...]
The problem is, there is very little else in Linux "support" fora.
Eliza just scans for random keywords than gives pre-baked responses in an effort to fool the reader into believing the question was actually read.
The fact that Eliza even tries would be an improvement.
Come come, elucidate yourself.
No, you can't. The official recommendation for the flagship phones with USB C connectors and USB 3's fast charging / power delivery shit is to ONLY use a C to C cable. They explicitly state things are NOT supported with an A to C cable or adapter.
If you are talking about charging, then that is an entirely different story. I was talking about data transfer (with maybe minimal power supplying, like to a USB-stick).