If all you can get out of the ports in the back is USB 2, why in the world are the connectors type C. Oh yah, to sell dongles.
Although the monitor designs look like crap, for the price, I wouldn't mind picking up some of the 5k monitors. Unfortunate, even a new state of the art $10 000.00 Mac Pro can't use them and with no idea when or if Apple will update them, we've got to pass.
The entire point of the 2016 MacBook Pro & LG monitor announcement is to push people towards USB-C. Either you commit 100% to USB-C.. or you dont. The moment you go halfway on USB-C.. is the moment you open the door to people to revert back to older versions of USB-C.
I don't know why people still think that Apple has "committed" to USB C when their latest iPhone is USB A and their upcoming (2017) Beats headphones will also be USB A.
iphone has a much, much broader market, far more likely they're on A.
thats how business works -- studying your data and making decisions. they needn't be the same decisions for every scenario or use case.
Ok so given the most likely thing I want plugged in to the monitor is Ethernet so I only need one cable to plug in at work.
Will I still get Tx1000 out of USB-c ports on the back or will the USB2.0 speed ports drop it back to 100?
Since the built-in hub for this monitor is only USB 2.0 (480mib/s), you absolutely won't get GigE performance. What is technically possible is getting better than 100 mib/s speeds, but I've never seen this with any USB-A-to-Ethernet adapter and OS, so I'm guessing you'll also be regulated to 100mib/s speeds via Ethernet.
Ok so given the most likely thing I want plugged in to the monitor is Ethernet so I only need one cable to plug in at work.
Will I still get Tx1000 out of USB-c ports on the back or will the USB2.0 speed ports drop it back to 100?
The gigabit ethernet dongles still provide a 1000-baseTX connection, but performance wise, they top out around 350 Mbps when connected to the USB2 ports on this monitor. Not full performance, but still worth having IMO.
After turning a high-end 40-inch 4k TV into a display, going back to 21" feels like something out of the 1990s. Even a 27" display feels cramped. And that high-end TV has wi-fi, smart apps, a remote control and speakers. Not to mention it was only $400. It's time for Apple (and Tim Cook) to get his head out of his ass and move beyond the "same old, same old" thinking about screen sizes and start thinking bigger.
I'd like to see the phone and pads keep the Lightning connecter as it's so much easier to plug a cable into those ports than USB-C ports (which are easier than micro-USB ports, so there's that).
Even if Apple does plan to switch to USB-C for them, it's ridiculous to claim they aren't committed to it because every product didn't ship with it at the same time. A Lightning to USB-C cable would be nice, and it will probably happen, but I can life with an adapter.
I am spoiled by Apple's design preferences. Modern non-Apple displays look dated compared to the last few Apple products, and I wish they'd work on a more modern look. One 'Apple-like' aspect is the ability to control brightness from a Mac and not have to do the Dell Display Dance, or anybody else's for that matter. 16:10 or the 'Apple-like' 16:9 doesn't matter to me.
Me, I just want a 34" 16:9/16:10 5K display (with rounded corners dammit!) and a modern Mac that can drive it at 60fps.
Incorrect. They considered it. They decided to go where the puck is going rather than where it is, which is evidently what you'd prefer instead.
Yes. I am constantly amazed and disappointed at the number of people who actually believe that Apple has never thought of a product, feature, or design, or preference of consumers when developing hardware or software.
Apple says 'We're going to go a different way and let the future catch up' and short-sighted people say 'but what about meeeeeeeee???'
Apple doesn't do a good job of explaining their considerations on a lot of issues. They could do much better. Maybe they feel they have more important tasks at hand. Fortunately there are a few tech journalists with inside contacts, who can pick up that mantle and clarify some finer points. And as a bonus, critics get to label them Apple Apologists. Fun for the whole family and verybody wins!
The only USB-C-related problem I have encountered that is not easily/cheaply resolved, with regards to connecting to/charging through a Mac, is Apple does not offer a USB-C Apple Watch charging cable.
I expect something like this will appear for USB-C, at least to facilitate charging. You get 5 for under $5 on Amazon.
I absolutely loathe dongles and adapters. Regarding the Apple Watch, the only time I ever charge it via my Mac is while on the road — at home, I use a dock that's plugged into the wall. So it's a limited case scenario. But Apple could solve this quite easily by selling a $20 Apple Watch to USB-C cable.
Also, supposedly USB-C to HDMI cables are coming, as a standard for them was approved this September.
While I feel that commenters like Altivec88 are incorrect in their ridiculous assumption about this just being a money grab by selling adapters, I do think there's an argument to be made that Apple could increase their Mac sales by offering a trade-in for your Apple USB-A cable for USB-C equivalent to lessen the burden of migrating to this new standard.
This situation is temporary—it's not like people are still bitching that Apple moved to USB-A when they still had plenty of devices that used Serial and Parallel—but no one likes to use adapters and people don't want to feel nickel and dime, even if it's just imagined, so I believe Apple could increase sales and adoption if they offered such a program. It wouldn't be any harder to monitor this one-time trade-in within a certain timeframe for new Macs, as this is what they do with Apple Care already (30 days for Watch and iDevices, and 1 year for Macs).
At first, I was upset about the new cables/standard as well, especially because of the high price of Apple's adapters, but if you go onto NewEgg, Monoprice, Amazon and I'm sure tons of other sites, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive cables, adapters and dongles. Amazon sells a "Rankie" USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter in a 2-pack for $7 and it's not a dongle - it's just an adapter that goes on the end of a cable and in essence, becomes part of the cable. So buy a few of those and one is set. Or, if one prefers not to use adapters and want to replace your cables, Monoprice sells a USB-C to USB-A 1.5 ft cable for $7.64 and a 3' cable for $10, etc.
So while I originally felt that Apple should have thrown a few cables in the box with the MBP, or a coupon for a few cables or adapters so buyers could choose what they needed, I no longer feel it's necessary. If one has just a few devices, it's no big deal, and if you've got a lot of (USB) devices, you're probably using a hub anyway, so you just need one new cable or adapter between the Mac and the hub.
Having said that, I think having just one port on the MacBook is completely ridiculous and I still think giving up the mag-save power connection was a mistake. Apple could have kept that and still enabled power via USB-C, giving users a choice. I'm not seeing a mag-safe to USB-C adapter as yet so people can't use their old power supplies if they've bought multiples to use at home, office, etc.
At first, I was upset about the new cables/standard as well, especially because of the high price of Apple's adapters, but if you go onto NewEgg, Monoprice, Amazon and I'm sure tons of other sites, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive cables, adapters and dongles. Amazon sells a "Rankie" USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter in a 2-pack for $7 and it's not a dongle - it's just an adapter that goes on the end of a cable and in essence, becomes part of the cable. So buy a few of those and one is set. Or, if one prefers not to use adapters and want to replace your cables, Monoprice sells a USB-C to USB-A 1.5 ft cable for $7.64 and a 3' cable for $10, etc.
So while I originally felt that Apple should have thrown a few cables in the box with the MBP, or a coupon for a few cables or adapters so buyers could choose what they needed, I no longer feel it's necessary. If one has just a few devices, it's no big deal, and if you've got a lot of (USB) devices, you're probably using a hub anyway, so you just need one new cable or adapter between the Mac and the hub.
Having said that, I think having just one port on the MacBook is completely ridiculous and I still think giving up the mag-save power connection was a mistake. Apple could have kept that and still enabled power via USB-C, giving users a choice. I'm not seeing a mag-safe to USB-C adapter as yet so people can't use their old power supplies if they've bought multiples to use at home, office, etc.
1) I'm against including adapters. I disliked when they included various display-out adapters with older Mac notebooks as they are used by only a small percentage of users, and I'm against it now. I'd also like to see the PSU be removed. The cables wear out, but not the PSU so I now have around 10 just from buying the iPhone, and about 5 for the iPad which I use for my iPhone at the house because it's a faster charge. Cables wear out and have less complex HW with fewer heavy metals so I'm fine with an included cable at this point, although we are moving to a point where I'll likely be saying no included cable, too, within 5–10 years.
2) Monoprice and Amazon have had amazing low-cost options for a long time, but most people I know are mostly wireless so the ones getting a new MBP I've suggested getting Apple's USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for $9 to keep in their computer bag, just in case. However, if you are using a lot of cables then switch to USB-C where applicable. It's not like this is a bad investment as USB-C's future seems very certain.
3) I've stated that I like the "coupon" idea, but only because I think it's good for Apple's bottom line to get their customers using USB-C on a new Mac that supports it with fewer issues.
4) Google did it right with the Chromebook Pixel(?) in 2015 with a USB-C port on either side. I'm really surprised Apple went the single-port route.
5) MagSafe is great, but USB-C offers more pros than cons. There, are in-line magnetic connectors for those that feel their laptop is in jeopardy of being tripped over, but I think most of these fears are no longer relevant when you have a device with all day battery life so you only need to use your charger in non-high-traffic area, unlike the 2–3 hours of usable battery life that existed when MagSafe was first released.
I'm going to defend the design of this monitor because it gets so much criticism yet it's actually fine. It's black, it has a nice quality black plastic bezel for the display and a black metal pillar and (flat) base with a very smooth height adjust. What you see, of course, is just the (excellent) display and the bezel. If I had an Apple Thunderbolt display then I'd see the display and a slightly bulkier black bezel, not much to choose. The Apple display has an iMac-like aluminium base that might match your computer (since mine's a MBP and in Space Grey then the LG is actually a closer match). I don't know how you adjust the Apple's height.
As regards the review, I largely agree. It has an excellent display; I actually feel it's better than the 2016 MBP's but that's probably just down to settings. I use it as a second display for my MBP so I still use the Touch Bar as usual. The speakers are OK for casual use but not as good as the MBP's so a little pointless.
The external ports are a compromise. There is only a USB2 data stream for them (the rest of the input connector's data is dedicated to the display) so it's a USB2-speed hub, regardless of its USB-C connectors and any dongles you use. That must have been a dilemma for the designers: devices that can be used to their full capacity are likely to have USB-A plugs on them yet this monitor is a part of the future where everything has USB-C plugs, regardless of function or speed.
So they went USB-C. That's got to be the right answer but it does mean that, today, for existing devices, you're looking at dongles or new cables. They have the same issues/non-issues as the MBP's ports except that they're slow; they may be useful (I haven't even tried mine yet).
The external ports are a compromise. There is only a USB2 data stream for them (the rest of the input connector's data is dedicated to the display) so it's a USB2-speed hub, regardless of its USB-C connectors and any dongles you use. That must have been a dilemma for the designers: devices that can be used to their full capacity are likely to have USB-A plugs on them yet this monitor is a part of the future where everything has USB-C plugs, regardless of function or speed.
I think there's solid reasons for the compromise. For starters, this is an entry-level, solution for a display that will power a USB-C-based machine. The USB hub will probably be used for a dedicated mouse, keyboard, maybe some external speakers, a printer, and possible not much else if much at all.
If one wants a better option, there is the 5K, 10-bit display, with USB 3.0/TB support in the USB-C hub. I assume the speakers and every other aspect of the display is also better.
After turning a high-end 40-inch 4k TV into a display, going back to 21" feels like something out of the 1990s. Even a 27" display feels cramped. And that high-end TV has wi-fi, smart apps, a remote control and speakers. Not to mention it was only $400. It's time for Apple (and Tim Cook) to get his head out of his ass and move beyond the "same old, same old" thinking about screen sizes and start thinking bigger.
I am an old guy with bifocals. I can only use the bottom two-thirds of a 27-inch anyway. I was exceedingly happy to get a 4K monitor in 21.
The entire point of the 2016 MacBook Pro & LG monitor announcement is to push people towards USB-C. Either you commit 100% to USB-C.. or you dont. The moment you go halfway on USB-C.. is the moment you open the door to people to revert back to older versions of USB-C.
I don't know why people still think that Apple has "committed" to USB C when their latest iPhone is USB A and their upcoming (2017) Beats headphones will also be USB A.
"Around the borders, the LG monitor has a matte black look that's simple. The screen itself is glossy, which helps colors to pop, but may not be ideal for those who use it in a bright environment."
Thanks. I understand that is for "LG UltraFine 4K Display" What about "LG UltraFine 5K Display"?
Comments
thats how business works -- studying your data and making decisions. they needn't be the same decisions for every scenario or use case.
Will I still get Tx1000 out of USB-c ports on the back or will the USB2.0 speed ports drop it back to 100?
And I wish it has some other ports like Ethernet, SD Card, etc. Very los cost addition that would have made life much easier.
I also like the way the author of the article participates in the discussion under his own name! It adds a lot to the thread. Keep it up.
The gigabit ethernet dongles still provide a 1000-baseTX connection, but performance wise, they top out around 350 Mbps when connected to the USB2 ports on this monitor. Not full performance, but still worth having IMO.
Mmm...
I wonder if the next iPad Pros will have a USB-C port.
Even if Apple does plan to switch to USB-C for them, it's ridiculous to claim they aren't committed to it because every product didn't ship with it at the same time. A Lightning to USB-C cable would be nice, and it will probably happen, but I can life with an adapter.
I am spoiled by Apple's design preferences. Modern non-Apple displays look dated compared to the last few Apple products, and I wish they'd work on a more modern look. One 'Apple-like' aspect is the ability to control brightness from a Mac and not have to do the Dell Display Dance, or anybody else's for that matter. 16:10 or the 'Apple-like' 16:9 doesn't matter to me.
Me, I just want a 34" 16:9/16:10 5K display (with rounded corners dammit!) and a modern Mac that can drive it at 60fps.
Apple says 'We're going to go a different way and let the future catch up' and short-sighted people say 'but what about meeeeeeeee???'
Apple doesn't do a good job of explaining their considerations on a lot of issues. They could do much better. Maybe they feel they have more important tasks at hand. Fortunately there are a few tech journalists with inside contacts, who can pick up that mantle and clarify some finer points. And as a bonus, critics get to label them Apple Apologists. Fun for the whole family and verybody wins!
So while I originally felt that Apple should have thrown a few cables in the box with the MBP, or a coupon for a few cables or adapters so buyers could choose what they needed, I no longer feel it's necessary. If one has just a few devices, it's no big deal, and if you've got a lot of (USB) devices, you're probably using a hub anyway, so you just need one new cable or adapter between the Mac and the hub.
Having said that, I think having just one port on the MacBook is completely ridiculous and I still think giving up the mag-save power connection was a mistake. Apple could have kept that and still enabled power via USB-C, giving users a choice. I'm not seeing a mag-safe to USB-C adapter as yet so people can't use their old power supplies if they've bought multiples to use at home, office, etc.
2) Monoprice and Amazon have had amazing low-cost options for a long time, but most people I know are mostly wireless so the ones getting a new MBP I've suggested getting Apple's USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for $9 to keep in their computer bag, just in case. However, if you are using a lot of cables then switch to USB-C where applicable. It's not like this is a bad investment as USB-C's future seems very certain.
3) I've stated that I like the "coupon" idea, but only because I think it's good for Apple's bottom line to get their customers using USB-C on a new Mac that supports it with fewer issues.
4) Google did it right with the Chromebook Pixel(?) in 2015 with a USB-C port on either side. I'm really surprised Apple went the single-port route.
5) MagSafe is great, but USB-C offers more pros than cons. There, are in-line magnetic connectors for those that feel their laptop is in jeopardy of being tripped over, but I think most of these fears are no longer relevant when you have a device with all day battery life so you only need to use your charger in non-high-traffic area, unlike the 2–3 hours of usable battery life that existed when MagSafe was first released.
As regards the review, I largely agree. It has an excellent display; I actually feel it's better than the 2016 MBP's but that's probably just down to settings. I use it as a second display for my MBP so I still use the Touch Bar as usual. The speakers are OK for casual use but not as good as the MBP's so a little pointless.
The external ports are a compromise. There is only a USB2 data stream for them (the rest of the input connector's data is dedicated to the display) so it's a USB2-speed hub, regardless of its USB-C connectors and any dongles you use. That must have been a dilemma for the designers: devices that can be used to their full capacity are likely to have USB-A plugs on them yet this monitor is a part of the future where everything has USB-C plugs, regardless of function or speed.
So they went USB-C. That's got to be the right answer but it does mean that, today, for existing devices, you're looking at dongles or new cables. They have the same issues/non-issues as the MBP's ports except that they're slow; they may be useful (I haven't even tried mine yet).
If one wants a better option, there is the 5K, 10-bit display, with USB 3.0/TB support in the USB-C hub. I assume the speakers and every other aspect of the display is also better.
I am an old guy with bifocals. I can only use the bottom two-thirds of a 27-inch anyway. I was exceedingly happy to get a 4K monitor in 21.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/31051311#message31051311
Please respond at Apple Support Communities.
Thanks in advance.