I wonder if they could just use magnets to hold a new form of jack to the outside of the unit, just like how magsafe works? Or just push wireless headphones.
I love this idea. I really hope Apple starts further exploring the concept of magnetically joining things together. Might be the only way to do a sexy physical keyboard or game pad for an iPhone.
FFS how much smaller does the audio jack need to be... Maybe I'm just getting old and this constant "shrinking" is starting to irk me. That said, the line up of ports on the left of my MBP 13" (2010 model which I just bought) is nothing short of extremely beautiful. Compared to PC laptops... well, there is just no comparison.
BTW my Griffin iMic still works after 3 years or so... touch wood! It's a great device! Use it for Mic input and it outputs with minimal, minimal latency. I use it for presentations to amplify my voice from a basic webchat-style headset-mic.
A change? Apple using a non-standard connector is very rare. Standard connectors are Apple’s norm. The iPod dock connector is unique, but it had to serve widely-varied functions in a thin format; and what other devices would you want to plug into that cable anyway?
As for USB, Firewire, and Thunderbolt, they’re standards and I’m glad Apple adopted them early and dragged the rest of the world along. (And none of them prevented the use of older gear. Even USB would work with ADB devices using an iMate adapter.)
And then there’s the micro-DVI port on my Air... but a full-size DVI (or VGA) port simply wouldn’t fit. So adapters were necessary to connect those giant plugs to the thin machine. Mini-DVI wasn’t a rejection of devices people already owned; its entire purpose was to connect those existing devices.
Lastly, look at the iPhone: it’s commonplace among cell makers to use non-standard headphone jacks. But Apple never did. So there’s no surprise that Apple’s plans continue to involve standard headphone jacks.
Mini-DVI and Micro-DVI was not ideal. However standardising on Mini-DisplayPort (which is also compatible with Thunderbold ports) is excellent, and the Mini-DP adaptors are affordable (especially with Monoprice).
I still say Apple should make their own Mini-DP to HDMI cable and settle the issue once and for all. The Capdase one has many problems.
A smaller audio jack, that sounds completely unnecessary. That would be the last port to shrink...it's already the smallest. I am going to say that this rumor is false, just a rumor.
nvidia2008, completely agree. Guess we are getting old.
nagromme, good point...the "mini" audio jack on some of my old phones was annoying, cost me ten bucks to get a converter. And good point, Apple has pioneered many standards. And I understand the point about the thin iPod connector. Every now and then they surprise me though, the ADC port was a mistake I think. It's certainly better than old-school days of ADB, NuBus, special monitor ports, etc.
Comments
I wonder if they could just use magnets to hold a new form of jack to the outside of the unit, just like how magsafe works? Or just push wireless headphones.
I love this idea. I really hope Apple starts further exploring the concept of magnetically joining things together. Might be the only way to do a sexy physical keyboard or game pad for an iPhone.
BTW my Griffin iMic still works after 3 years or so... touch wood! It's a great device! Use it for Mic input and it outputs with minimal, minimal latency. I use it for presentations to amplify my voice from a basic webchat-style headset-mic.
A change? Apple using a non-standard connector is very rare. Standard connectors are Apple’s norm. The iPod dock connector is unique, but it had to serve widely-varied functions in a thin format; and what other devices would you want to plug into that cable anyway?
As for USB, Firewire, and Thunderbolt, they’re standards and I’m glad Apple adopted them early and dragged the rest of the world along. (And none of them prevented the use of older gear. Even USB would work with ADB devices using an iMate adapter.)
And then there’s the micro-DVI port on my Air... but a full-size DVI (or VGA) port simply wouldn’t fit. So adapters were necessary to connect those giant plugs to the thin machine. Mini-DVI wasn’t a rejection of devices people already owned; its entire purpose was to connect those existing devices.
Lastly, look at the iPhone: it’s commonplace among cell makers to use non-standard headphone jacks. But Apple never did. So there’s no surprise that Apple’s plans continue to involve standard headphone jacks.
Mini-DVI and Micro-DVI was not ideal. However standardising on Mini-DisplayPort (which is also compatible with Thunderbold ports) is excellent, and the Mini-DP adaptors are affordable (especially with Monoprice).
I still say Apple should make their own Mini-DP to HDMI cable and settle the issue once and for all. The Capdase one has many problems.
nvidia2008, completely agree. Guess we are getting old.
nagromme, good point...the "mini" audio jack on some of my old phones was annoying, cost me ten bucks to get a converter. And good point, Apple has pioneered many standards. And I understand the point about the thin iPod connector. Every now and then they surprise me though, the ADC port was a mistake I think. It's certainly better than old-school days of ADB, NuBus, special monitor ports, etc.