Watch: What you need to know about USB-C and Thunderbolt 3

Posted:
in General Discussion edited September 2020
Apple's decision to pare down connectivity options on its latest MacBook laptops to USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 has left some users confused about each protocol's unique capabilities and limitations. AppleInsider presents a short history of the two standards and how they coexist in Apple's latest devices.







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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    cmka~+cmka~+ Posts: 40member
    I like that you guys are foraying into more video content, but white-balance! swap out the bulbs in your Ikea lamp with something a little closer to 6000k. If you can't brighten your key light (or window?) then the bulbs in the paper floor lamp should be dimmer as well. 
  • Reply 2 of 7
    appexappex Posts: 687member
    "What you need to know about USB-C and Thunderbolt 3". Just one thing: they are standards that Apple should use in ALL devices. No more proprietary connectors.
    edited May 2017
  • Reply 3 of 7
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    appex said:
    "What you need to know about USB-C and Thunderbolt 3". Just one thing: they are standards that Apple should use in ALL devices. No more proprietary connectors.
    USB-C is proprietary. It's owned by the USB-IF and requires their licensing to use. Thunderbolt 3 isn't a connector, it's protocol, but the protocol is proprietary. It also requires an Intel chip that can support the protocol.


    So far, I've seen no evidence that Intel will license a primary controller chip to be used in any ARM-based mobile devices, and it's silly to expect that when USB 3.x speeds would be a huge boost in performance over devices still using USB 2.0 controllers. Additionally, Apple does use the USB protocol in their iDevices.

    edited May 2017
  • Reply 4 of 7
    appex said:
    "What you need to know about USB-C and Thunderbolt 3". Just one thing: they are standards that Apple should use in ALL devices. No more proprietary connectors.

    The mantra at Appex, Inc. will be "never do anything that someone else hasn't already done."  The mascot can be a sheep.
    chia
  • Reply 5 of 7
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    1. The presenter says the USB spec works out to roughly 125 megabytes per second, but the graphic says 1250 MB/s.

    2. With due respect to the presenter, there's a reason for hiring professional on-screen talent. Kudos for a valiant effort to the person in the video, but I found his presentation rushed, and often had trouble making out what he was saying. Articulating clearly without sounding pretentious is really difficult, which is why people who are good at it get paid to do it. A person who is good at recognizing the differences between various bikini styles may or may not be the best person to model them.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    appex said:
    "What you need to know about USB-C and Thunderbolt 3". Just one thing: they are standards that Apple should use in ALL devices. No more proprietary connectors.
    Apple's use of the Lightning connector has benefits for the less tech-savvy. By being able to control what can and cannot connect to your device, Apple is able to insure security and a more predictable user experience.

    It's like the story about Apple requiring app-specific passwords for third-party apps that access iCloud. It adds a layer of inconvenience for the user, so why do it? Until someone mentioned in the comments that it prevents a rogue developer from accessing my primary credentials, I hadn't thought of that. I now see that a minor inconvenience provides the benefit of greater security.

    If there's something Apple could do better, it would be COMMUNICATING. Instead of quietly sitting back while users complain about things like the proprietary nature of the Lightning connector, they could be shouting from the rooftops that shutting out potentially dangerous peripherals is GOOD for users.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    1. The presenter says the USB spec works out to roughly 125 megabytes per second, but the graphic says 1250 MB/s.

    2. With due respect to the presenter, there's a reason for hiring professional on-screen talent. Kudos for a valiant effort to the person in the video, but I found his presentation rushed, and often had trouble making out what he was saying. Articulating clearly without sounding pretentious is really difficult, which is why people who are good at it get paid to do it. A person who is good at recognizing the differences between various bikini styles may or may not be the best person to model them.
    The graphic is correct. The videographer is working on it.
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