Let's just hope this USB-C connector can stand the test of time - how durable it is. A USB-A or B connector seems to be so sturdy by comparison, maybe I am imagining it, not sure.. I am very careful when using the cables and connectors on my new MacBook Air.
I bought a 2016 tb MacBook Pro and use it mainly in my home studio in clamshell mode. All 4 TB3 ports are in use. When I go portable... actually using it as a laptop, I have to be extra careful with any attached external drives as there seems to be VERY MINIMAL locking with these new ports. The slightest tension and my drive becomes disconnected. This is the first Apple laptop that i've owned since 1998 that has this issue.
USB-A is massively entrenched. It will take years (decades) for the PC side to let go. I appreciate why Apple wants to move USB-C forward and make it ubiquitous, but, at this point, I think they are doing us all a great disservice by not including a “legacy” USB port for convenience.
Ditto. That's precisely what I said when Apple first gutted the MacBook "Pro" of pro features in late 2016. I've repeated that message of sanity since, and all the while I am consistently mocked as outdated and not willing to embrace the wave of the future. This excellent AppleInsider article only drives home the point we sane people have been saying all along. Give us USB-C, yes! But also put at least one USB-A port on MacBooks named "Pro." It's not like the price is too low for that to happen. And while Apple is at it, they need to restore a good keyboard. The latest from Unbox Therapy on YouTube shows that even the membrane butterfly keyboard is still problematic. Even if it wasn't, it feels terrible on the hands. That's not just me talking either. Popular tech writers and others who type for a living have said such. And then there's the SD card slot. Update it to the latest technology and put it back where it belongs. It's silly to say "nobody needs the SD card slot" when Apple continues to put it in the iMac, even the iMac Pro.
Some Cupertino worshippers say that once Apple takes something away, it will never come back. Sorry, but when there's a will, there's always a way. And it wouldn't be going backwards either. It would make their machines a bridge between the needs of today and the tech of tomorrow.
Let's just hope this USB-C connector can stand the test of time - how durable it is. A USB-A or B connector seems to be so sturdy by comparison, maybe I am imagining it, not sure.. I am very careful when using the cables and connectors on my new MacBook Air.
That's my impression, too. In all fairness, though the cables for my MacBook Pro are a year old and still working just fine.
Let's just hope this USB-C connector can stand the test of time - how durable it is. A USB-A or B connector seems to be so sturdy by comparison, maybe I am imagining it, not sure.. I am very careful when using the cables and connectors on my new MacBook Air.
The USB-A cable may be sturdy, but man is it a pain in the ass to plug in most the of the time.
Your life must be miserable dealing with polarized AC plugs, keys, etc! Seriously, having a reversible plug is more convenient, but it's not that big of a deal. The issue I've noticed with USB C is that it's harder to get it in the socket. Maybe it's because the hole for the socket is almost exactly the same size as the plug so if the plug isn't perfectly lined up it doesn't go in. Either way, I've found that even though it's unidirectional, plugging a USB A plug in takes about the same amount of time as plugging a USB C plug. That said, the plug is not what we should be basing our decision on.
Coming soon: The completely portless MacBook Pro. MacBook battery run out of charge? No problem, the Apple trade-in program will refund you 5% of your previous days MacBook. Or visit an Apple Store daily for a battery replacement for only $599. Ives: "The completely portless, un-chargable MacBook Pro has let us make it 1mm thinner - revolutionizing the personal computing experience..." Average Appleinsider commenter: "People who charge their MacBooks daily are a niche market..."
In all seriousness, we are probably only a few years away from an all-wireless PC. Wireless charging is getting better, and most people don’t use a lot of ports anymore. Expect it to start with mobile devices, though.
I'm not sure why people are so fixated on the pipe dream of being completely cordless. Wireless charging may be improving, but will not take over any time soon, and there are still plenty of uses that require a cable. Wireless works, but wired is superior in virtually every way.
I’ve had my USB-C-only MBP for over two years now, and still the only things I’ve connected to it without a dongle are the power cord and the external monitor. I bet I’m not the only one who wishes they had included a USB-A port. I wonder if USB-C will become more useful to me before it’s time to get another laptop, but I did spend over $150 on dongles, so I’m well prepared to stick it out ‘til the bitter end.
That's been my experience as well. Last time I was at the Apple Store, I could only find a couple of USB C accessories aside from cables/dongles. I said it 2 years ago when the USB C-only MacBooks first came out. USB C may be the future, but USB A is the present, and we need to work in the present. There really isn't valid reason Apple couldn't have put at least one USB A port on the machines. As AI just said, "But as it turns out, it is far too early to go all-in." And this is two years later.
What I can't figure out, though, is what is the real advantage of having 4 USB C ports on my MacBook Pro? It seems like what they've done is essentially take everything and give it the same connector so you have to use a dongle to make it do what you want. Aside from being able to pick which side you plug things in on there don't seem to be a lot of net advantages. On top of that, there are downsides as not all USB C cables and ports are capable of all the potential functions.
Don't get me wrong on this - I recognize that USB C has a lot of advantages, it just seems like Apple got so caught up in their utopian view of the future that they made the present more difficult to live in.
My only usb-c product is the 11” iPad Pro, and it does really make me grumble. Just bought a bunch of micro-to-c adapters to simplify things; the travel charger bag has simply gotten too big. In a few years, I will be happy to buy a usb-c laptop, but I am sick of buying extra chargers when on the road. The lack of a puck-only watch charger with either lightning, micro, or c really is annoying.
The question I have regarding USB C is who signed off on this dumpster fire. Were Steve Jobs alive he would not OK the mess cables and dongles have become on Apple devices.
We all went through this very same thing when Apple switched from its old Serial I/O to USB. It was dongle hell too! It took a couple of years and then USB took over. This is really nothing new and guess what, yes, this was on Steve's watch along with other I/O interface changes throughout the years. Stop with the if Steve were here shit!
Not exactly true. As pointed out he did not get rid of everything at all. Still had Ethernet and optical drive for input. It was also a desktop which makes hubs and dongles not a big deal to just put next to the machine and leave. Don't have to carry them with you or worry about forgetting. And putting only a single USB-C on the MacBook as it's only source of charge and data is ridiculous.
Coming soon: The completely portless MacBook Pro. MacBook battery run out of charge? No problem, the Apple trade-in program will refund you 5% of your previous days MacBook. Or visit an Apple Store daily for a battery replacement for only $599. Ives: "The completely portless, un-chargable MacBook Pro has let us make it 1mm thinner - revolutionizing the personal computing experience..." Average Appleinsider commenter: "People who charge their MacBooks daily are a niche market..."
“bitmod” The king of straw men.
hu·mor
/ˈ(h)yo͞omər/
noun
1.
the quality of being amusing or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech.
You mentioned that you have a Nikon Z7. Great Camera. I have one.
But... Any photographer worth their salt would have bought a second battery when buying the phone.
Yes folks, the Nikon can do a battery swap in 20 seconds.
Oh, and the same battery works in my D500.
I guess far too many people are just so used to having wall-warts and everything with them all the time.
I would not dream of going out with any of my Nikon's without a fully charged battery (good for 700+ shots) and a fully charged spare in my pocket. There is nothing worse than missing a great shot due to no power to the camera.
I shudder to think how you would manage in some of the places I go to take photos. No Internet. No 110/240 power for days on end, no phone coverage. Bliss but not without its problems. Just go prepared.
I do admire your attempt to exist at the show without having a charger but... You could have gotten by with just the MacBook one (kept in reserve) and then charged everything off of that while you were sleeping... You did sleep didn't you?
don't think charging is the issue, yes I get the point that there are not enough io's for multiple device charging but charging speed is not the primary reason for type C, my Roli keyboard wants type C to reduce latency, an external GPU wants it for bandwidth, hard drives likewise, you moan that Macs aren't pro any more but when they stick a pro connector on the computer for genuine pro users you moan like crazy
The comments about "MacBook Pro should have moar portz!" are kind of missing the point of the article. It's not that they need dongles to plug the stuff they brought with them into their MacBook Pro, it's that they can't use USB-C only to charge their other devices yet.
If the only devices they'd decided to charge via USB-C were the two that needed it - the MacBook Pro, and the iPad Pro - then they wouldn't have had a problem. The problem is caused by trying to use USB-C to charge everything, and not having enough USB-C ports available to charge everything at once.
I still don't see the problem. The 3 (sans power) fucking USB-C ports, how many do they need?
And how many devices are enough?
I had the same problem (not enough ports to charge) as a photographer with USB A, so that has nothing to do with USB C.
And anybody who knows that they have multiple devices to charge could have gotten an appropriate breakout box with 2-3-5 USB C -- there are several.
Your article has little to do with Apple - you're basically complaining about the state of usb-c chargers.
Having said that, I don't like usb-c at all because it's clearly not ready for prime time and it sounds like the standards authority is largely to blame. My guess is there is some sort of paid licensing involved, vs usb-a which was probably free. Either way it's a mess.
Which only confirms the opinion that most common sense people had when seeing Apple introduce it's usb-c only laptops a while back, that it's a stupid move. It's much too early to have usb-c only on any computer and having to buy extra dongles is an insult to the customer. Why aren't they included in the box, especially given the massively high prices of MacBook Pro's?
I work in IT and I can tell you that usb-a is alive and well and that usb-c is nowhere to be seen. Hell we still use VGA heavily - that's the world we lie in. Apple burying their head in the and and going usb-c only is not good for anyone - except their wallet...
Has anyone tried plugging a solar panel USB into one of these battery Banks to keep it charged up? It will charge it up but as long as the bank is charging up, for some reason they have the electronics to shut off all outputs! Completely doesn't make sense whatsoever... So you have to disconnect from solar charger in order to actually use the damn Bank defeating the purpose of the solar panel....
Your article has little to do with Apple - you're basically complaining about the state of usb-c chargers.
Having said that, I don't like usb-c at all because it's clearly not ready for prime time and it sounds like the standards authority is largely to blame. My guess is there is some sort of paid licensing involved, vs usb-a which was probably free. Either way it's a mess.
Which only confirms the opinion that most common sense people had when seeing Apple introduce it's usb-c only laptops a while back, that it's a stupid move. It's much too early to have usb-c only on any computer and having to buy extra dongles is an insult to the customer. Why aren't they included in the box, especially given the massively high prices of MacBook Pro's?
I work in IT and I can tell you that usb-a is alive and well and that usb-c is nowhere to be seen. Hell we still use VGA heavily - that's the world we lie in. Apple burying their head in the and and going usb-c only is not good for anyone - except their wallet...
FTA: "We tried to take on the Consumer Electronics Show with nothing but USB-C, and the effort just highlighted how far the new standard has to go. While it can power your gear quickly, trying to use only USB-C wasn't great —but that doesn't have much to do with Apple."
You mentioned that you have a Nikon Z7. Great Camera. I have one.
But... Any photographer worth their salt would have bought a second battery when buying the phone.
Yes folks, the Nikon can do a battery swap in 20 seconds.
Oh, and the same battery works in my D500.
I guess far too many people are just so used to having wall-warts and everything with them all the time.
I would not dream of going out with any of my Nikon's without a fully charged battery (good for 700+ shots) and a fully charged spare in my pocket. There is nothing worse than missing a great shot due to no power to the camera.
I shudder to think how you would manage in some of the places I go to take photos. No Internet. No 110/240 power for days on end, no phone coverage. Bliss but not without its problems. Just go prepared.
I do admire your attempt to exist at the show without having a charger but... You could have gotten by with just the MacBook one (kept in reserve) and then charged everything off of that while you were sleeping... You did sleep didn't you?
The attendees crashed out for about two hours a night.
So...you are tech writers who were woefully unprepared (not merely underprepared) to attend a tech convention with an opinion that it's the entire USB-C thing that lacks, not your unpreparedness.
So...you are tech writers who were woefully unprepared (not merely underprepared) to attend a tech convention with an opinion that it's the entire USB-C thing that lacks, not your unpreparedness.
Got it.
This is an idiotic hot take. Sometimes, especially in this job, you try to do things to see if it's probable, or even possible. Just because the gang tried to go all USB-C to see if it could be done comfortably, didn't mean that there weren't backups.
You'll note that there was coverage from floor for the entire show. Oops, I guess not unprepared or underprepared at all.
So what stopped you from using adapting cables? Do you really have to use plain USB-C only?
I was thinking the same thing. I have a pack of USB A to C cables because I have so many USB A wall plugs. If you have a power adapter that has both USB C and USB A ports, and you want to charge multiple devices at one time, then you should probably have the cables to match. It sounds like, and I could be wrong, that your complaining because you only brought one charger for 4 devices. Maybe the point was to show how frustrating the USB C ecosystem can be, but with the backwards compatibility its really not that hard to bring one adapter for many devices. And since you would still have a USB C to USB C cable, data transfer wouldn't be an issue.
On a side note, since I saw other people comment, it is very frustrating how easy USB C comes unplugged. I was thinking of apply a silicon or rubber gasket to a cable for additional friction, wasn't sure if anyone had seen a better solution.
So...you are tech writers who were woefully unprepared (not merely underprepared) to attend a tech convention with an opinion that it's the entire USB-C thing that lacks, not your unpreparedness.
Got it.
This is an idiotic hot take. Sometimes, especially in this job, you try to do things to see if it's probable, or even possible. Just because the gang tried to go all USB-C to see if it could be done comfortably, didn't mean that there weren't backups.
You'll note that there was coverage from floor for the entire show. Oops, I guess not unprepared or underprepared at all.
It wasn't a "nightmare" then...other than not bringing the required USB-C bricks...charging the Nikon via USB-C is kind of silly anyway. You charge spares in the battery charger and carry 2. Everything else can charge from the MBP.
Let's just hope this USB-C connector can stand the test of time - how durable it is. A USB-A or B connector seems to be so sturdy by comparison, maybe I am imagining it, not sure.. I am very careful when using the cables and connectors on my new MacBook Air.
I bought a 2016 tb MacBook Pro and use it mainly in my home studio in clamshell mode. All 4 TB3 ports are in use. When I go portable... actually using it as a laptop, I have to be extra careful with any attached external drives as there seems to be VERY MINIMAL locking with these new ports. The slightest tension and my drive becomes disconnected. This is the first Apple laptop that i've owned since 1998 that has this issue.
Thats a 2016 Macbook Pro issues. That is fixed on the 2017 and newer. Likewise other brands don't have this issue either.
Comments
Some Cupertino worshippers say that once Apple takes something away, it will never come back. Sorry, but when there's a will, there's always a way. And it wouldn't be going backwards either. It would make their machines a bridge between the needs of today and the tech of tomorrow.
Your life must be miserable dealing with polarized AC plugs, keys, etc! Seriously, having a reversible plug is more convenient, but it's not that big of a deal. The issue I've noticed with USB C is that it's harder to get it in the socket. Maybe it's because the hole for the socket is almost exactly the same size as the plug so if the plug isn't perfectly lined up it doesn't go in. Either way, I've found that even though it's unidirectional, plugging a USB A plug in takes about the same amount of time as plugging a USB C plug. That said, the plug is not what we should be basing our decision on.
kpom said: I'm not sure why people are so fixated on the pipe dream of being completely cordless. Wireless charging may be improving, but will not take over any time soon, and there are still plenty of uses that require a cable. Wireless works, but wired is superior in virtually every way.
retrogusto said: That's been my experience as well. Last time I was at the Apple Store, I could only find a couple of USB C accessories aside from cables/dongles. I said it 2 years ago when the USB C-only MacBooks first came out. USB C may be the future, but USB A is the present, and we need to work in the present. There really isn't valid reason Apple couldn't have put at least one USB A port on the machines. As AI just said, "But as it turns out, it is far too early to go all-in." And this is two years later.
What I can't figure out, though, is what is the real advantage of having 4 USB C ports on my MacBook Pro? It seems like what they've done is essentially take everything and give it the same connector so you have to use a dongle to make it do what you want. Aside from being able to pick which side you plug things in on there don't seem to be a lot of net advantages. On top of that, there are downsides as not all USB C cables and ports are capable of all the potential functions.
Don't get me wrong on this - I recognize that USB C has a lot of advantages, it just seems like Apple got so caught up in their utopian view of the future that they made the present more difficult to live in.
Yup, you are just trying to pass off your trolling as humour. Lots of regulars here know the difference.
And how many devices are enough?
I had the same problem (not enough ports to charge) as a photographer with USB A, so that has nothing to do with USB C.
And anybody who knows that they have multiple devices to charge could have gotten an appropriate breakout box with 2-3-5 USB C -- there are several.
This is contrived BS.
The attendees crashed out for about two hours a night.
Got it.
You'll note that there was coverage from floor for the entire show. Oops, I guess not unprepared or underprepared at all.
I was thinking the same thing. I have a pack of USB A to C cables because I have so many USB A wall plugs. If you have a power adapter that has both USB C and USB A ports, and you want to charge multiple devices at one time, then you should probably have the cables to match. It sounds like, and I could be wrong, that your complaining because you only brought one charger for 4 devices. Maybe the point was to show how frustrating the USB C ecosystem can be, but with the backwards compatibility its really not that hard to bring one adapter for many devices. And since you would still have a USB C to USB C cable, data transfer wouldn't be an issue.
On a side note, since I saw other people comment, it is very frustrating how easy USB C comes unplugged. I was thinking of apply a silicon or rubber gasket to a cable for additional friction, wasn't sure if anyone had seen a better solution.