Ports on Right Side of 17" Powerbook

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tistevetisteve
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I am one of those people that prefer the ports on the back of the Powerbook. I will concede that with the new hinge and the addition of new ports that there is no option to put the ports on the side, but I for one would have problems with cabled connections on the right side as I like to position my mouse close to the side of the Powerbook and about level with the keyboard. This would particularly be a problem for FW/FW800 and ethernet connections.



Does anyone else forsee some inconveniences, or at least any better way that these ports could have been positioned?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    logan calelogan cale Posts: 1,281member
    I would think that this could cause some problems, but then again, the length of the computer is greater than the 15", so there maybe still be enough room to use it. One would have to try it to be entirely sure.
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  • Reply 2 of 11
    kcmackcmac Posts: 1,051member
    I think that after you use it for awhile you will like it. I did. Having a usb port on the right side as well as the left side is also a nice touch on the 17".
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  • Reply 3 of 11
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    I never understood how anyone could like having the ports on the back. I would think it would be annoying plugging and unplugging things.
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  • Reply 4 of 11
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    [quote]Originally posted by EmAn:

    <strong>I never understood how anyone could like having the ports on the back. I would think it would be annoying plugging and unplugging things.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    And we all know how freaking impossible it is to unplug your RJ45 connector from the back of the titanium PowerBook G4.
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  • Reply 5 of 11
    rambo47rambo47 Posts: 91member
    Something like 83% of people are right handed. Why the heck are the ports not on the right side? I find it terribly inconvenient to use an external mouse with the cord wound around back of the PowerBook - the damn thing is too short. Perhaps with the inclusion of Bluetooth we'll get some mice that make the cord problem a moot point.
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  • Reply 6 of 11
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by rambo47:

    <strong>Something like 83% of people are right handed. Why the heck are the ports not on the right side? I find it terribly inconvenient to use an external mouse with the cord wound around back of the PowerBook - the damn thing is too short. Perhaps with the inclusion of Bluetooth we'll get some mice that make the cord problem a moot point.</strong><hr></blockquote>

    Except for the Apple Pro Mouse, most mouse cords are long enough.
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  • Reply 7 of 11
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    i'd much prefer having the ports on the side, either side.



    much better than ports on the back, because i do plug/unplug stuff on my PB all the time.
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  • Reply 8 of 11
    icruiseicruise Posts: 127member
    [quote]Originally posted by rambo47:

    <strong>Something like 83% of people are right handed. Why the heck are the ports not on the right side? </strong><hr></blockquote>



    If you had all of the ports on the right, then there would be all those other cords getting in the way of your mousing -- it actually makes more sense this way to me. The real question is, why don't they have a pro mouse with a longer cord? It is apparently designed to be used with the USB ports on a Pro keyboard, and in that case it make sense to have the cord short, but not when using it with a laptop.
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  • Reply 9 of 11
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    [quote]Originally posted by EmAn:

    <strong>

    Except for the Apple Pro Mouse, most mouse cords are long enough.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Isn't that ironic. Apple themselves put their USB ports on the left side of their laptops (iBooks, anyway), but sell mice with the shortest cable known to man.







    I kinda wish Apple would apply the thinking of the 17" TiBook to its entire laptop line: simply stick one USB port on the left side, one on the right. Then it doesn't matter: if you're right handed, you'd got a port for the mouse close at hand and your peripherals on the opposite side, out of the way. Reverse is true for lefties.



    Seems like a no-brainer to me. I figure in about another 2 years or so, this practical, simple and smart design will filter its way down to the iBooks.







    Either that or simply add about 8-12" to their Pro Mouse cables.



    Better yet, slap Bluetooth or whatever into everything you make, and come out with a bitchin' wireless Pro Mouse (MAYBE even heed the call of thousands and produce - gasp - a two-button model with a scroll wheel?) and then the whole issue is moot.



    I'd still use the one-button model, of course...



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  • Reply 10 of 11
    idaveidave Posts: 1,283member
    [quote]Originally posted by EmAn:

    <strong>I never understood how anyone could like having the ports on the back. I would think it would be annoying plugging and unplugging things.</strong><hr></blockquote>

    I don't and it is. I'm glad to see them on the sides of the new models.
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  • Reply 11 of 11
    tistevetisteve Posts: 9member
    [quote]Originally posted by EmAn:

    <strong>I never understood how anyone could like having the ports on the back. I would think it would be annoying plugging and unplugging things.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Yeah, I guess I can see what a pain it would be having to actually have to stand up and look down over the back and plug and unplug a cable Actually I use my TiSD as pretty much a desktop replacement and hardly unplug my cables as all unless I am coming or going....the one exception being when I swap FW cables for the iPod and the DVCam (like once or twice a month).



    I won't argue about the ease and simplicity of accessing ports on the side of a PowerBook (or iBook). And being right-handed, the ports on the left side would be no problem for me. But on the right side, it causes me a little concern. Already with the 17" book, the keyboard is farther from the mouse...what with the extra width. Now there will be cable connectors pushing the mouse farther out reducing my optimal mouse to keyboard distance ratio <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> ...plus the cable clutter that needs to be arrange whenever I need to connect or disconnect something. These are things that I feel would inconvenience me far more then plugging and unplugging at the back.



    I am sure that I could adapt....it really is just a matter of getting used to something new. Fortunately I got the TiSD just recently so it is not something I have to comtemplate at the moment. But I am sure that that day will come.



    [ 01-13-2003: Message edited by: TiSteve ]



    [ 01-13-2003: Message edited by: TiSteve ]</p>
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