The single USB port on the 12” MacBook is one of the stupidest design decisions made in a long time. That feature alone creates enough usability issues to remove it from consideration.
I haven’t found it to be a problem. Most USB-C hubs have pass-through charging now, and third party hubs are now plentiful.
That's the problem - you need to carry a hub in addition to whatever else you plug in, so a basic-use scenario of needing to charge your laptop and use a flash drive or other accessory at the same time requires you to purchase and carry a separate hub. I know of no other laptop on the market that forces you to choose between charging and using an accessory. Adding one more USB port (or, God forbid, keeping the MagSafe connector for charging) would completely eliminate the problem.
Of course, I need to carry a USB A-C dongle as well, so I might as well just get an extra bag to carry all the accessories.
"so I might as well just get an extra bag to carry all the accessories"
Can't you just put the dongle and/or hub in the same bag you're using to carry the charger, cable and USB key? Or is there no room left after you stuff in your bottle of whine?
I can’t really justify having a laptop these days, but my lady friend has a 12” MacBook and she loves it. I think the fanless design is rad, and the single port isn’t really a problem for her. As an aside I can’t help but point out that the 12” MacBook in it’s current form debuted in 2015, not last year as the article states.
The single USB port on the 12” MacBook is one of the stupidest design decisions made in a long time. That feature alone creates enough usability issues to remove it from consideration.
I haven’t found it to be a problem. Most USB-C hubs have pass-through charging now, and third party hubs are now plentiful.
That's the problem - you need to carry a hub in addition to whatever else you plug in, so a basic-use scenario of needing to charge your laptop and use a flash drive or other accessory at the same time requires you to purchase and carry a separate hub. I know of no other laptop on the market that forces you to choose between charging and using an accessory. Adding one more USB port (or, God forbid, keeping the MagSafe connector for charging) would completely eliminate the problem.
Of course, I need to carry a USB A-C dongle as well, so I might as well just get an extra bag to carry all the accessories.
If you had to carry whatever else you plug in, you wouldn't buy a Macbook, obviously? Why would people need an "integrated hub" in their laptop if they carry their gadgets only occasionally? Mobile computing is not moving your laptop and all your gadget inventory from one desk onto another desk !...
I’ve been using my MacBook for a while, and I can confirm the last thing you said. When size comes down to an acceptable level, you don’t want to keep it in place like heavier ones. In that case, the laptop is becoming more of a personal gadget than a mobile workstation. You still can use it as a workstation, but that’s quiet a waste in its potential. The MacBook doesn’t stop here however, It’s also trying to be the “simplest” laptop on the market as well. Which is why it sacrifices power for a fanless, all “solid-state” design, even though you can easily adding more power within its size. In that case, “one port that does it all” it’s no exception. I’m actually fine with that, but I do like one extra port sometimes.
The single USB port on the 12” MacBook is one of the stupidest design decisions made in a long time. That feature alone creates enough usability issues to remove it from consideration.
I haven’t found it to be a problem. Most USB-C hubs have pass-through charging now, and third party hubs are now plentiful.
That's the problem - you need to carry a hub in addition to whatever else you plug in, so a basic-use scenario of needing to charge your laptop and use a flash drive or other accessory at the same time requires you to purchase and carry a separate hub. I know of no other laptop on the market that forces you to choose between charging and using an accessory. Adding one more USB port (or, God forbid, keeping the MagSafe connector for charging) would completely eliminate the problem.
Of course, I need to carry a USB A-C dongle as well, so I might as well just get an extra bag to carry all the accessories.
If you had to carry whatever else you plug in, you wouldn't buy a Macbook, obviously? Why would people need an "integrated hub" in their laptop if they carry their gadgets only occasionally? Mobile computing is not moving your laptop and all your gadget inventory from one desk onto another desk !...
Yes, that's exactly my point. Using a flash drive and charging your computer at the same time is not moving your entire desk.
You ask why people would need an 'integrated hub' in their laptop - well, that's exactly what every laptop with more than one port is. Even a $250 chromebook lets you do this. When Apple made the decision to handle charging via the USB port, they essentially made the MacBook a 'one port' hub for both charging and data transfer. Had they kept charging separate from the USB it wouldn't be an issue. By putting everything into a single port, the limit you to one function at a time unless you choose to purchase a separate hub and carry it around wherever you take your MacBook.
When battery life is getting longer, AC power adapters are becoming “optional” instead a lifewire. Nowadays I rarely keep it plugged like old one does, so I always have the room for a USB device. It’s not a “stupid design”, as they clearly thought about that. Surely two ports are more excessive than one, but not a deal breaker.
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What do you think about this issue with the camera on new Air:
https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/mac/2018-macbook-air-hd-camera-quality-blurry/
?