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tillsbury

macrumors 68000
Dec 24, 2007
1,513
454
Great question, and sorry it took me so long to try. I just did, and it very much does not work. Oh well.

That's very much a pain in the neck, really. I wonder why not?

You plugged the hub into the charger and the supplied USB-C cable from there to the computer. I assume it still charges, but you're saying it now doesn't work as a USB or HDMI port on the computer?

I wonder what is causing that? Is it a limitation of the adaptor, or of USB-C, or does the USB-C cable supplied by Apple only do charging and not data. I wonder whether a different 2 metre USB-C cable would allow that to work?

It seems to me to be the entire point of the one-port design -- then there is only one cable to the laptop and not the mess of bits and cable ends shown in the original picture.
 

JTToft

macrumors 68040
Apr 27, 2010
3,447
796
Aarhus, Denmark
Can someone perhaps just confirm or disconfirm that the Multiport Adapter supports USB 3 in its Type A plug?

---------------

That's very much a pain in the neck, really. I wonder why not?

- I bet it's simply because the USB-C port on the adapter only supports power and not a data or video signal.
This hypothesis could be disconfirmed if someone were to successfully connect two multiport adapters to each other and a monitor via HDMI on the last adapter; but it won't necessarily be confirmed if you can't.
 
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fatefulwhisper

macrumors regular
Jul 24, 2008
171
21
Can someone perhaps just confirm or disconfirm that the Multiport Adapter supports USB 3 in its Type A plug?

I can confirm that it supports USB 3. I have Seagate and Western Digital USB 3 hard drives and the transfer rate is about the same or better compared to my 2013 MBA 11".
 

close2reality

macrumors 6502
Sep 21, 2012
307
3
thank god you put a piece of paper between the rMB and the desk...

makes you wonder why apple didn't engineer black round (replaceable) feet onto the bottom of their notebooks.....
 

iRun26.2

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,123
345
Here's a puzzle for you and this is as good a thread to drop it into as any.

There are truckloads of acid hate posts about the single port and the dongle. "Oh my, I have to hook up my externals through a dongle, what a disaster."

But tell me which is better:

1. Having three or four devices connected via one port each, each of which has to be connected and disconnected when I pick up the machine, and which make the thing resemble some kind of bug with a lot of stringy legs, or

2. Having a single dongle connected to the computer with the various externals connected to the dongle, which means just one cord to disconnect when I need to take the machine somewhere?

It's a poor man's docking station...

I've been thinking of the same thing myself! It only makes sense to disconnect one thing rather than five. Our we isheep if we thank Apple into forcing us into this better situation??? :)
 

tillsbury

macrumors 68000
Dec 24, 2007
1,513
454
- I bet it's simply because the USB-C port on the adapter only supports power and not a data or video signal.
This hypothesis could be disconfirmed if someone were to successfully connect two multiport adapters to each other and a monitor via HDMI on the last adapter; but it won't necessarily be confirmed if you can't.

Errr, surely the socket on the adaptor is a genuine USB-C port, isn't it? If it isn't, then you won't be able to daisy-chain from it, or plug some other USB-C device into it in the future.

No, it seems it isn't. The specifications say it's a "USB-C charging port". That's a bit of a downer. So it's not even a hub, it's just a splitter breaking down USB-C to HDMI and USB3.1 and a charging port.
 

ctyrider

macrumors 65816
Jul 15, 2012
1,025
591
No, it seems it isn't. The specifications say it's a "USB-C charging port". That's a bit of a downer. So it's not even a hub, it's just a splitter breaking down USB-C to HDMI and USB3.1 and a charging port.

Yes a bit of a downer, but then Apple is very clear in advertising the port capabilities of the A/V adapter. I plan on connecting the A/V adapter Type-A port into a USB3 hub (built into the monitor), so it should give me all the functionality I need.
 

fatefulwhisper

macrumors regular
Jul 24, 2008
171
21
Errr, surely the socket on the adaptor is a genuine USB-C port, isn't it? If it isn't, then you won't be able to daisy-chain from it, or plug some other USB-C device into it in the future.

No, it seems it isn't. The specifications say it's a "USB-C charging port". That's a bit of a downer. So it's not even a hub, it's just a splitter breaking down USB-C to HDMI and USB3.1 and a charging port.

I can confirm that the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power; no data will pass through. I just got my USB-C to displayport cable from google, and it works if I plug it in directly from the MacBook and into my Dell 27" monitor (I get the full 2560x1440 resolution, using DisplayPort), but when I tried to plug it into the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter, it does nothing. Unfortunately, my Dell monitor only does 1080p on the HDMI port, so I'm unable to test any resolution higher than that using HDMI.

So, I also have a battery pack I use for charging my iPhone, and that works (meaning, it charges the laptop battery) through the USB-C port of the 3 port dongle (I also bought a USB-C to USB-A cable from google as well), so that leads me to believe that the USB-C port on the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power.
 

cfedu

Suspended
Mar 8, 2009
1,166
1,566
Toronto
I can confirm that the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power; no data will pass through. I just got my USB-C to displayport cable from google, and it works if I plug it in directly from the MacBook and into my Dell 27" monitor (I get the full 2560x1440 resolution, using DisplayPort), but when I tried to plug it into the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter, it does nothing. Unfortunately, my Dell monitor only does 1080p on the HDMI port, so I'm unable to test any resolution higher than that using HDMI.

So, I also have a battery pack I use for charging my iPhone, and that works (meaning, it charges the laptop battery) through the USB-C port of the 3 port dongle (I also bought a USB-C to USB-A cable from google as well), so that leads me to believe that the USB-C port on the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power.

Lots of older monitors will not do over 1080p(1200P) with HDMI, from the beginning I saw this would become a problem. Having a second USB C port or a Mini DP on the adapter would have been a better idea. I think most people who use external displays with mac already have mini DP adapters and you can just pick which one you want to use. As it is the MB is not compatible with the thunderbolt display nor the older 27"ACD since you can not use it with the power plugged in nor connect any other accessories to it. The new Hydra doc should work though.
 

spaceballl

macrumors 68030
Nov 2, 2003
2,892
285
San Francisco, CA
Unfortunately, my Dell monitor only does 1080p on the HDMI port, so I'm unable to test any resolution higher than that using HDMI.
Which model Dell do you have? The newer ones (U2715H, for example) *should* be able to do 1440P over HDMI. Sigh... stupid BTO MacBook - I'd test it myself, but the darn thing ain't here yet!
 

tillsbury

macrumors 68000
Dec 24, 2007
1,513
454
I can confirm that the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power; no data will pass through. I just got my USB-C to displayport cable from google, and it works if I plug it in directly from the MacBook and into my Dell 27" monitor (I get the full 2560x1440 resolution, using DisplayPort), but when I tried to plug it into the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter, it does nothing. Unfortunately, my Dell monitor only does 1080p on the HDMI port, so I'm unable to test any resolution higher than that using HDMI.

So, I also have a battery pack I use for charging my iPhone, and that works (meaning, it charges the laptop battery) through the USB-C port of the 3 port dongle (I also bought a USB-C to USB-A cable from google as well), so that leads me to believe that the USB-C port on the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power.

Thanks for that. Hope that someone releases an equivalent thing that has a longer cable than two inches some time soon. Otherwise Henry Cooke's review is likely to become a reality, and that's not a good thing...

CCv8c8DUIAA4F8j.jpg:large
 

spaceballl

macrumors 68030
Nov 2, 2003
2,892
285
San Francisco, CA
@tilsbury,

Haha that's a great picture! I think that pic could very well become the reality, but with USB-C being an open standard and a lot of the docks we're already seeing on Kickstarter, etc, I believe that unlike Thunderbolt we'll have a huge range of fairly priced accessories.
 

fatefulwhisper

macrumors regular
Jul 24, 2008
171
21
Which model Dell do you have? The newer ones (U2715H, for example) *should* be able to do 1440P over HDMI. Sigh... stupid BTO MacBook - I'd test it myself, but the darn thing ain't here yet!

I have the U2713HM which has HDMI 1.3 (1920x1080). It was cheap when I bought it at the time and before the announcement of the rMB, and I was happy using DisplayPort w/ my MacBook Air to get the 2560x1440 resolution. Oh well.

All I can really do is just wait for someone to make a working adapter so I can use both power + displayport.
 

theSeb

macrumors 604
Aug 10, 2010
7,466
1,893
none
That's super good news! I wonder why you couldn't previously run above 1080p via HDMI on Macs?

Huh? I have been using a 1920 x 1200 display via HDMI for many years with different Macs.
 
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Billcat

macrumors newbie
Apr 19, 2015
9
1
I can confirm that the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power; no data will pass through. I just got my USB-C to displayport cable from google, and it works if I plug it in directly from the MacBook and into my Dell 27" monitor (I get the full 2560x1440 resolution, using DisplayPort), but when I tried to plug it into the USB-C port of the 3 port AV adapter, it does nothing. Unfortunately, my Dell monitor only does 1080p on the HDMI port, so I'm unable to test any resolution higher than that using HDMI.

So, I also have a battery pack I use for charging my iPhone, and that works (meaning, it charges the laptop battery) through the USB-C port of the 3 port dongle (I also bought a USB-C to USB-A cable from google as well), so that leads me to believe that the USB-C port on the 3 port AV adapter is strictly just for power.

I am facing similar challenge – I have a dell U3011 and still waiting for my rMB to arrive.
When you drive the 1440 external monitor via the google cable, how many hours can the rMB last? (my scenario is 8-9 hours in office with external monitor if I don’t need to bring my laptop into meetings).
BTW, there is no any possibilities that the rMB could be charged via a USB-C <=> displayport cable, is it?
 

mutsaers-vr.nl

macrumors 6502
Jan 10, 2008
347
4
The Netherlands
in the Netherlands they are 89 euro each so that would be almost 180 euro's !!

True, but I solved that problem by buying 10 five dollar adapters from ebay and having them all over the place just in case I forgot to bring one. Unless there are after market adapters with power bypass one might need to get 160$ in Apple adapters (VGA,HDMI)and keep them in the travel bag.
 
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