Major benefit of the single USB-C

lawrencejuliano said:

One benefit I see of the single USB-C is going to be cable management and ease of docking at home and in the office.

It's a major plus to portability that when I get to the office I only have to connect one cable to connect my monitor, gigabit ethernet and power.

Although the adapter for all of this is $79, it is a good value when you consider it as essentially a docking station.

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Unless all your peripherals go wireless, I can't see how this will help with cable management. All Apple did was push all those cables from directly connecting with your computer's chassis and into a dongle/ docking station. You will still have as many cables as before; now plugged into your docking station. You just added a dependency of having that dongle/ docking station whenever you have to connect your computer.

Those who did not use those cables earlier, used to have empty unconnected ports - now will see no difference. At a minimum they were required a charging cable; and that is true for the rMB too.

lawrencejuliano said:

One benefit I see of the single USB-C is going to be cable management and ease of docking at home and in the office.

It's a major plus to portability that when I get to the office I only have to connect one cable to connect my monitor, gigabit ethernet and power.

Although the adapter for all of this is $79, it is a good value when you consider it as essentially a docking station.

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i kinda agree with you.

lawrencejuliano said:

Those who did not use those cables earlier also will not notice the lack of other ports. I'm weighing a benefit of the single USB-C port.

Having one cable running across my desk rather than four will surely help with cable management and desk aesthetics.

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Yes, you are right. I was trying to make the point that if you had 3 cables connecting to your computer earlier - they will still exist: except now they are hooked up to your dongle.

mtneer said:

Yes, you are right. I was trying to make the point that if you had 3 cables connecting to your computer earlier - they will still exist: except now they are hooked up to your dongle.

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Sort of a docking station or hub effect.

I would rather have my ports back.

Buy an air

Newtons Apple said:

I would rather have my ports back.

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or a pro then there are enough options for those who want ports...

mtneer said:

Unless all your peripherals go wireless, I can't see how this will help with cable management. All Apple did was push all those cables from directly connecting with your computer's chassis and into a dongle/ docking station. You will still have as many cables as before; now plugged into your docking station. You just added a dependency of having that dongle/ docking station whenever you have to connect your computer.

Those who did not use those cables earlier, used to have empty unconnected ports - now will see no difference. At a minimum they were required a charging cable; and that is true for the rMB too.

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Um, why? Many business users have a dock at their desk where their monitor(s), keyboard, mouse, Ethernet, hard disks, power, etc are connected. With a usb-c dock, you show up at your desk and make a single connection. You know, like those of us in the PC world have been doing for decades.

On the go, who has the need for that kind of connectivity? You carry a small adapter that has the kind of connections you might need on the go.

If you are insistent that you have every kind of possible connection available whether you are using it or not, then the MacBook isn't for you. But neither is the Air, frankly.

I think the Air evolved to the point where for many people it became a general purpose computer rather than a specialized lightweight that made sacrifices for its mission. In many respects, it's hard to see a great deal of difference, other than the displays, between the 13" MBA and 13" rMBP.

My only port reservation, and it's only a reservation, not a problem or an objection, arises when I try to think of it as a do-everything machine, like my rMBP. But I think that's my fault: I don't think this is intended to be a do-everything machine for the single-laptop owner. Since Apple has quite a few computers that do fit that bill, it's hard to see where all the venom comes from (please note that is NOT a dig at the OP or the thread at all).

I'll try to simplify this whole USB-C thing with a future vision of simplicity:

90% of early buyers will have a main computer. The MacBook will not need ports because that's what their iMac/Mac/PC is for. We live in an increasingly wireless world anyway.

More so, laptops will increasingly adopt USB-C, and new displays will come with USB-C cords that second as a USB hub, just like Apple's Cinema Display.

So you're out and about. You get home/work, plug your Macbook into your display with one single USB-C connection, and already the display hubs your Ethernet, printer, etc.

No more plugging in power AND display AND peripherals. It's like what the Apple Cinema Display does now for MacBook Pro/Air, but now no longer proprietary to Apple, and so even PCs will do this directly because of the newly-created capabilities of USB-C.

This vision extends to the PC market. Eveyone is headed towards that simplicity.

Edit: also, you guys probably noticed elsewhere how people repeat the same complaint, "It doesn't even have a USB port." But they quickly forget the MacBook has exactly 1 port, not 0 ports. The pain point people bring up is having to unplug their power to use it, perhaps via adapter. But my rebuttal is 90%+ of your usage won't be in charge mode, and even then what pain is there in unplugging the power for 2-3 minutes while you use the port?

The only valid pain point (in my assessment) is the need to carry around and purchase an adapter for the "just in case" moments. They cite Apple's $79 cost but they forget competitors will bring their products at lower prices. Most people will get by without one but if they do a $19 adapter from Amazon will be a good safety item should they need to use it while traveling. The benefits of going USB-C and putting pressure on our reality to keep going wireless outweighs any detriments this transition will bring for a very small group of people. I think people just enjoy expressing their feelings and emotions despite this not actually translating into a real problem. It's imaginary first-world problems for most internet commentators.

lawrencejuliano said:

Those who did not use those cables earlier also will not notice the lack of other ports. I'm weighing a benefit of the single USB-C port.

Having one cable running across my desk rather than four will surely help with cable management and desk aesthetics.

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The only benefit of having just a single port is that it saves Apple money on production costs which improve the profit margin on the product. There is no consumer "benefit" of having just one port for everything and being forced to use a $79 dongle if you want to make the computer have some connection options.

DakotaGuy said:

The only benefit of having just a single port is that it saves Apple money on production costs which improve the profit margin on the product. There is no consumer "benefit" of having just one port for everything and being forced to use a $79 dongle if you want to make the computer have some connection options.

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You forgot to mention the benefit of it MAKING THE MACBOOK IMPOSSIBLY THIN, the entire point of this product segment.

As I've said before I actually really like the idea of a single port that can do anything. I dream of a future where every single thing with a wire that needs to go into your computer can do so with the same connector, in this case USB-C. The fact that my charger, external hard drive, monitors, etc, can all use the same port is actually awesome and in a couple years will probably be the standard.

The problem with Apple's implementation is that they only included 1 of these ports. That's the kicker. I can't charge my computer and simultaneously have something else plugged in. People are pointing to battery life, saying that it's not an issue. But for me, I can think of several scenarios where I'd need more than 1 port.

So I love the idea of USB-C, just disagree with Apple's decision to not include 2 of these ports.

DakotaGuy said:

The only benefit of having just a single port is that it saves Apple money on production costs which improve the profit margin on the product. There is no consumer "benefit" of having just one port for everything and being forced to use a $79 dongle if you want to make the computer have some connection options.

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We should go back to 17" MacBooks with internal optical drives and half a dozen or more external ports/jacks?

newellj said:

We should go back to 17" MacBooks with internal optical drives and half a dozen or more external ports/jacks?

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And the next MacBook Pro should have no magsafe and a single port? That is an improvement right over the current Pro right?

DakotaGuy said:

The only benefit of having just a single port is that it saves Apple money on production costs which improve the profit margin on the product. There is no consumer "benefit" of having just one port for everything and being forced to use a $79 dongle if you want to make the computer have some connection options.

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There's a huge benefit -- that you only have to plug/unplug one connector when docking your MB, rather than five or six each time you want to move it...

DakotaGuy said:

And the next MacBook Pro should have no magsafe and a single port? That is an improvement right over the current Pro right?

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Are we discussing the new MacBook or their other computers that still retain all these ports that you have to have?

Reserve this discussion for the (unlikely) future time when Apple removes those ports for the larger computers.

The market WANTS super thin laptops and devices. The market SPEAKS by creating demand, and a company's job is to listen—then supply. That is what Apple is doing. The idea that Apple is making incredibly thin laptops JUST to make a profit, and that thin devices has nothing to do with demand, is laughable. Apple's core business strength is they are better than anyone at listening, observing, and using intuition mixed with data to measure what the market wants, then providing.

The market wanted simpler, easier to use devices. The market wanted simpler, enriched ecosystems. The market wanted long battery life, portability, and super thin devices. By listening and providing, Apple has grown beyond competitors.

You, as one single individual, may not "need" what the market wants. But you are not the market. The market is composed of many individuals, cut across demographics, culture, and usage preferences. It's Apple's job to begin segmenting the market, and then providing a product line that serves some (not all) of those segments.

Apple is not a charity. Apple has to make a profit. No profit = not existing. More so, especially in the tech-world, money comes and goes. A billion dollar tech company today can die in a year, hence requiring huge treasure chest of money to buy companies, invest in new product categories, and keep the innovation engine running. Apple's interest is in self-preservation, and part of that is long-term thinking, and short-term providing of products the market wants.

Of course there are things about Apple that betray my interests or preferences at times, but I don't feel entitled that every little move Apple makes benefits me 100%. Reality is not solely composed by Apple. But I would swear people on this and other forums think just that, like complaining about their god for making it cloudy today. Apple is not responsible for your day. You are. If the first generation MacBook does not fit you in features, or price, then move on. They are conducting business by providing what some of the market wants. If something doesn't fit you perfectly, do not throw an internet temper tantrum, or spread poisons that waste our time. Apple is not a religion, and they are not a charity. It is a business tasked with providing value to the marketplace. And fortunately there is plenty of options and competition. Stop the cynicism, not because you are a cynic but because you are trying to infect other people with it because you are lonely in your perspective.

^^^Pretty much.

Every time Apple releases a new lightweight device, a vocal minority complains bitterly about what was lost, while the market laps it up.

What is the #1 request for the Surface Pro 4 (when the SP3 is about the same size and weight as the MacBook?) Make it thinner and lighter.

DakotaGuy said:

And the next MacBook Pro should have no magsafe and a single port? That is an improvement right over the current Pro right?

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That's not what he's saying. What he's saying is there are two types of people:

1. People who welcome change, even though all change brings both progress and detriment
2. People who yell that the sky is falling

He's saying that you fit in category 2, and you're not really arguing otherwise are you?

When the Retina MacBook Pro lost the Superdrive and spinning HDs, people in category 2 lost their minds. And we in category 1 had to endure our community putting up with the yelling and complaining—which is fine the first time. But how often do we have to repeat the same groundhog day?

If you want legacy/compatibility everything, go PC. That is one of their main arguments against Macs, and if that's your preference, it's justified. I don't think you share Mac values. There's no shame in that, just please stop the complaining and cynicism. Don't shame us for desiring progress.

SAdProZ said:

You forgot to mention the benefit of it MAKING THE MACBOOK IMPOSSIBLY THIN, the entire point of this product segment.

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What does that have to do with the single port? Other manufacturers have made thinner notebooks than the "impossbile" Macbook before Apple, and had no problem putting multiple ports into it (even USB Type-A ones that allow you to do amazing things like plugging a thumb drive into your computer without requiring a dongle).

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SAdProZ said:

The market WANTS super thin laptops and devices. The market SPEAKS by creating demand, and a company's job is to listen—then supply.

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Did anyone ask for fewer and less compatible ports?

Rigby said:

What does that have to do with the single port? Other manufacturers have made thinner notebooks than the "impossbile" Macbook before Apple, and had no problem putting multiple ports into it (even USB Type-A ones that allow you to do amazing things like plugging a thumb drive into your computer without requiring a dongle).

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Did anyone ask for fewer and less compatible ports?

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No they haven't. There are a very few notebooks that are thinner than the MacBook at its thickest, but the majority of the computer is not that thick, so the overall volume of the MacBook is considerably less. Also, AFAIK, the closest competitors still weigh about 2.4lbs. Again, the MacBook was designed to be the portable computer distilled as far as modern tech makes possible. Adding additional ports to this device would have run counter to that goal, and compromised the design.

Actually, I agree with this. That is a definite plus!

zhenya said:

^^^Pretty much.

Every time Apple releases a new lightweight device, a vocal minority complains bitterly about what was lost, while the market laps it up.

What is the #1 request for the Surface Pro 4 (when the SP3 is about the same size and weight as the MacBook?) Make it thinner and lighter.

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Exactly. Every release of a product creates a conversation with the marketplace. The company gets feedback via data and "innovates" by either incrementally improving that product or releasing a new product category. You can't even get that data without first releasing a product that's based on, first, semi-hypothesis (an experiment, like Microsoft Surface Pro). But at this point, it's not purely a hypothesis. The market has spoken. We want always on, super thin, always-with-us computers. The closer that computer becomes a screen with a keyboard, and everything else goes away, the better.

There's no way in 20 years a computer will have ports. Everything will just be a screen, and only some computers may have a keyboard, considering our new preference for voice interaction.

Anything that Apple does towards that direction is what we ALL want. The fact that some people aren't there yet is fine, but the idea that Apple is betraying us with that vision is laughable. Who doesn't want to live in the future? That's the future we all demanded when laptops were first introduced, had 1 hour of battery, weighed 30 lbs, had awful screens, and barely fit in a book bag.