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John Gruber: Apple Invented USB Type C

O

ohsnaphappy

macrumors regular
Jan 14, 2013
240
64
Can anyone explain why it's not magnetic? I'm glad it's a great new connector, but the magsafe plug was so incredible and truly saved my laptop from my dogs on multiple occasions.

Also, it was just neat and Apple-like.

Gonna miss it.
 
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
Apple always likes to say "They invented eveything" then we find out later "oh, no they didn't" :rolleyes:
 
P

prowlmedia

Suspended
Jan 26, 2010
1,589
813
London
ohsnaphappy said:
Can anyone explain why it's not magnetic? I'm glad it's a great new connector, but the magsafe plug was so incredible and truly saved my laptop from my dogs on multiple occasions.

Also, it was just neat and Apple-like.

Gonna miss it.
Click to expand...

Because it's so light the current mag would just pull it off the table - any lighter magnets and it would not be that effective keeping the wire in... The usbc connector is so small it would probably pull out with less force than the mag connector
 
H

hayesk

macrumors 65816
May 20, 2003
1,460
101
AlecZ said:
You mean just ONE thing. Yeah, you're safe as long as you don't want to connect anything to it that uses regular USB (or anything besides USB-C), and if you want to connect something that uses USB-C, you can't be charging your laptop at the same time. I don't have the numbers, but I think the majority of users would need a dongle.
Click to expand...

You're right. You don't have the numbers. I would dispute that for many reasons:

1. I think most users just use the laptop without connecting anything to it. Think about the average consumer sitting home on their couch surfing the web or reading email? What are they connecting?
2. Those that do, it's temporary, like a digital camera or USB thumb drive. You could simply disconnect the power adapter for a few minutes anyway.
3. Remember this thing has 10 hour battery life. Chances are this thing will get charged at night and not while in use most of the time.
 
J

Jamesbot

macrumors member
Jun 19, 2009
51
1
USB Type C is neither universal nor serial nor bus.

school-bus-775146.jpg
 
SlCKB0Y

SlCKB0Y

macrumors 68040
Feb 25, 2012
3,426
555
Sydney, Australia
paradox00 said:
It's not as straightforward an argument has USB 3.0, but lightning could handle USB 3.1 functions, possible with the exception of the increased power (which is irrelevant to a phone).
Click to expand...

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction since if it can't handle increased power then it doesn't meet the standard?

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hayesk said:
2. Those that do, it's temporary, like a digital camera or USB thumb drive. You could simply disconnect the power adapter for a few minutes anyway.
Click to expand...

But you still need a USB-A to USB-C adapter for this.

USB-A drives are ubiquitous with at least hundreds of millions in use...
 
N

nelsonammo

macrumors regular
Mar 9, 2011
158
179
USB C is the future. One type of port for all things. So is the macbook. Just like every time Apple invents new technology and uses it in one product, it trickles down to all their other products. It already started with the new trackpad in the 13" rMPB. Once Skylake comes out I bet they will release redesigned MBPs that are thinner, only use USB C and thunderbolt ports (since these are pros of course they will have multiple ports and no magsafe), the new track pad, the redesigned logic board, redesigned retina screen, be thinner, use the new batteries, etc.

I can't wait!
 
perkedel

perkedel

macrumors 6502a
Dec 30, 2014
534
203
California
WoundedQuail said:
I imagine you wouldn't want MagSafe in a port that transfers data. If it gets pulled when transferring files or before you disconnect a drive you could potentially corrupt the file or damage the drive. Maybe there will be an adapter that splits to a MagSafe power port?
Click to expand...

I'd take my chances of getting data error, I can retry transfer. It costs me nothing but time to retry a file transfer.
If someone trip over a power cable and pull my laptop and break it, that's one hell of an expensive repair/replace bill.
Given the option, I'll take the retry choice.

The good thing about this USB-C is that, there could be cheaper 3rd party power adapter products. I paid $79.99 for mine so I can have one extra at home and in my office at work.
 
S

subjonas

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2014
5,613
5,961
hexor said:
Not having the connector pull away when yanked on is a severe negative for a portable.
Click to expand...

True for power. Can't have the connector falling out in the middle of a data transfer though.
It's the trade off of having an all in one port.
 
AppleScruff1

AppleScruff1

macrumors G4
Feb 10, 2011
10,026
2,949
ghettochris said:
Really? It doesn't seem like a negative with iPhones and iPads...

I expect this to be the same. The days of charging your laptop while you use it are over.
Click to expand...

Except when the battery is low and you need to use it. :eek:

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profets said:
Doesn't seem to be an issue for iPad or iPhone.
Click to expand...

Then MagSafe was nothing but a gimmick?

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nelsonammo said:
USB C is the future. One type of port for all things. So is the macbook. Just like every time Apple invents new technology and uses it in one product, it trickles down to all their other products. It already started with the new trackpad in the 13" rMPB. Once Skylake comes out I bet they will release redesigned MBPs that are thinner, only use USB C and thunderbolt ports (since these are pros of course they will have multiple ports and no magsafe), the new track pad, the redesigned logic board, redesigned retina screen, be thinner, use the new batteries, etc.

I can't wait!
Click to expand...

I thought Thunderbolt was the future.
 
M

manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,220
3,031
SlCKB0Y said:
But you still need a USB-A to USB-C adapter for this.

USB-A drives are ubiquitous with at least hundreds of millions in use...
Click to expand...

When Apple switch from FW400 to FW800 on their laptops nobody thought that they just want to sell dongles. Standards change, at some point people will need adaptors to connect USB-C devices that everybody will use to their laptops with USB-A ports.
 
AppleScruff1

AppleScruff1

macrumors G4
Feb 10, 2011
10,026
2,949
manu chao said:
When Apple switch from FW400 to FW800 on their laptops nobody thought that they just want to sell dongles. Standards change, at some point people will need adaptors to connect USB-C devices that everybody will use to their laptops with USB-A ports.
Click to expand...

Except Apple has a bit of history using connections that no one else uses.
 
M

manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,220
3,031
AppleScruff1 said:
E

Then MagSafe was nothing but a gimmick?
Click to expand...

The vast majority of the time people will use their iPhones not being plugged into a charger. When MagSafe was introduced, the vast majority of the time people used their laptops plugged into a charger because the battery only last three hours.

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AppleScruff1 said:
Except Apple has a bit of history using connections that no one else uses.
Click to expand...
Which we know, is not the case with USB-C.
 
Swift

Swift

macrumors 68000
Feb 18, 2003
1,828
964
Los Angeles
szw-mapple fan said:
It totally makes sense as a name as well. By naming USB type C and not LightningBolt or whatever, people will think this is a universal thing, rather than a Apple proprietary standard.
Click to expand...

If they give it to a standards body, it IS an universal standard. It means nobody can charge royalty. Firewire, and likely Thunderbolt, were done in that way. Now Thunderbolt may survive on pro machines, I suppose, because it's gloriously fast.

Or they'll figure out a way for everything to have 2 Gbps wireless Internet and it'll be game over.
 
M

manu chao

macrumors 604
Jul 30, 2003
7,220
3,031
paradox00 said:
Of the 12 pins, two are grounds (you really only need one), one is for orientation detection and two are for usb 2.0 support. Lighting has 8 pins plus a ground ( for reference USB 3.0 has 8 pins plus two grounds) and is an active cable, so it doesn't need separate pins for legacy support. It's not as straightforward an argument has USB 3.0, but lightning could handle USB 3.1 functions, possible with the exception of the increased power (which is irrelevant to a phone).
Click to expand...
Lightning is not 8 pins + ground, ground is one of the eight pins. And of the remaining 7, two are for orientation as well. That leaves four data pins and one power pin.
For USB C, two of the 12 pins are ground, one for orientation and two for USB 2. That still leaves 7 pins for data and power vs the 5 pins for power and data on Lightning. Of those 7 pins, 4 are for straight data but it adds one for Sideband use (SBU) which Lightning could not provide and it has two pins used for power. Thus as you said, it could have difficulties to transport the same power.

We'll see what happens, but I suspect they'll continue to use lightning on phones. It's "thinner", could be upgraded to USB 3.0 if not USB 3.1, and gives them control of the ecosystem.
Click to expand...
I agree, it is also more robust.
 
M

Mal67

macrumors 6502a
Apr 2, 2006
519
36
West Oz
Good for them if they have invented this. I still can't see how having the usb-c as the only connection works towards making the Apple experience more elegant and more simple for the user.
 
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