Apple Announces New Dock Connector Called 'Lightning'

[bigboote]

line-out vs. Bluetooth adapters

I use Bluetooth to listen to music from my iPhone in my car. If your car doesn't have Bluetooth, you can add it for about what these stupid cables cost.

But is the quality of the Bluetooth audio as good as that of the line-out? Good analog is better than bad digital. Yeah, I can buy any one of a few different Bluetooth adapters to plug into one of the AUX inputs in my car stereo system, but if the audio quality goes down then I'm bummed; it also seems like unnecessary additional complexity and yet another point of failure. I'm going to plug in a cable to supply power to the iPhone in any case, so there's no overhead in terms of cable clutter as my one cable routes both power and audio.

 

[NewAnger]

But is the quality of the Bluetooth audio as good as that of the line-out? Good analog is better than bad digital. Yeah, I can buy any one of a few different Bluetooth adapters to plug into one of the AUX inputs in my car stereo system, but if the audio quality goes down then I'm bummed; it also seems like unnecessary additional complexity and yet another point of failure. I'm going to plug in a cable to supply power to the iPhone in any case, so there's no overhead in terms of cable clutter as my one cable routes both power and audio.

Bluetooth audio will never be as good as a direct connection through a cable because the audio degrades a bit over the air. You may also hear static and pops and clicks noticeable between tracks or quiet bits.

I once thought something was wrong with my car and paused the music to find it was interference with the bluetooth signal even though my phone was 6 inches away from the stereo.

 

[bigboote]

wireless interference

Bluetooth audio will never be as good as a direct connection through a cable because the audio degrades a bit over the air. You may also hear static and pops and clicks noticeable between tracks or quiet bits.

I once thought something was wrong with my car and paused the music to find it was interference with the bluetooth signal even though my phone was 6 inches away from the stereo.

That noise might also be the wireless signal (GSM is especially bad) getting into the analog parts of the stereo. Even with a hard-wired audio connection, if I hold my AT&T iPhone close to the stereo I'll hear noise especially if in a marginal signal area as the phone is transmitting with as much power as it can to be heard by the cell site. The mobile environment is so RF-hostile I don't think I want to bother with Bluetooth unless I really can't avoid it.

 

[NewAnger]

That noise might also be the wireless signal (GSM is especially bad) getting into the analog parts of the stereo. Even with a hard-wired audio connection, if I hold my AT&T iPhone close to the stereo I'll hear noise especially if in a marginal signal area as the phone is transmitting with as much power as it can to be heard by the cell site. The mobile environment is so RF-hostile I don't think I want to bother with Bluetooth unless I really can't avoid it.

I had bought a stereo for my car that iPod ready and also had Bluetooth. I tied it just a few times and gave up and use the built in USB connector to connect my iPod/iPhone. Nothing beats the sound. As far as bluetooth for calls, I don't use it, tried it and didn't like it.

 

[Buenos Aires]

Nice coincidence in the movie Fight Club

 

[bigboote]

I had bought a stereo for my car that iPod ready and also had Bluetooth. I tied it just a few times and gave up and use the built in USB connector to connect my iPod/iPhone. Nothing beats the sound. As far as bluetooth for calls, I don't use it, tried it and didn't like it.

Ah, so you have a wired digital connection for your audio! Sweet! You win.

 

[spblat]

Apple has confirmed to Macworld that these adapters support analog and USB audio-out, as well as syncing and charging. However, the adapters don’t support video-out or iPod mode, the latter a special mode that lets particular accessories, such as car stereos and some whole-home-audio systems, display your iPod’s menus on the accessory’s own screen. More cryptically, the online Apple Store’s product pages note that “some 30-pin accessories are not supported.”

Astute readers may have noticed that the Lightning connector does not support analog audio-out, but the 30-pin adapters do. That’s because hidden away inside each 30-pin adapter is a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that converts the Lightning connector’s digital audio signal to an analog version. (The inclusion of a DAC explains at least part of the price of the adapters.)

http://www.macworld.com/article/1168555/what_apples_new_lightning_connector_means_for_you.html

 

[DirtySocks85]

Wouldn't the new iphone 5 -- or any new "Lightning" devise come with its own cable? What's the purpose of buying one?
If you decide to keep your old iPhone 4 or 4S... The cables you have will still work, won't they?

I'm not sure why most posts are negative with regard to the new cable....
Is there something I'm missing?

Yes, the new one will ship with a cable, but the problem is twofold.

1) The Lightning connector won't work with old accessories without this adapter, so you have to pay a $30 premium to continue to use your old accessories (dock speakers, car adapters, etc)

2) Many of us who have been using iPods, iPhones and iPads for years (got my first iPod in 2005, my first iPhone in 2008) have accumulated a good number of cheap dock cables for charging and can keep them everywhere (all over the house, at the office, in the car, etc). As of right now our only option is to carry around the one cable that comes with the phone, or buy another one at $20 or buy an adapter for $30/40.

In the long run I think Lightning will be fine, but in the short term it's a major inconvenience for those who have already established a bit of stability in regards to their iOS device support.

 

[bigboote]

cables now, power adapters before

Yes, the new one will ship with a cable, but the problem is twofold.

1) The Lightning connector won't work with old accessories without this adapter, so you have to pay a $30 premium to continue to use your old accessories (dock speakers, car adapters, etc)

2) Many of us who have been using iPods, iPhones and iPads for years (got my first iPod in 2005, my first iPhone in 2008) have accumulated a good number of cheap dock cables for charging and can keep them everywhere (all over the house, at the office, in the car, etc). As of right now our only option is to carry around the one cable that comes with the phone, or buy another one at $20 or buy an adapter for $30/40.

In the long run I think Lightning will be fine, but in the short term it's a major inconvenience for those who have already established a bit of stability in regards to their iOS device support.

We've actually gone through a similar transition, twice, w.r.t. charging. Consider when the current requirements increased, from 500 mA to 1 A to 2.1 A, going from iPod to iPhone to iPad. It wasn't our cables that got obsoleted, but our home and car power adapters (both discrete and integrated). I got one of the Scosche passPORT charging adapters to allow a speaker dock and a car stereo to charge my iPhone, and that also cost about $30. Eventually I replaced most all my discrete power adapters with ones that are even capable of iPad charging, still use the Scosche in one car with its stereo for iPhones.

 

[macs4nw]

I'm tired of apply inventing new cables to do the same thing.
Why not keep to industry standards. How many useless cables do they want us to buy.

If they did, they'd be followers, not leaders.

I have the same issues with my pro retina. No Ethernet. Really! Do they want us to start hating them. Apple are so out of touch with what people want.

Unfortunately, innovation sometimes requires dropping the old tried and true, and introducing radically new methods/components/connectors etc. To name just one example: Tape cassettes>5.25" floppies>3.5" floppies>CD Rom>DVD Rom>WiFi downloads, cloud computing, you get my drift. I think there are great things coming with the new lightning connector.

 

[Lucas Abregu]

As predicted, Apple today announced that it is replacing the familiar 30-pin dock connector for its mobile devices with a new smaller one. The new connector bears the name "Lightning". The new cable is described as an all-digital, 8-signal design with an adaptive interface, and improved durability. Users can use it in either orientation (reversible) and it's 80% smaller than the old dock connector.

toronto office supplies

 

[the read]

If they did, they'd be followers, not leaders.



Unfortunately, innovation sometimes requires dropping the old tried and true, and introducing radically new methods/components/connectors etc. To name just one example: Tape cassettes>5.25" floppies>3.5" floppies>CD Rom>DVD Rom>WiFi downloads, cloud computing, you get my drift. I think there are great things coming with the new lightning connector.

I don't get your drift, none of the technologies you quote are relivent. In each case they were superseded by better technology, not just removed or disappeared from the market.

The Ethernet is not redundant technology needing to be replaced. Fiber is too costly, 10GB is also still too expensive, WiFi still cannot perform with reliability and performance. Apple chose not to include Ethernet technology and to replace it with nothing. This is a retarded decision. Apple have lost connection with what people require out of the technology they buy. Final Cut Pro, iOS not supporting flash and more recent iOS Maps are other examples of just how much Apple have lost their way.

 

[macs4nw]

I don't get your drift, none of the technologies you quote are relivent. In each case they were superseded by better technology, not just removed or disappeared from the market. The Ethernet is not redundant technology needing to be replaced. Fiber is too costly, 10GB is also still too expensive, WiFi still cannot perform with reliability and performance. Apple chose not to include Ethernet technology and to replace it with nothing. This is a retarded decision. Apple have lost connection with what people require out of the technology they buy. Final Cut Pro, iOS not supporting flash and more recent iOS Maps are other examples of just how much Apple have lost their way.

I disagree with you on this. The things I quoted were merely examples of how technology has, and is continuing, to evolve. You'd be hard pressed to find a recently released computer for the masses, that has cassettes or floppies for storage. Those things have been replaced, and newer technologies have been widely accepted/adopted by the industry, and this process will continue: Someone has to take that first step. I can accept your frustration in having to buy some new cords or adapters, but the alternative is stagnation.

As for Ethernet having been removed from the rMacBook Pro, Again that was a design/business decision where the physical size of the port was an issue and APPLE judged that the majority of users would not be using this port, but for those who must have this, the Thunderbolt>Ethernet cable is available.

Thunderbolt, in addition to amazing speed advantages, has also been designed to greatly simplify connectivity. Ethernet, Firewire, USB, HD Cameras & Monitors, Audio, all this and more can be connected thru TB, and hopefully will be supported in the near future. 8-9 years is a pretty acceptable timeframe for the 30-pin connector and the new Lightning connector, thanks to Dynamic Assignability, has amazing possibilities which I believe will serve us well into the foreseeable future.

As to your last point, no company can be ALL things to ALL people, but I think APPLE is reading the market very well, and their continued commercial success bears out that observation.

 

[the read]

I disagree with you on this. The things I quoted were merely examples of how technology has, and is continuing, to evolve. You'd be hard pressed to find a recently released computer for the masses, that has cassettes or floppies for storage. Those things have been replaced, and newer technologies have been widely accepted/adopted by the industry, and this process will continue: Someone has to take that first step. I can accept your frustration in having to buy some new cords or adapters, but the alternative is stagnation.

As for Ethernet having been removed from the rMacBook Pro, Again that was a design/business decision where the physical size of the port was an issue and APPLE judged that the majority of users would not be using this port, but for those who must have this, the Thunderbolt>Ethernet cable is available.

Thunderbolt, in addition to amazing speed advantages, has also been designed to greatly simplify connectivity. Ethernet, Firewire, USB, HD Cameras & Monitors, Audio, all this and more can be connected thru TB, and hopefully will be supported in the near future. 8-9 years is a pretty acceptable timeframe for the 30-pin connector and the new Lightning connector, thanks to Dynamic Assignability, has amazing possibilities which I believe will serve us well into the foreseeable future.

As to your last point, no company can be ALL things to ALL people, but I think APPLE is reading the market very well, and their continued commercial success bears out that observation.

----

[/COLOR]

Quoting old technology does not validate Apples decision to remove vital indusrty standard hardware.

You seam to greatly over value the Thunderbolt connector. It's a poorly designed connector, weak in its ability to stay connected to the computer. Cables continually dislodge through no more than the weight of the cable being adapted. Not to mention the cheap matearials used in these over priced, oversized sized clumsy but now required hardware.

Specific to the Ethernet to thunderbolt connection, i know many people with these computers in the office who continually have issues with this adapter. I'm on my 2nd adapter and im only into my 3rd month.

I have no problems with supporting new technology as it evolves. The issue at hand here is Apples decision/choice to discontinue technology still required. Ethernet is the only standard accepted world wide and has been for over 30 years.

This is not the Mac book air were discussing. This is the Mac book Pro. People expect to be able to use the power of the computer. Apple have crippled its capability when simply attempting to copy the data local.

I know many share my frustrations.

 

[CWallace]

This is not the Mac book air were discussing. This is the Mac book Pro. People expect to be able to use the power of the computer. Apple have crippled its capability when simply attempting to copy the data local.

Apple does still make a MacBook Pro model with an Ethernet port for those who must have one.

 

[the read]

Apple does still make a MacBook Pro model with an Ethernet port for those who must have one.

Yes and with a screen that originated from technology 7 years ago. I've been waiting for Apple to finally break the 1300x900 resolution for 3 years. I wanted the screen real estate.

All in, its the last time I will trust that Apple have a clear and defined understanding of what people need.