They've been in the computer business ever since Steve Jobs invented the computer. It's a bit late to talk about first steps now.
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Apple Drops Prices on USB-C Adapters
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Pretty much my feeling too, it's akin to them not including the cable in the iPhone 7 to allow us to connect our wired headphones.
Penny pinching and mean spirited. It gives the impression Apple under 'executive' Tim Cook are just too obviously out to screw us out of every last dollar. Their whole ecosystem is now a mass of dongles (17 in total as I understand it).
I think it is more of a bad marketing move, to be honest. It is like the dealership that throws the matts in for "free". It leaves the impression that you didn't pay for it even though it is in the price of the car.
It is funny, I have seen a video around the web where SJ is talking about how companies lose their mojo when marketing people take over the company and product people are forced out. In this case, I think they could have used some marketing and branding people involved in the choices.
"We recognize that Apple has become a company solely focused on itself, disregarding it users needs, especially pros, who rely on legacy connectors to get work done today, they now face this unnecessary forced rapid transition, just so we can attract a few more hipsters and collage kids, by making the MBP needlessly thinner. We want to force them to move to the latest technology, peripherals, ensuring we make good on our extensive margins, as well as accelerate the growth of this new revenue stream from Dongles, etc. Through the end of the year, we are reducing prices on all USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals we sell, as well as the prices on Apple's USB-C adapters and cables." however don't worry we have it covered, as we are paying cents on the dollar for dongles & adaptors, screwing our customers with the ridiculous margins on our near mandatory in-house upgrades, naturally we are charging them more for the privilege of being an early adopter.
That's on Apple, then. If it were an Air, they should have called it an Air and not a Pro. If that choice leads to confusion for the consumer, it's not the consumer's fault.
Again potential iPhone 7 customers this year -- 200 million. Potential USB-C MBP User's this year -- less than 15 million. Now, reduce that even further by the percentage of Mac users that don't use iPhones. Then consider Macs are about the only major device using USB-C for the next year, and the rest of the world is equipped with USB-A connectors for charging mobile products on the go.
It makes absolutely no sense to ship a Lightning to USB-C cable with the iPhone 7, just to service the paucity of new MBP users who might need it.
I'd say you're the one being obtuse. You're suggesting that Apple encourage customers to hook up their peripherals the wrong way?
About 60g, I'd say - thats 2x TB1-to-Ethernet cables and a USB SD card reader (standing in for 1x USB-C to ethernet, 1 x TB3-to-TB1/2 and a USB-C SD card reader). On the other hand, I can leave my 100g iPad charger at home because the new rMBP charger has a socket instead of a captive magsafe cable, so it will charge all my mobile devices, so I'm actually 40g ahead of the game.
...or do you want to cheat and double-count the USB-C to Lightning, USB-C to micro-USB, USB-C to micro-USB3, VGA multiport adapter, HDMI multiport adapter that are 1-for-1 replacements for the cables and dongles that I already need to carry, even for my holy-of-holy-bless-the-memory-of-Steve 17" MacBook Pro? (Oh, the AV adapters double as USB-A dongles now).
Oh, yeah, I can dump the USB 3.0 ExpressCard (46g) that I need to get USB3 on my 2011 Mac, too.
Oh, and for that matter, for 95% of my "mobility" - i.e. shuttling between my home desk and my work desk - I won't need to carry any cables because I'd keep a USB-C or TB3 dock at each end and hook up with a single cable.
This isn't a weight or convenience issue - that's just FUD* - but it is a "half-dozen replacement cables and adapters at $25-to-$70-a-pop on top of a hike in laptop prices" issue.
* and Apple aren't helping - no Mr Apple Spokesperson, ethernet, USB 3.0 A, DisplayPort, HDMI and SD card aren't "legacy connectors" just yet... PS/2 and VGA may be legacy connectors (but that didn't stop me having to buy a flipping VGA cable the other day because I had a micro-server with flipping VGA the other 16 VGA cables I have in the bin were all 30cm too flipping short - which is the, er, flip side to not forcing people to drop legacy connectors)
Yes and no. We'll bitch and moan about the changes they've made, the limitations they're imposing on us and then, it'll still sell in droves because we want the better performance, the smaller size, the weight reduction and our desire to have the latest systems.
It's what always happens, if there's a company who knows how to sell a product its users aren't entirely happy with, it's Apple.
...plus users of existing 12" MacBook, Chromebook pixel, Dell XPS, Lenovo Yoga, Asus Transformer, Acer Aspire, Razer Blade Stealth, HP Spectre etc. and umpteen models of PC motherboard that have been starting to sprout USB-C or TB3 ports over the last year or so. Its not such a dumb idea and a $0.50 wholesale cable isn't gonna wipe out the profit margin on a $700 phone. At the very least, make it a $5 optional extra when purchased with an iPhone rather than a $25 gouge.
Cable price gouging is what you expect from box-shifters who get wafer-thin margins on commodity PCs. Apple shouldn't need to do it.
It is a shame you are too young to remember the release of the original Mac Pro. It would give you both a laugh at the "sky is falling" postings plus some comfort, too.
What's best for me as a consumer is technology moving ahead as fast as possible. If I wanted the comfort of old standards, I'd get a PC.
Why are people acting surprised? Apple has always been quick to drop old standards to speed up adoption of new ones. It's been happening for decades.
If Apple shipped a beautiful USB-C hub like this along the new Macbook Pro, I doubt anyone would complain a single word. It would appease both the new adopters and the current pro users and ease the transition.
This one is made by Hyper, and I would recommend it to anyone who bought the new MBP.
https://www.hypershop.com/collections/usb-type-c
This one is made by Hyper, and I would recommend it to anyone who bought the new MBP.
https://www.hypershop.com/collections/usb-type-c
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It makes sense when the iPhone 7 USB-charger is also equipped with USB-C. My guess is this will happen in the near future.
Are we surprised? Some people are somewhat annoyed it would seem but they probably aren't surprised if they're long time Apple customers. I'm certainly not surprised by the move, I'm not particularly bothered by it either.
Only the memory and to a degree the price annoys me a bit. Not that I'm not accustomed to paying more for my Apple addiction, it's just that for the first time even I think the new MacBook Pro isn't exactly the best value for money, I'm having a hard time justifying it's purchase for myself let alone anyone who asks me for advice. But such are the joys of being entrenched in the Apple ecosystem
They have quite a while to go until reaching 10Gbps.
USB3.1 is hardly a limitation for this use case, in the foreseeable future, which includes the life span of the new Macbook Pro line.
...or at least had it available in the store on release day (half price when bought with new MacBook Pro).
Its really about salesmanship - if you're asking your customers to share a bitter pill (needing to spend extra on replacement cables) - anticipate it make a gesture to sweeten it (don't wait for a week until everybody has worked themselves up into a lather).
They could have also spent a lot less time at the launch talking about emoticons and record-scratching on the touch bar (or 5-year-old games on the Apple TV) and spent a bit more time selling the advantages of TB3 and USB-C. The potential I/O bandwidth of 4xTB3 ports is astounding, and there are only so many PCIe lanes coming out of a mobile processor (silly to reduce it by putting in more internal controllers for stuff that you're not going to need in 2 years time).
And since PC market share is declining and Mac rising, just what percentage of those PCs do you figure apply to Android or iPhone users? I'd argue at least for the next year, not enough to inconvenience the 200 million iPhone 7 customers.
Amazon has USB-C to Lightning cables for $10. They have USB-C to A adapters for less than $5. I'd suggest you buy your cables and adapters from somebody other than Apple.
It will likely happen when there's a large enough installed USB-C customer base to marginally support the iPhone user base. So at least a year if not two. But if the iPhone 8 debuts next year, then probably with that.
I just had a hands on with the non touch bar MB Pro at an Apple store and wasn't impressed. The keyboard is horrible, really bad typing experience and all to gain a few more millimeters so Jonny Ive and his designers could have a really thin laptop rather than a thin laptop and all they have is 2 USB C ports, 1 of which is needed for power! At some point the user experience suffers and it has here. The screen is good but the machine is not noticeably different in size or weight to the one I have now.
As I am typing this on my older MB Pro I wonder why I would need to upgrade and I realize I don't. They have given me no reason to. My older machine is actually better than the new one they are bringing out. The speed is OK, the keyboard works well and I have a bunch of ports that are going to be relevant for the next couple of years. I will avoid upgrading to the new version of the OS as this is where the slowdowns happen and just stay with what I have got until the whole USB C thing becomes clearer. A year from now, 2 years? Shame really as I was looking forward to upgrading to a new machine but I can't think of a better reason not to.
As I am typing this on my older MB Pro I wonder why I would need to upgrade and I realize I don't. They have given me no reason to. My older machine is actually better than the new one they are bringing out. The speed is OK, the keyboard works well and I have a bunch of ports that are going to be relevant for the next couple of years. I will avoid upgrading to the new version of the OS as this is where the slowdowns happen and just stay with what I have got until the whole USB C thing becomes clearer. A year from now, 2 years? Shame really as I was looking forward to upgrading to a new machine but I can't think of a better reason not to.
I know this won't really matter to Apple, but I just have to say something to feel better... I've sent them feedback, for whatever that is worth... I have a 2013 mbp that I was hoping to hand down and get a new one. But no way! What the hell? 4 usc-c ports? not mag safe? Stupid touch bar? Oh well. I'm sticking with my old one for now. Will be looking for an older model for my son.
I'm mulling over the notion of buying a MacBook Pro again, but having considered the options I'm seriously considering buying an older machine and maxing out the memory and install an SSD. It's not going to be as powerful as the new one but it does have some advantages over it. Difficult decision to make.
