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Apple Surveying MacBook Pro Users About Headphone Jack and Other Ports

There was a time when Apple laptops (this is from memory of an old old MBP) did not have audio jacks. I also remember using a Plantronics headset with a USB connector with my MBP17 at the time, around 2008, and Mac OS X had problems with secure wifi and audio support through USB.

I personally do not need an audio jack present. I currently connect a pair of old Bose speakers to the laptop via that jack but it isn't critical it be a simple audio jack.
 
brand said:
What are you going to replace your MacBook Pro, iPhone, and iPad with when they remove the audio port?

Its one thing to say you will do something and another thing entirely to actually do it.
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I'm going to be replacing my iPhone with a Google Pixel phone this year. I encourage any other disillusioned iPhone users to do the same. I am prepared to vote with my wallet.
 
buckwheet said:
Though I do use the headphone jack every day, I honestly think Apple is right to kick it out the door. It really is garbage. The quality is dodgy, it's too long and thin, and thus prone to breakage, and is glaringly single-purpose. And as far as everyone bringing up that annoying "pro" argument; if you're a music professional (which I am, btw), you don't use the headphone jack for anything "pro"—you have an audio interface for that. So, strictly speaking, professional work is unaffected. I use the headphone jack for convenience, because I'm away from my interface, and predominantly when I'm not working on music. If they include an adapter in the box, I'm totally fine.

Also, every "pro"-grade pair of headphones I've owned has had a detachable cable, which means that all the major companies will no doubt provide lightning versions of their proprietary cables very soon. Yes, the proprietary cables are a total pain in the a**, but that's got nothing to do with Apple.
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You don't know what you're talking about. I was going to go quote by quote through your post, but literally every line you typed has been incorrect, and you're not a "pro" like you say you are.

Please stop with the misinformation and do some research next time.
 
OllyW said:
Financial as usual. Beats are the top selling Bluetooth headphones in the USA and Apple have just announced the AirPods which are bound to be be a big seller so they will profit from driving customers away from wired headphones.
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Only thing they are driving me to do is away from their products. They have designed the new AirPods that can only be used on an Apple product because of their propriety W1 chip. I have used Wireless headphones in the past, clumsy, short battery life and constant choppy playback, I will never use wireless headphones again. Yes, maybe that was a thing of the past, but once you don't like something, you just don't like it ever again, doesn't matter if APPLE created their own, still not going to use it and not going to buy it.
 
I swear if Apple releases a new MBP design that is not inline with their newest iPhone design, requiring me to use ANOTHER adapter to plug my new lightning headphone into the MBP to which I've been waiting 3 freaking years. I will be frustrated to all ends of the Apple universe.
 
buckwheet said:
Also, every "pro"-grade pair of headphones I've owned has had a detachable cable, which means that all the major companies will no doubt provide lightning versions of their proprietary cables very soon. Yes, the proprietary cables are a total pain in the a**, but that's got nothing to do with Apple.
Click to expand...

My main set of cans is a pair of AKG K240s and their detachable cable is NOT proprietary. In fact, every detachable cable I can think of is either 3.5mm-to-3.5mm or mini-XLR-to-3.5mm. Unfortunately, because lightning headphone cables require an external DAC, I anticipate that if I wanted to purchase a mini-XLR-to-lightning cable of decent quality, I'd be paying out the ass for one.
 
buckwheet said:
Wait a second... A logical explanation for this survey is that Apple has already removed the 1/8th-inch port from the new Macbook Pro, and they're just deciding whether to include the adapter in the box.
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I believe changes made to the rMB to the USB-C connector were done to accommodate the removal of the headphone jack mid-cycle. Likewise, we've seen a rumored case design that has the headphone jack, but doesn't have a mag-safe connector, which suggests to me a place to easily machine in a Lightning port when the time comes, or they could replace the headphone jack instead as I believe they will do on the rMB. Either way, I agree, it is a survey to decide whether to package the adapter with the MBP or not, not whether they should remove it. Then again, it could be about whether they should remove it in the near future to accommodate something else.

zapzoup said:
My impression as well. This made me think that maybe next year's iPhone will be USB-C instead of lightning ? If they're really set on taking out the headphone jack of all their products. It would make more sense to replace the lightning port on the iPhone by USB-C since that one is already in their Macbook, potentially their new Macbook Pros and Airs, and in non-Apple devices. Maybe the headphone jack removal was the first step of a 2-step plan (and they didn't want to upset people even more by forcing them to replace in the same year all their lightning cables/connected stuff in addition to their audio equipment).
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No, they won't replace Lightning at this point -- too widely integrated throughout Apple's product lines, including the Mac.

They will drop Lightning completely before they replace it.
 
buckwheet said:
Though I do use the headphone jack every day, I honestly think Apple is right to kick it out the door. It really is garbage. The quality is dodgy, it's too long and thin, and thus prone to breakage, and is glaringly single-purpose. And as far as everyone bringing up that annoying "pro" argument.
Click to expand...

Also, Mr. Music Professional, when in your entire life have you seen a single 3.5mm cable break at the contact? And furthermore, why do you - I reiterate, a music professional - have an obsessive compulsion about ANY connector being multi-purpose? Almost all music equipment out there has a whole swath of single-use connectors.

As a music professional, I am very surprised you do not see the inherent beauty in the fact that you can use a modern pair of headphones with a 3.5mm jack (or with a VERY simple and cheap 1/4 inch adapter) on literally any piece of audio equipment since the 1960s and in some cases before.
 
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For all of you that don't want the headphone jack in your MB/MBP...Why do you want it gone so bad. In all years you have used your MB/MBP, has it really caused you any harm? Has it stopped you from doing what you want to do on it? I get if it was in inconvenience for you, but really, what is your reasoning behind it...Other than it's an OLD technology. All this hate for a port, that in all the years you chose not to use it, so therefor, it has no use for anyone. Such narrow minded people.
 
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phillytim said:
Perhaps Apple will make USB-C a part of next year's huge iPhone redesign, and deprecate the Lightning port. [wishful thinking]
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I remember a post on another thread where the person included a mockup of an iPhone with Lighting versus USB-C. If memory serves, Lighting is quite a bit thinner than USB-C, so I don't think we would see USB-C on an iPhone.
 
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brand said:
What are you going to replace your MacBook Pro, iPhone, and iPad with when they remove the audio port?

Its one thing to say you will do something and another thing entirely to actually do it.
Click to expand...

Here's a crazy idea: a computer and phone from another manufacturer?
 
Are this guys expecting to sell us a paper sheet in the near future?, the Macbook Pro as we know it is near to death, there's no more "PRO" some of the software is becoming idiot proof, now I understand why many professionals still use old OSX versions and old Macbooks, right before Mavericks, everything was ok, now...
 
yesjam said:
Also, Mr. Music Professional, when in your entire life have you seen a single 3.5mm cable break at the contact? And furthermore, why do you - I reiterate, a music professional - have an obsessive compulsion about ANY connector being multi-purpose? Almost all music equipment out there has a whole swath of single-use connectors.

As a music professional, I am very surprised you do not see the inherent beauty in the fact that you can use a modern pair of headphones with a 3.5mm jack (or with a VERY simple and cheap 1/4 inch adapter) on literally any piece of audio equipment since the 1960s and in some cases before.
Click to expand...

Exactly. And "quality is dodgy" lmao, that's not how 3.5mm works at all. You can blame the cable you're using all you want, but 3.5mm is an analog connection and is in no way at fault as a standard. I feel like these are details he'd know that if he was an actual pro instead of a self-proclaimed one.
 
neutralguy said:
The macbook pro needs to be waterproof. The experience of swimming while holding the macbook pro in hand or use it as life jacket is magical!:D
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a waterproof mbp would be sweet. i walk in the rain at least 20 days a year with mine.. put the computer in a plastic bag then in the backpack. it'd be better to not have to worry about it
 
yesjam said:
As a music professional, I am very surprised you do not see the inherent beauty in the fact that you can use a modern pair of headphones with a 3.5mm jack (or with a VERY simple and cheap 1/4 inch adapter) on literally any piece of audio equipment since the 1960s and in some cases before.
Click to expand...

*inherent common sense

FTFY
 
I use my Mac to make animation, and the audio has to be PERFECTLY in sync. Currently I can't use wireless headphones because of the latency. If the W1 chip gets rid of lag COMPLETELY (not virtually, but completely), then it could work for me. But I also don't want to worry about battery life while I'm working long hours.
 
riffcat said:
I swear if Apple releases a new MBP design that is not inline with their newest iPhone design, requiring me to use ANOTHER adapter to plug my new lightning headphone into the MBP to which I've been waiting 3 freaking years. I will be frustrated to all ends of the Apple universe.
Click to expand...

I think the chances of you seeing Lighting on a MacBook are slim to none. I posted before about the crap MacBook users will face because of the 3.5mm jack removal from the iPhone (maybe soon the iPad too). So you will drink the "Lighting Kook-Aid", purchase your new pair of headphones with a Lighting connector, then when you want to connect them to your MacBook you are screwed. There will never be a 3.5mm to Lighting converter from Apple and unless there is some kind of USB-C to Lighting, your nice new headphones will only work on an iPhone or iPad.

Apple has created a mess (of adapters) within its own product eco system, welcome to Apple's "courage" in removing the 3.5mm jack from the iPhone.
 
Jcxa said:
I can understand your reasoning. Unfortunately, this is being portrayed as an all or nothing issue. Why can we not have both? There is certainly plenty of room in a laptop for both.
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Agreed
macduke said:
You guys are going to look back at this and laugh in 10 years. Wireless everything will be everywhere (including power, USB, etc), batteries will last much longer, and nobody will give Apple even partial credit for helping to kick the industry down the road by forcing innovation of new design and technologies in this space.

As a matter of fact, I'm going to set a reminder for September 15, 2026 and start a thread about how stupid everyone was. My kids are going to say "What's a jack, dad?" and then they'll respond "You mean you really had to plug in some rope to your ears to listen to music? Were you born in the 1800s? Did you even have color TV growing up?"

Innovation is difficult. Change is more difficult. This isn't the last we've seen of the Apple W chip, and this is far from the last Apple device that will lose a headphone jack. Brace yourselves—your first world problems are about to get worse.
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Good post. I was thinking about doing one similar to it but you beat me to it. I'm always amazed at the level of angst whenever Apple changes anything and at the statements that it's "over for Apple" and "Steve would never had done" this or that. One of the reasons that I purchase Apple products is because they tend not to hold on to legacy technology the way manufacturers do.
 
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I don't think I've used a headphone jack on a computer for at least 5+ years. I tend to use outboard DAC's for better sound quality, and in the case of headphones. The only thing I use headphones on is my 128GB iPod touch.. never used it on my phone, my iPad, or computers.
 
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