Apple Surveying MacBook Pro Users About Headphone Jack and Other Ports

[CrystalQuest76]

I like my MacBook Pro 15" with all its ports. I use the headphones and the SD slot all the time. I find the SD slot much quicker than way of moving image and video files from cameras than a USB. Those USB ports are already in use and its simply not very convenient switching cables all the time. If I wanted a device with less ports, I would have bought a MacBook Air.

While USB-C looks really nice, I think for charging purposes, the MagSafe is still better way to go. I have seen several instances at University, students with the new MacBooks have damaged machines because they were charging with USB-C connections.

I realize that Apple Executives wants to have less ports in their products as a way to reduce production costs and increase profits, but lets get a little real here.

 

[Galas]

ITT:

"I don't care they've removed feature X , I don't need it therefore i'm OKay with it, but please, keep feature Y, that one I can't live without"

 

[CrystalQuest76]

Reasons to keep headphone jack. I am currently at work, listening to music from iPhone 6 and charging the device with lightning connection since I did not fully charge it overnight since it was at 65%.

 

[calzon65]

How interesting that Apple, the company who could not be bothered with focus groups, is now sending this "survey". I wonder if they are loosing some of that alleged courage they bragged about when they removed the 3.5mm jack from the iPhone.

 

[Avenged110]

I agree, wireless is cool, but I have also found wireless to sometimes not be as reliable as wired. There have been times in the past when I experienced a Wi-Fi speed or connection issue, so instead of messing around, I simply connected an Ethernet cable. Bluetooth headphones are cool, but every once in awhile a have seen a pairing issue. Ninty-nine percent of the time, my iPhone pairs with my car, but once in awhile I have to reboot the phone and/or restart the car to get a good pairing/sync, or simply break the pairing and repair the phone.

Don't get me wrong, if wireless was as reliable as wired connections, it would be fantastic and I am not saying wireless is fraught with problems, it's not. I do see wireless connectivity continuing to improve, but there still seem to be those anomalies where a wired connection is still superior.

One thing wired is usually not, is (metaphorically) plug-and-play. Plugging in a cable is that easy; plug in, and it just works. Wireless usually requires pairing and making sure each thing is paired to the right device - which includes switching and re-pairing. Or leaving battery-draining things like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on when you're not using them to mitigate some of that. None of that happens when you use cables.

Using the absolute newest generations of Apple products may help with some of this. But not everyone uses the newest hardware, software, or even all-Apple things, so it's still a problem.

 

[Gudi]

★ Intel Wants to Replace 3.5mm Headphone Jack With USB-C Audio

★ Intel Touts USB-C as Future of Digital Audio as Apple Set to Ditch Headphone Jack

★ Woz Laments No Headphone Jack on iPhone 7, Sees USB-C as Future of Audio

How do you think this was going to end?

 

[obamtl]

gotta make room for....uh....(don't say profit margins, don't say profit margins)...other awesome stuff

Like profit margins ;-)

 

[villicodelirant]

Headphone Jill?

You, Sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

 

[MellowFuzz]

I feel like it would have been more smart to replace the lighting port with a USB-C since that seems to be the connection of the future. That way the transition would be a little more seamless once they release USB-C on everything.

I thought that initially but realised that it wouldn't make sense if: next iPhone version, they get rid of all the ports in favour of wireless charging. The subsequent iPads could go fully wireless or USB-C. Therefore, they might as well just ride out the lightning port for another couple of years...

 

[Icaras]

This is the next wave of Apple rioting for sure, but in my opinion, I think Apple has already made up its mind.

 

[MellowFuzz]

They must be confusing innovation with irrelevancy. Cannot believe they need to survey this question to know the answer. Seems so lost in their own sphere...

People confined to the bubble of Silicon Valley live in a different universe to the rest of California, the United States and the World.

 

[villicodelirant]

You've a lot to learn. Without Apple the tech world would be a steaming pile where Flash and resistive touch screens reign supreme.

[citation needed]

Single use ports days' are numbered.

Which is perfectly fine, but the headphone jack is not a data port.
It's a... well, headphone jack.
It's a voltage generator to which you connect a passive load: headphones.

What are you going to do, put a (necessarily crappy) DAC and amplifier in all earbuds?
Carry a dongle all the time?

*shrugs*

 

[DevNull0]

M.2 NVMe is crazy fast.

What about the iPhone and iPad?

I haven't even charged my iPad in at least a year.

As far as the phone, I really don't care too much for an iPhone or Android. I love my macbook and switching that is a big deal to me, but I just don't really care about smartphones.

 

[riffcat]

I am not as concerned with the removal of the headphone jack as much as I am concerned with the lack of unity between devices. I like owning multiple Apple products because of the interconnectivity and the converged technologies. What I do not like is when I own a MacBook Air, a MBP and an Iphone and my devices require a slew of adapters to interconnect peripherals.

For the sake of all that's Apple; Lightning port, USB-C or whatever standard port is decided. Equip it across all the devices if forcing us with new standards.

 

[S.B.G]

Its extremely rare that I use the headphone jack on my MBP.

I can't see any real need to remove it on a laptop, but I can see Apple wanting to remove for the sake of consistency across their device platforms though...

 

[G-News]

Following Apple's obsession with thinness and removing features, I'm thrilled to present to you the new Apple Swiss Army knife:

 

[riffcat]

Its extremely rare that I use the headphone jack on my MBP.

I can't see any real need to remove it on a laptop, but I can see Apple wanting to remove for the sake of consistency across their device platforms though...

Then they better include a Lightning port so we can use the new headphones they are forcing us to use on their new iPhone.

Or will they ask us to buy a lightning to usb-c adapter? great! one more adapter i need to keep track.

 

[jwdsail]

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.

Sadly, you're probably correct.
[doublepost=1473968509][/doublepost]

Following Apple's obsession with thinness and removing features, I'm thrilled to present to you the new Apple Swiss Army knife:

View attachment 652465

That's Apple Swiss Army Knife *Pro* tyvm ;-)

The new Apple Swiss Army knife (non pro) is white plastic ;-)

 

[riffcat]

Sadly, you're probably correct.

Yup, a lightning to usb-c adapter. One more adapter we will need. You would think if they are asking us to follow their courage with the iPhone they would spare us the courtesy to include a lightning port on their new device to use their new headphones we now have.

hrumph....

 

[JamesPDX]

Following Apple's obsession with thinness and removing features, I'm thrilled to present to you the new Apple Swiss Army knife:

View attachment 652465

So, it indeed has become a lifestyle-products company. Jobs wept.
[doublepost=1473969027][/doublepost]

Yup, a lightning to usb-c adapter. One more adapter we will need. You would think if they are asking us to follow their courage with the iPhone they would spare us the courtesy to include a lightning port on their new device to use their new headphones we now have.

hrumph....

Until USB-D arrives in a year or two, and USB-E after that. Thunderbolt 2, ethernet, TRS out, and USB 3 were fine. At this point, I think Apple should just handover the reins to the adults. Got a thinness obsession? See a therapist. Is your laptop too heavy, hit the gym. Are your feelings hurt? Take a lap.

 

[sracer]

I was pissed as well at Apple for removing the Ethernet port. It is more reliable than wifi and often faster.

You say you were ticked off at Apple for removing the Ethernet Port but did you buy an Apple system after that that did not have an Ethernet port? If you did, then you told Apple that it didn't bother you enough to take your business elsewhere.

That's what Apple (and all businesses) understand... sales. From their perspective, especially at this point in their history, they can pretty much do anything they want and it won't impact their net profit. Any loss in revenue due to a handful of customers who go elsewhere due to the removal of a port is more than made up for in the decrease of manufacturing cost and increased revenue form more expensive options... like airpods.

I'm not saying that I agree with it, but just relaying my observations.

 

[DCINKC]

Like still offering a 5400rpm drive in a $1500.00 Imac? Or maybe you are referring to their "Superdrives" that can't even read Blu-rays?

5400rpm hard drives offers additional storage capacity, albeit at a slower speed, at a better price and the savings can be passed on to the consumer. Hard disks are not (yet) obsolete. I guess they could opt to put 10,000rpm drives in an iMac but that would cause an increase in price and most likely benefit a minority of users. The average user would most likely never notice the difference in performance but would notice the price increase. Those wanting faster I/O are increasingly moving to SSDs which is an option.

Apple, specifically Steve Jobs, was publicly against Blu-Ray and made a decision not to support what he believed to be bad technology.

 

[S.B.G]

Then they better include a Lightning port so we can use the new headphones they are forcing us to use on their new iPhone.

Or will they ask us to buy a lightning to usb-c adapter? great! one more adapter i need to keep track.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they include an adapter, or make you buy it as an extra when the time times that they do remove it from the laptops...

 

[DevNull0]

You say you were ticked off at Apple for removing the Ethernet Port but did you buy an Apple system after that that did not have an Ethernet port? If you did, then you told Apple that it didn't bother you enough to take your business elsewhere.

Still using my 2011 MBP (with an ethernet port). This is by far the longest I have ever used a mac and it is way, way overdue for an update.

The lack of ethernet port bothered me a lot but the real reason I don't want to "upgrade" is the lack of storage. This 2011 has a 512 gig SSD and 1TB spinning drive. The newest MBPs (with their 2013 processors) offer almost no benefit to make up for the loss of storage. I also installed 16 gig of ram the first week I bought the machine in 2011 and it cost me $80. Apple didn't offer more than 8 gig and that was a $300 option from the standard 4 gig.

Sadly, Timmy is such an idiot that he thinks the lack of Mac sales means Apple should devote less attention because people aren't interested in macs.

 

[RumorSeeker]

This survey means nothing since nothing will sway Apple's drive to complete wireless, including charging (no ports at all) which I find particularly humorous since wireless is the very worst thing Apple does. I have not had an Apple device without wireless problems since my Blueberry 400MHz iMac DV, which didn't have wireless, hence no wireless problems.