dongle solution

[chrfr]

Yes really. You used to be able to get a 15" macbook pro for $2000. Now you're paying at least $3200.

Unless you're talking in some other currency than US dollars, the 16" MacBook Pro starts at $2399, and it's quite a competent computer at that price.

 

[timelessbeing]

sorry yes I was look at Canadian dollars. But you're also looking at prices for last year's model, which might not be there for long. The ones released in 2020 are $2,800, and according to everymac the original price of a 2020 16" Macbook Pro 2.6GHz is $3,200 USD. They were probably forced to bring prices down due to the keyboard debacle.

 

[glsillygili]

Also, why doesn't apple give you an A/C extension in the box any more?

Because they want you to feel the tingly feeling of ungrounded aluminum. But seriously you can find these on ebay for less than $5 and you can reuse the one from your old laptop if you want.

 

[timelessbeing]

I have felt the tingly feeling!

If I touched the home button on my iPhone while it was charging and touched my macbook case at the same time, it would sting, or sometimes even hurt.

Yeah I know they're cheap. But that's all the more reason to put one in the box for my $3k computer.

 

[cdcastillo]

I've just ordered this one a friend recommended to me.

It's much more affordable than the one you posted.

 

[timelessbeing]

That one costs $85 up here in canada. Which is very expensive for an HDMI dock. Others cost $50

TOTU 11-in-1 USB-C Hub: 4K HDMI, VGA, 2X USB3.0, 2X USB2.0, Ethernet, SD Card Reader, Audio, 3.0 PD, Mac Pro & Laptops Compatible

MacBook (2015 / 2016 / 2017/2018) MacBook Pro (2016 / 2017/2018) iMac / iMac Pro (21.5 in GTX 4 Pro 15.6 Dell:XPS13;XPS15 MI Air 12.5/13.3, Pro 15.6 MacBook Air 2018 iPad Pro Nintendo Switch Apple USB SuperDrive USB-A to USB-C Adapter ✔USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C system,Win...

www.amazon.ca

And HDMI doesn't work. See previous page.

I just picked up a DisplayPort adapter. Gonna test it momentarily. Hopefully this works because I'm tired of this nonsense and driving around. It shouldn't be this difficult to make a monitor work. "It just works" my ass.

 

[timelessbeing]

So I ended up going the cheap route. Docks which included DisplayPort were all over $150. So I bought this USB-C to DisplayPort adapter for $25. I plug my existing DP cable into it, and it works great. Same as my old TB2>DP adapter.
Full native resolution, RGB color mode, digital audio and standby mode all work.

iCAN USB 3.1 Type C to DisplayPort 4K @ 60Hz Adapter, Aluminum, Grey

iCAN USB 3.1 Type C to DisplayPort 4K @ 60Hz Adapter, Aluminum – Space Grey (UTC-DP-AL)

www.canadacomputers.com

 

[timelessbeing]

I also purchased a USB-C to USB-A adapter for $9. In the web listing, the device looks like this. Very sleek/compact/low profile. Nice.

iCAN Type C to USB 3.0 Adapter, Black (ZXN-09)

iCAN Type C to USB 3.0 Adapter, Black (ZXN-09)

www.canadacomputers.com

In reality what I got was ugly. But it works and it was cheap so oh well. I can plug my USB3 hub into this, and use that for all my legacy hardware.

 

[timelessbeing]

So that covered display and USB.

• I decided not to get an SD card reader. In fact I'm going to move AWAY from SD cards entirely. I can plug in my digital camera via USB cable and the get the photos that way. For all the various data I have stored on cards, I have another solution (explained later). If I absolutely have to use an SD card then my monitor has a built-in reader so I would just have to connect that via USB.
• iPhone 6s. Can just be connected via USB. Lightning connects with USB 2.0 speeds anyway, so there's no advantage to upgrading. However I saw a very nice and inexpensive USB-C to Lightning cable at the store, so I bought it anyway just for convenience. It's silicone -very soft/supple/flexible and you never have enough phone charging cables around I think. https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=5_1340_1422_1425&item_id=161265
• Storage. I have a 1TB USB2 HD, and a 2TB USB3 HD. Actually, they are both Firewire which was a vastly superior protocol. But of course Apple decided to change ports like they do every year, so I'm stuck with USB. I am going to decommission the 1TB drive. The 2TB is quick enough to still be useful, but I'll use it for seldom used stuff. I ordered a new USB-C NVMe enclosure, and a couple of 1TB WD internal SSDs. The enclosure is tool-free which should make swapping drives really quick. And the 900+ MB/s speeds are going to be a huge upgrade. At around 8GB per dollar, it's a reasonable solution. M.2 SSDs are so small and portable that I think I can use them instead of SD cards. If prices keep dropping, I can just add more M.2 sticks to use with the enclosure. https://www.amazon.ca/Enclosure-Unitek-Tool-Free-Portable-Compatible/dp/B07THVRS99 , https://www.newegg.ca/western-digital-blue-sn550-nvme-1tb/p/N82E16820250135
• I'm also starting to use online storage a lot more. I discovered how incredibly useful this was when backing up and replacing computers. With wifi and fibre internet, the transfers are really convenient, and accessible on all devices. Not to mention more safe and secure from hardware failures. The less wires I need to connect, the better. I have Google storage because I was an early adopter and have a really good rate, but I might switch to iCloud anyway for convenience.

So there we have it. I only really needed to spend $25 + $9 to get up and running. And I used the opportunity to make some productivity upgrades.

I still miss the Magsafe connector. Not so much for its safe disconnect, but because I liked how it was able to easily find its home. Fumbling around in the dark with a the tiny USB-C sucks. And the charge light was a nice visual confirmation of charge activity.