iMac 2017 might drop USB A, SD slot, DP
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Feared Apple dropping some useful ports, I bought an iMac today..
- Thread starter ndolebay
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Congrats, what model did you get?
I believe Apple will be moving the iMac towards USB-C, so you would have needed a dongle for USB A, DP and TB, but it would be a shame to see apple drop the SD slot
Where Apple is letting everyone down is that although they do sell an adapter/dongle to convert from TB3/USB-C to the other cable types, they are only individual plugs. But is not TB3 supposed to be far more powerful with a ton more throughput power? Would not a single TB3 port be able to carry a dual TB2 plug option? Or how about offering it with a single TB2 + 4 usb3 ports? I am sure that the cost of a proper hub with multiple ports would just be incrementally a bit more cost than just the single port capability.
I have a 2014 RiMac and 2 TB2 drives plugged into it. As it stands I would need to buy at least 2 if not 3 adaptors to get the TB2 ports covered in addition to getting a usb3 plug that I could then plug in a hub to get more of those ports.
Short sighted on apple if you ask me
I have a 2014 RiMac and 2 TB2 drives plugged into it. As it stands I would need to buy at least 2 if not 3 adaptors to get the TB2 ports covered in addition to getting a usb3 plug that I could then plug in a hub to get more of those ports.
Short sighted on apple if you ask me
This was also part of the reason why I bought my iMac last week after the Mac event. I need that SD slot and those USB ports. Apple is going down a path that I truly do not understand.
27" 5K, i5, SSD, AMD 390, I am not a power user, so it's ok for me.
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Apple put too much attention on their profit report. Those accessories are high profit, charge a usb-c to multiport adapter $70, crazy.
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I am not too worried about moving to thunderbolt 3, as i can still use it for 1,2, but current mac has 2 ports, i wonder if the new one will just have 1.
And if they add more than 1, say a couple of usb-c ports, like the mbp, how many, also four, or .. will we get 2, 1 for our hub that we have to buy and one for something else, ... like power and external monitor? blah..
my worry is more that we end up with less ports than we have now, not so much that we get better ports. It is just a transition, so in due time all external stuff is on usb-c anyway.
[doublepost=1478063878][/doublepost]That said, I really am in doubt to buy one now, i am going to wait until december and see what is out there, and maybe decide then. Who knows, i might get drunk tonight and just buy a bunch of stuff and get it over with and have no regrets, grrr. WHY APPLE WHY!
And if they add more than 1, say a couple of usb-c ports, like the mbp, how many, also four, or .. will we get 2, 1 for our hub that we have to buy and one for something else, ... like power and external monitor? blah..
my worry is more that we end up with less ports than we have now, not so much that we get better ports. It is just a transition, so in due time all external stuff is on usb-c anyway.
[doublepost=1478063878][/doublepost]That said, I really am in doubt to buy one now, i am going to wait until december and see what is out there, and maybe decide then. Who knows, i might get drunk tonight and just buy a bunch of stuff and get it over with and have no regrets, grrr. WHY APPLE WHY!
I think it's safe to say Apple will be dropping more useful ports.
Yet another upside for those of us who have the late '15 iMac.
Why they are dropping these useful ports is truly beyond me. It's as if they're still trying to maintain their status as the trendsetters, and yet, they just don't have it right now.
Yet another upside for those of us who have the late '15 iMac.
Why they are dropping these useful ports is truly beyond me. It's as if they're still trying to maintain their status as the trendsetters, and yet, they just don't have it right now.
There was a very interesting article written about how Apple is becoming the next Microsoft. Microsoft was run by Bill Gates who plundered ideas and technology and built an empire. Then when he quit, the rains were handed over to Steve Ballmer who was a great accountant and maximised profit but didn't take risk or understand customers. Now look at where they are.
Apple was started off a Steve Jobs. He was booted out for Scully who understood profit and how to squeeze the most out, but not technology and Apple tanked. Steve Jobs comes back and revitalizes Apple. Great ideas guy. Gave us iPod/iPad, Iphone, moved mac from powerPC to intel. Understood the customer and didn't give us crap we didn't need but a user interface that worked. Was always looking for the next new idea to move us forward. Sadly died and handed the reigns over to Tim Cook who by best description is a number cruncher. Doesn't understand customers. is a bureaucrat bean counter. Now Apple is dying. What new great idea have they come up with? A watch that does what?? Micro upgrades to Mac that is basically just staying up with technology advancement and keeping it from irrelevant. The OS had become total bloatware with crap piled upon more crap so you need the faster computer just to handle it. Give them 4-5 more years and they will be surplanted by someone else just like Microsoft has. (take a look at CromeBooks)
Apple was started off a Steve Jobs. He was booted out for Scully who understood profit and how to squeeze the most out, but not technology and Apple tanked. Steve Jobs comes back and revitalizes Apple. Great ideas guy. Gave us iPod/iPad, Iphone, moved mac from powerPC to intel. Understood the customer and didn't give us crap we didn't need but a user interface that worked. Was always looking for the next new idea to move us forward. Sadly died and handed the reigns over to Tim Cook who by best description is a number cruncher. Doesn't understand customers. is a bureaucrat bean counter. Now Apple is dying. What new great idea have they come up with? A watch that does what?? Micro upgrades to Mac that is basically just staying up with technology advancement and keeping it from irrelevant. The OS had become total bloatware with crap piled upon more crap so you need the faster computer just to handle it. Give them 4-5 more years and they will be surplanted by someone else just like Microsoft has. (take a look at CromeBooks)
This was an interesting read except they still have OS X. It's still the best product of it's type.
There is no computer OS that can compare and I think as long as they still put out computers running it, people will buy. They don't even have any remote competition in terms of OS.
I am still angry that they dropped the 3.5mm audio in
and I STILL HAVEN'T found a good audio in to USB adaptor (there is ALWAYS too much feedback with all the ones I've tried).
If they cut us down to exclusively usb-c then I'll probably just hold onto my 2014 iMac until 2020 and build a hackintosh.
and I STILL HAVEN'T found a good audio in to USB adaptor (there is ALWAYS too much feedback with all the ones I've tried).
If they cut us down to exclusively usb-c then I'll probably just hold onto my 2014 iMac until 2020 and build a hackintosh.
By 2020 I suspect your opinion will have changed due to seeing USB-C in use almost everywhere. Now, in 2016, I agree with you. Not ready to make the switch from no USB-C to all USB-C on my iMac, there has to be an in-between and thinness is not a justification for all USB-C the desktop Macs.
[doublepost=1478102489][/doublepost]Just hope Apple doesn't drop the SD card slot on desktop Macs. USB-C is not a substitute. For my current Thunderbolt devices I could probably live with an adapter, but the adapters need to be priced at half what they are now.
I can see why people are especially upset about the USB-C only Macbook Pro, but if Apple updates the iMac with only USB-C, I'll cope. It's not a machine on the move so I don't need to carry dongles. They could stay put in the spaghetti mess behind my machine. I'd be moving back from a PC tower so I'll have to buy enclosures and external hard drives anyway. TB3 external SSDs will be lightning fast.
I wonder if they will keep a memory card reader on the iMac which has more room to spare. I also wonder if they would drop ethernet, just because they can.
I wonder if they will keep a memory card reader on the iMac which has more room to spare. I also wonder if they would drop ethernet, just because they can.
That's true, but the flip side is that it's not a machine on the move, so we really don't need to eliminate legacy ports to save space and maximize thinness. I think even the notebooks should have done a mix of new and legacy ports for now, but the iMac certainly should.
It's obvious what I meant, isn't it
Arguing semantics, especially in the way that you did, is pretty much the gold standard of childishness.
If Apple 'drops' ports from the new iMac, exactly what do you think the issue will be? Any device you will connecting will still be able to be connected simply by changing the cable. USB hard disk? Change the cable. Firewire component? Change the cable. Displayport monitor? Change the cable. If you want a usb-a port for plugging things in and out, add a small adapter or a small hub. (Who wants to reach around to the back of their iMac to plug and unplug things anyhow).
Do you really make $2000 computer purchases based on $50 worth of cables?
Do you really make $2000 computer purchases based on $50 worth of cables?
Well except Windows 10 of course which is a worthy equal to MacOS. Have you recently returned from some remote area/planet where there is no news? Regarding the article, I don't know about Bill Gates plundering technology and ideas but wasn't Steve Jobs pretty good at that too?
I'll let you in on a secret: If you need a USB-C to multiport adapter, you don't have to buy it from Apple.
I didn't realize until after buying my latest iMac 27 that they removed the 1/8 input jack so I had to buy a third party adapter. I wish they would just stop with the removal of ports and jacks, this isn't a laptop and they have plenty of room to spare, sometimes if feels like they want to be trendy rather than practical.
I guess it's been gone for a few years now. Who knew? And I do think a port expansion isn't much to worry about given it is a stationary computer. However, I do think Apple (i.e. Jonny Ive) only thinks about minimalism and design, not how it is actually used by many people. It is good that Apple got the message about the problem with adapter cables and reduced their prices on them.
Microsoft had mediocre leadership under Ballmer, but look where they are now innovating with excellent products, not only copying where Apple has had great success in design, but moving beyond (which is what Apple has always done. They were never first in any product category, but refined, and innovated in those categories from smart phone, music player, desktop PC, laptops and software). Hopefully something similar will happen at Apple and they will get new blood to lead the company to the next stage taking the best innovations of companies like Samsung and Microsoft and whomever and pushing beyond it. I do not think the touch bar is going to be one of those innovations.
While still annoying to HAVE to buy adapters, I feel it's less of an issue with an iMac. You won't be forced to carry them with you everywhere. Once your stuff is set up, then you're good to go.
With the MBP, I hate the idea that I need my laptop, and dongle #1, and better bring dongle #2 just incase, and....
With the MBP, I hate the idea that I need my laptop, and dongle #1, and better bring dongle #2 just incase, and....
While still annoying to HAVE to buy adapters, I feel it's less of an issue with an iMac. You won't be forced to carry them with you everywhere. Once your stuff is set up, then you're good to go.
With the MBP, I hate the idea that I need my laptop, and dongle #1, and better bring dongle #2 just incase, and....
Isn't getting rid of cables and adapters all over the place the whole concept of an AIO? Surely Apple are taking us backwards to their future?