Five Things You Still Can't Do With a MacBook Pro
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Rafterman
macrumors 604
It never ceases to amaze me how Apple fans can convince that themselves they don't need something just because Apple doesn't offer it
It never ceases to amaze me how Apple fans can convince that themselves they don't need something just because Apple doesn't offer it.
So let's see...
120hz 4k display, that'd be nice if I owned one
SD Card? Nope, waste of a port to begin with
Ethernet? use a dongle.
5G? why would I want that built in, use a hotspot
6e? Nice if it was there, but unless you're in a congested area, doesn't have much impact
It never ceases to amaze me how Apple fans can convince that themselves they don't need something just because Apple doesn't offer it.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I always wanted something like this from Apple.
Then the iPad got great and replaced my Macs, and with the Magic Keyboard I'm REALLY close to the dream. More than close enough, actually.
Hopefully, we'll see some (rumored) software this summer that puts the final nails in the Mac coffin for me.
Then again, I'm strictly consumer-side.
I use a company-issued PC for work.
Macs are my favorite dinosaurs though.
You don't need USB-A built into the device, though. Every USB-A cable and integrated device works with USB-C adapters. And most of the time, you can replace a cable with a straight USB-C cable. For instance, your drone or camera most certainly have a USB port, likely a B or C, and you can get cables to convert straight from C to B and C to C cables are super common.
You may not like it, but it is fully compatible, at least for data purposes. That's probably why they didn't add A back in, the adapters are now common for A to C and cables are available for most port type conversions.
Perhaps you didn't notice I used the phrase "for me". Your milage may vary. Your sensitivity, though, is obnoxious.
spicynujac
macrumors 6502
Yeah the adapters are pretty slim; when I finally replace my 2015 MBP I will keep one USB adapter in one of its ports permanently. Or like you said just keep a A to C cable in my bag at all times but some of the adapters are just a few mm thick and barely noticeable.
I always said I would never "up"grade until they gave me back the things my 2015 had: USB-A, magsafe, HDMI. Well, 2 out of 3 is good enough.
The USB-A is so widely used, at least in the non-Mac world, it just feels strange to have a computer missing it.
A to C cable is for connecting a C peripheral with an A computer, what you need for your devices is B to C or C to C.
There are computers now in the Windows world with no USB-A. Some Dells, Lenovos, and HPs, the thinnest of the thinnest ultrabooks. The tech press is hammering them for dropping A, but they went ahead and did it anyway. For instance, there's the Thinkpad X1 Nano which has only Thunderbolt 3 ports, it's the thinnest and lightest Thinkpad.
szw-mapple fan
macrumors 68040
Yeah this article just seems poorly written/researched in general.
jakey rolling
macrumors 6502a
Some? At least one? Because a very large number of people who do work with their computer have devices that they might want to plug into their laptops, the cost of adding a port is negligible in both real estate and money?
Again, yes? At least one? Because almost every other manufacturer in the entire world has at least one on their laptop, so it's not really an engineering feat to have to add one?
Either would be better than the status quo which is a big fat none.
Enough to last a work day performing most computing tasks. Again, this is pretty standard across all manufacturers nowadays.
About as much as any professional level laptop? Less than a watermelon, more than an orange.
Ask a photographer. There's more to "professional" computing life than Photoshop.
I hope you get my point. Laptops everywhere that don't sport a bitten Apple as a logo already have almost all these things. They are the textbook definition of "basic". Apple not including basic things in a premium priced laptop is laughably sad.
Chet-NYC
macrumors regular
Meanwhile, my 14" MBP with an M1 Max and 32gb of memory blows the doors off my 2019 iMac with an i9 and 64Gb of RAM. The battery goes on seemingly forever, the display is beautiful.
The headline shouldn't what we can't do, but what the current MBP is missing. So when the M2 Pro/M2Max come out maybe we'll see upgrades to the HDMI port, the SD card slot, and Wifi6e. Down the road, there almost certainly will be an Apple designed modem in one. I doubt we'll ever see an ethernet port...just too big.
The headline shouldn't what we can't do, but what the current MBP is missing. So when the M2 Pro/M2Max come out maybe we'll see upgrades to the HDMI port, the SD card slot, and Wifi6e. Down the road, there almost certainly will be an Apple designed modem in one. I doubt we'll ever see an ethernet port...just too big.
platinumaqua
macrumors 6502a
If USB-A ports are as obsolete as you say, why are the manufacturers including them in practically every single dock/hub?
sideshowuniqueuser
macrumors 68040
Right, but then the MagSafe cable would require quite a bit more to it I presume? Not necessarily a major problem, but it would need to be a thicker cable with more internal wires.
sideshowuniqueuser
macrumors 68040
Space? There is heaps of space. It is merely Apple choosing NOT to put more ports in.
And yes, as you say, Apple CHOOSING to only put in HDMI 2.0, and not to support faster cards. Apple CHOOSING to design its chips with limited bandwidth.
Anyway, glad you've decided that dongles are awesome, I think you're on your lonesome with that one.
shakinbakin_blue
macrumors newbie
I don’t care about any of these. ??♀️ Although someone else may.
sideshowuniqueuser
macrumors 68040
Congratulations, I think you achieved the highest ratio of downvotes to upvotes with that comment! Yup, not many people like the vomit pastel rainbow colours of little Timmy's pet iMacs.
It's gross enough just being associated with a brand that sells stuff like that, but if they start making MBP's with those colours, then it's going to paint the entire line as a kid's toy, and become borderline embarrassing to even own one. Make the toys pretty colours if you like, but leave the pro tools in pro shades. It's actually annoying that I can't get both a MBP and iPhone Pro in matching Space Grey.
CarlJ
Contributor
I would love it too (personally, I'd happily trade the HDMI port for Ethernet). I can guess why they didn't do it (aside from, "not everyone would want it"), though: the MagSafe cable and connecter used on the MBP is much smaller/thinner than the one used by the iMac. They'd have to make the cable and connector bigger to accommodate Ethernet.
NY Guitarist
macrumors 68000
Youtuber style clickbait negative headline.
Here's my #6. Still can't get a CTO 14" or 16" Pro without waiting months for it to ship.
Here's my #6. Still can't get a CTO 14" or 16" Pro without waiting months for it to ship.
You know, I wanted to make a fake mock-Apple-fanboy comment but you just wrote one and on top of that did it better than even my meager imitation skills would allow me to.So let's see...
120hz 4k display, that'd be nice if I owned one
SD Card? Nope, waste of a port to begin with
Ethernet? use a dongle.
5G? why would I want that built in, use a hotspot
6e? Nice if it was there, but unless you're in a congested area, doesn't have much impact
Yes, indeed, "why" to all of the above and more - if a machine is sold for a very heavy price, touted to proffessional users (and I am going out on a limb here since the term "pro" is about as much misused as a 25 year old girl living in a Rio favela). Why indeed ship a machine that could easely have a "foldable" ethernet port as used on many other PROFESSIONAL laptops? Why indeed not supplement a machine with a 5G modem making it truly mobile and go above and beyond not just some lame and often times throttled down WiFi speeds which often times are still at the AC standard - or even allow it to run all those other 99,9999% places on the globe by area that don't have wifi. Why indeed not offer a really fast SD card reader that would let PROFESSIONALS extract content-heavy video quicker, or for that matter have a USB-port as to avoid a retarded dongle to maybe back that same content to a drive that still uses something but a USB-C port. For that matter, on a "pro" machine, why indeed go for as slim as possible when that extra 1/4" would add so much beefier battery that'd give maybe 3-4 more hours of uptime for you know... a proffessional on the move, who is otherwise forced to not only carry a dongle but a f***ing masonry brick of a power bank too.
Perhaps all the "why"s are best answered with the fact that it's a pro-sumer laptop marketed as a machine for professionals with the price of a Gucci-branded nonsene.
CalfCanuck
macrumors 6502a
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. I don't understand why everyone wants to go back to MORE proprietary buses - those are the computing days of 1980s/1990's.
I currently am able use a double Apple dongle setup to connect my 22 year old dedicated Nikon SC4000 slide scanner, with a FW400 connector, to current Macs - how does that restrict me in any way? Should I complain that they took away my FW400 port?
I'm a photographer. When I go out on a shoot (I work without a PA) I spend the time to lay out my kit, and decide what needs to go into my bags for the trip. I have mastered my own art of a set of cameras and lenses with minimal weight, but still generally travel with 30-40 lbs (14-18 kg) of gear. Am I really going to complain about a 100g card reader if it solves a need to get my data into another device?
I currently am able use a double Apple dongle setup to connect my 22 year old dedicated Nikon SC4000 slide scanner, with a FW400 connector, to current Macs - how does that restrict me in any way? Should I complain that they took away my FW400 port?
I'm a photographer. When I go out on a shoot (I work without a PA) I spend the time to lay out my kit, and decide what needs to go into my bags for the trip. I have mastered my own art of a set of cameras and lenses with minimal weight, but still generally travel with 30-40 lbs (14-18 kg) of gear. Am I really going to complain about a 100g card reader if it solves a need to get my data into another device?
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asdfjkl;
macrumors 6502
The original MacBook Air had just such a port.
Forget it. Move on. It’s 2022.
asdfjkl;
macrumors 6502
How about MST (multi-stream transport)? This is purely a software (MacOS) limitation. This would allow you to run a single cable to a USB-C Monitor and daisy chain multiple monitors together. The Intel Macs supported this just fine under Windows. Why still no MST support in MacOS? It's shameful.