Future Macbooks' removal of obsolete features

[HardBall]

I think is continuing to move in the right direction for removing features that only an extremely minute proportion of ppl are using. In recent several years, they have removed things like firewire, usb2.0, DVI, mini-DP/hdmi, optical drive, ethernet, etc. Most of these ports and features are no longer necessary in a computing environment where most connectivities are wireless, and when media storage has been almost all moved onto the cloud.

They are basically pushing the industry forward, and allowing the advancement of designs that better fit the future needs of computer users.

So what obscure features might Apple remove from their computer lines in the next few years.

 

[fisherking]

the keyboard, as we develop mind-to-mac technologies.
the trackpad (see above).
the hard drive (as we move deeper into the cloud).
the screen (as we'll be using immersive goggles).

and i predict a move to 3.5" floppies, a small, light format for carrying data...

 

[rorschach]

the keyboard, as we develop mind-to-mac technologies.
the trackpad (see above).
the hard drive (as we move deeper into the cloud).
the screen (as we'll be using immersive goggles).

and i predict a move to 3.5" floppies, a small, light format for carrying data...

The MacBook Wheel

 

[fisherking]

The MacBook Wheel

Image

i love that one..

 

[Anonymous Freak]

5 years? Easy.

Wired network (already gone from the entire 'current' mobile Mac lineup, only the now-3-year-old non-Retina 13" MacBook Pro carries an Ethernet port.)

Legacy USB 2/3 ports - within 5 years, USB Type C connectors will be the USB connector. Adapters will be cheap and plentiful for connecting to old devices, and all new devices will use Type C connectors. In fact, I imagine this will be true by the 2017 updates, quite possibly even the 2016 updates.

The other ones are difficult:
"Any type of charging ports (moving to inductive charging)" - Possible, but I don't think this is a certainty.
"Headphone jacks (moving entirely to BT peripherals)" - Again, possible, but not a certainty.
"TB (probably won't happen just yet, but eventually move to wireless standard)" - Only the Pro line will keep it, and it might even only be a "high-end Pro" that has it, similar to how FireWire 800 waffled on and off for a few generations of "Pro" system, only staying on the highest-end PowerBook and MacBook Pros for certain.
"SD card slots" - Unsure. They only recently (finally!) added SD slots to all but the 11" Air and Mac Pro, so I doubt it will disappear from all mobiles.
"discrete GPUs from all computers" - No. Unless Intel has an absolute breakthrough, there are still enough Pros that insist on discrete graphics that this just won't happen.

 

[mtneer]

I think this process unfolding here is similar to the "unbundling" that the airline industry subjected its passengers to recently.

You will still need the capabilities to connect to peripherals, project, transfer data and so on. It's just that Apple will push these capabilities outside the machine it sells and requires users to buy separate dongles/ bricks/ cables to accomplish those tasks.

Unbundling allows them to claim that they have the thinnest/ lightest iDevice in the media events, while users in the real world will be carrying around 0.5 - 1.0 lb more (as dongles/ bricks/ cables) in their bags to get the job done.

 

[Rian Gray]

I can definitely see Apple removing ethernet port and simply say, "if you need one, get an adapter instead." Which is exactly what I am doing. Wireless nowadays is a lot more stable, no need to worry about reset/restart the router or etc. I wouldn't go so far with wireless charging though. Everyone has been saying "no outlet in the future homes, everything wireless!" since 1960s. But for all I know, only product that was successful with wireless charging was probably electronic toothbrush and that was it.

 

[shenan1982]

I'm all for removing the ethernet. I carry the older version of the Airport Express, the one that's a self-contained unit... love it for when I go to a hotel room that doesn't have Wifi, lets me broadcast to all my devices.

I wish Apple would update, and make a smaller, more portable unit. Many manufacturers have come out with models half the size of the original Airport Express I have... heck some are smaller than a deck of cards.

Why Apple chose to come out with a white version of the apple tv and call it a travel router is beyond me. It completely makes it useless for travel when I have to carry it and a huge friggin cable to plug it into. They went backwards in time with that product IMO

 

[flyinmac]

I'm sure Apple's already working hard to find a way to remove the last remaining port. Then they'll sell us some kind of adapter that adds a power port to the machine.

 

[HardBall]

I'm sure Apple's already working hard to find a way to remove the last remaining port. Then they'll sell us some kind of adapter that adds a power port to the machine.

I'm perfectly OK with using adaptors;

Wish there is a 2nd usb-c port though; that makes using it on the go far less trouble some when you need to charge.