I find the answers all a bit ridiculous in this thread to very real real-world concerns. Many people are evidently saying everything else in the world will change to suit this laptop or you should remember to carry dongles everywhere you go.
No, what I am saying is that the onus is ultimately on you as the end user to optimize your working environment to allow your new MacBook Pro to thrive in. Instead of just sitting around, complaining and doing absolutely nothing about it.
For example, as a teacher wanting to use his iPad in the classroom, I am comfortable bringing around my VGA adaptor with me if I think I will need it (it fits nicely in my shirt pocket). I have an Apple TV set up in my classroom for AirPlay mirroring. All paid for with my own money.
If you can't, or are unwilling to seed the ground to make this happen, then don't get this laptop.
1 HDMI - Your company ceo probably can't be bothered looking for a new projector for in the board room for a while. And when you come in for that meeting remember to carry your dongles with you at all times now.
Don't worry, we will.
2 Magsafe. - When on stage in your band as the keyboard player using the new Macbook the next time your guitarist trips over your power cable, there goes your new $4000 macbook.
Apple's fault that the people around you are so clumsy, it seems.
3 & 5 No USB - You instantly lose quick compatibility to millions of devices such as external hdd, millions of thumb drives and printers out there in the real world. -> Dongles. Why should one need them for the most popular basic connection type around the world? How does a dongle help user experience? The problem with Apple relying on their own and third party dongles you indeed can easily (if you have a dodgy dongle - which many USB-C ones seem to be at the moment) ruin user experience. Isn't Apple all supposed to be about better user experience hence the price hikes? Even if Apple had left two USB 3 ports on the Macbook Pro it would have not caused any of this controversy to this extent.
No controversy, but then we would still be in the same situation where USB C is struggling to gain traction.
I am not saying the transition will be a painless one. I am saying that it will all be worth it in the very end.
4 No SD Card - Screw the photographers, who needs them heh? What have designers and photographers ever done for Apple!
Use an adaptor.
Alternatively, it won't be surprising if we see more cameras come with alternate means of transferring data. Maybe cameras might even support USB C data transfer in the future?
I find that we people are very quick to identify and criticize obvious flaws and shortcomings, not so much when it comes to recognizing how the situation can change in response to the new normal.
For instance, when Apple blocked flash on iOS, it dramatically improved the popularity of HTML 5 and spurred the development of native apps for iOS. Sometimes, it's a chicken and egg scenario. We have to make things happen, rather than wait for things to happen.
The fact Apple at the moment are listing the OLD macbook pro on the new Macbook Pro page to buy (scroll down) tells me someone is realising they have made a mistake going full USB-C.
That's for the buyer to decide, not Apple.
I believe that time will show that Apple is on the right side of history.
This is not a "Pro" laptop in my opinion. The word "Pro" in Apple's vocabulary has now been hijacked to just mean rich consumer rather than someone who makes a living by using the device (see iPad Pro. WTF?!). In the real world this Macbook "Pro" will not suit a large part of the original Macbook Pro user base. The practicality has gone out of the window to suit elitist thin-ness Apple arrogant one connection nonsense.
No comment.
The new keyboard is noisy as hell too btw. Again a step backwards if you ask me.
Okay.
Sure USB-C will be the future but I highly doubt Apple will help its adoption by switching so early and making their computers now far more expensive. Even if they add only USB-C ports on the next iMacs or even Mac Pros they in a sense are shooting themselves in the foot.
And that is precisely what makes Apple so awesome in my book. They "skate to where the puck will be", meaning Apple is not afraid to lay its reputation on the line and use its influence to push for new technology which they believe comprise the future of computing.
How many other companies can claim to be as daring?
Someone like myself who has tons of gadgets at home currently all connected via USB (drives / music equipment / authorisation usb keys / photography equipment etc etc) instead of buying that new computer would hold off until the rest of all that tech catches up or worse (for Apple at least) just go back to Windows and forget this Apple carry on.
To each their own.
My advice to you them is to simply do what you think is best in your situation. Other people will do likewise. Let us all vote with our wallets, and see how it all unfolds.
When USB C does take off in the future, just don't forget to thank the respective early adopters for making this possible.
To me it seems very stupid what Apple are doing. Removing Lan port was already insane in my opinion. Wired network connections are always better and more secure.
They are also too thick for the current MacBook pros at any rate. Wifi is way more convenient, and sometimes, that counts just as much.
