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I'd like to praise Apple for switching to all USB-C

X

xxray

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 27, 2013
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People still love to bash on Apple for their loss of their favorite ports, so I'd like to praise Apple for switching all ports to USB-C. The convenience of being able to charge my laptop on either side, with 2 port options on each side is great. The versatility of all USB-C is great. The fact that there are four of them means I can be charging the laptop, have an external display plugged in, and be connected to my DAC with still one port to spare. Not to mention, you can plug in USB-C in either orientation so there's no fumbling to switch the plug in the right way.

Yeah, the switch to usb-c sucks if you're reliant on a bunch of other ports and you need to get adapters, but it's easily worth it in the long run imo. I think it's good Apple pushed people to switch now.
 
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xxray said:
People still love to bash on Apple for their loss of their favorite ports, so I'd like to praise Apple for switching all ports to USB-C. The convenience of being able to charge my laptop on either side, with 2 port options on each side is great. The versatility of all USB-C is great. The fact that there are four of them means I can be charging the laptop, have an external display plugged in, and be connected to my DAC with still one port to spare. Not to mention, you can plug in USB-C in either orientation so there's no fumbling to switch the plug in the right way.

Yeah, the switch to usb-c sucks if you're reliant on a bunch of other ports and you need to get adapters, but it's easily worth it in the long run imo. I think it's good Apple pushed people to switch now.
Click to expand...


I agree. And I also use an adapter as well, it's been great being able to use my adapter on either side. Some spaces I use my MBP are tight. Fixed ports that are specific to one use is less versatile with cord management.
 
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xxray said:
People still love to bash on Apple for their loss of their favorite ports, so I'd like to praise Apple for switching all ports to USB-C. The convenience of being able to charge my laptop on either side, with 2 port options on each side is great. The versatility of all USB-C is great. The fact that there are four of them means I can be charging the laptop, have an external display plugged in, and be connected to my DAC with still one port to spare. Not to mention, you can plug in USB-C in either orientation so there's no fumbling to switch the plug in the right way.

Yeah, the switch to usb-c sucks if you're reliant on a bunch of other ports and you need to get adapters, but it's easily worth it in the long run imo. I think it's good Apple pushed people to switch now.
Click to expand...
Sorry, but no. USB-C is NOT superior to magsafe.
 
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Could've left the SD (which is in no way replicated in functionality by USB C) and arguably USB A is still ubiquitous enough it's questionable whether completely removing it (as opposed to leaving one for convenience) was actually a decent usability choice. Depending on where they go with future models, USB C with it's 100W power delivery limit might not be enough if they want to start shipping a computer with a more competent graphics card. A lot of Windows machines give the option of charging via a 120W+ barrel or proprietary port, plus topping up on the go via USB C.
 
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Been using the MBP since its 2016 debut. All-USB-C ports have been nothing but great. I might have used a USB stick via an adapter once or twice, with fast internet/local connection USB data is becoming a thing of the past.

When traveling, I just bring the 85W adapter, charge iPhone via C>L cable.
 
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twanj said:
Just wish Airpods & iPhones were on USB-C now.
Click to expand...

I agree it'd be nice if the remaining Lightning-equipped devices switched to USB-C soon. Of course, queue the "oh but we just bought Lightning accessories" complaints.

sracer said:
Sorry, but no. USB-C is NOT superior to magsafe.
Click to expand...
A MagSafe port can do literally one thing, and there are no third parties who can provide MagSafe charging capacity, even if they wanted to.

A USB-C (or in reality, TB3 on a MBA/MBP) cable can be produced by any number of companies, meaning you can e.g. power a laptop from a display that's got an A/C power source. The one thing the MagSafe port has over the current TB3 ports is the magnetic 'break away' functionality. Which is available from numerous companies, in various forms of USB-C cables, and there are TB3 cables/adapters with the same functionality on the horizon too.
 
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Two biggest complaints I hear are the keyboards and the ports. Only USB C simply does not work for everyone and adds a level complexity that never previously existed.

Had Apple retained the 2012 Retina port solution and replaced TB-2 with USB C/TB-3 the MBP would have been a far more balanced, flexible, competent notebook. Apple went to USB C only for one sole reason, same as the disastrous Butterfly Keyboard to prioritise being thinner & prettier.

I doubt Apple will revert, and I doubt Apple will recover the profehinals who dropped the Mac due to poor design that compromised usability over looks. Had Apple been serious there would have been an official desktop USB C docking solution available on day one, to this day we have to rely on 3rd parties to get it right or wrong.

Anyway it's a simple solution as those that actually require a balanced port solution, don't need to worry about portable Mac's and can scratch them off the list...

Q-6
 
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Falhófnir said:
Could've left the SD (which is in no way replicated in functionality by USB C) and arguably USB A is still ubiquitous enough it's questionable whether completely removing it (as opposed to leaving one for convenience) was actually a decent usability choice.
Click to expand...

Those ports are all single-use. If you have them, you cannot use them for anything else. TB3 ports can do practically anything you imagine a port can do.

In this case, $20 buys you a USB-C adapter with more USB-A ports than the pre-TB3 MBP, HDMI and multiple formats of card slot. Or you can get one that has ethernet instead of HDMI. Or pass-through USB-C power to save a port there. Or two HDMI ports. Or VGA ports.

Any single-use port like that, which you see as a "convenience" someone else sees as "useless".
 
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Queen6 said:
Had Apple retained the 2012 Retina port solution and replaced TB-2 with USB C/TB-3 the MBP would have been a far more limited notebook, with much less expansion capability and less appealing to actual professionals.
Click to expand...

Fixed that for ya ;)
 
sracer said:
Sorry, but no. USB-C is NOT superior to magsafe.
Click to expand...

Different users, different opinions. For me it is far superior.

- multiple use, completely interchangeable ports (this being number one)
- detachable cable from the adapter
- can use different adapters
- can use the same cable for multiple (usb-c) devices
- much cheaper than magsafe if I need to buy a replacement or another one for traveling
 
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Stephen.R said:
Those ports are all single-use. If you have them, you cannot use them for anything else. TB3 ports can do practically anything you imagine a port can do.

In this case, $20 buys you a USB-C adapter with more USB-A ports than the pre-TB3 MBP, HDMI and multiple formats of card slot. Or you can get one that has ethernet instead of HDMI. Or pass-through USB-C power to save a port there. Or two HDMI ports. Or VGA ports.

Any single-use port like that, which you see as a "convenience" someone else sees as "useless".
Click to expand...
As long as you're also willing to accept that the miracle all in one port you find more useful is a real pain in the ass to someone else ;)
 
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Falhófnir said:
As long as you're also willing to accept that the miracle all in one port you find more useful is a real pain in the ass to someone else ;)
Click to expand...

I agree, as all in USB C is not equal, hence the slow uptake in industry and truly a pain in the ass when it "just doesn't work" Personally I like and want a USB C, preferably TB-3 port on the device (all my notebooks since 2015 have USB C), however not as a sole solution as we are way off USB C/TB-3 being universally accepted or without issues.

2016 MBP was an exercise in vanity by Apple, they are reaping what they sowed as pro users need reliability, flexibility and usability nor do they suffer fools. I don't want to see Apple's Exec's prancing about the stage on a Keynote, I want Apple's hardware & software to speak for itself at a pro level, as in actually making sense for the user...

Q-6
 
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Queen6 said:
Nah as your clueless to the usage
Click to expand...
I don't have a clueless. Whatever that is.

Queen6 said:
never seen so many drop the Mac since the 2016 release
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Because of a lack of USB-A ports and SD card readers? Ok sure.

Falhófnir said:
As long as you're also willing to accept that the miracle all in one port you find more useful is a real pain in the ass to someone else
Click to expand...
I do. I accept that it's marginally more difficult for you to use an SD card reader in a 2016+ MBP than in the previous models.

But it's still very much possible, and it's even pretty cheap to get as much or more connectivity as you had in a pre-2016 model, from a single adapter.
Now go find me a 10GbEth adapter, or an eGPU that works via a USB type-a port, and I'll agree that those ports are better.

Queen6 said:
however not as a sole solution as we are way off USB C/TB-3 being universally accepted or without issues.
Click to expand...
So, you want to deliberately hobble your future use of the laptop, to save yourself... $20 now?
 
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Well, the 2016 lemon we have here around the house is a huge pain in the ass because you’re constantly trying to find the right adapter in a drawer when trying to do basic stuff all the time.

It would have been nice to have some models that were more of a classic/legacy approach and included some more out of the box port options for those of us that use them a lot.

Adding a USB-C to an existing lineup of useful other ports would have giving you guys all the benefits of USB-C approach while still retaining compatibility for those of us that want it.

The myriad of PC laptops has shown us you can have a very thin and light machine that still has a world of ports. Apple is brainwashing some to think that there’s a trade off there that must be made.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
Well, the 2016 lemon we have here around the house is a huge pain in the ass because you’re constantly trying to find the right adapter in a drawer when trying to do basic stuff all the time.

It would have been nice to have some models that were more of a classic/legacy approach and included some more out of the box port options for those of us that use them a lot.

Adding a USB-C to an existing lineup of useful other ports would have giving you guys all the benefits of USB-C approach while still retaining compatibility for those of us that want it.

The myriad of PC laptops has shown us you can have a very thin and light machine that still has a world of ports. Apple is brainwashing some to think that there’s a trade off there that must be made.
Click to expand...


So how's that 5.25'' floppy on your brand new PC laptop? No?
 
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turbineseaplane said:
I think you know we are talking about still relevant and useful ports (USB-A, HDMI, SD and the like)
Click to expand...

So in retrospective do you think it was a wrong decision to make a laptop without a floppy drive? Or the one without COM/LPT ports? Or the one without optical drive? This is quite similar.


I'll admit that USB-C adoption is rather slow, but this might change substantially if the new iPhone is also USB-C.
 
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