If that's your take, you either miss-inferred or the term is simply misused in your circles. I can assure you, obsolete does not have a different definition in the world of IT.
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Mac Mini to Lose Its USB-A Ports Later This Year
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Too many obsolete ports!!
Everything should just be USB-C
People can buy adapters for HDMI, Ethernet & 3.5mm
This is the future!
We are trying to reduce e-waste by forcing people to buy adapters they didn't need before
🙃
Only one USB-C port to attach to the back of your monitor. Let the monitor provide the power. Mac Mini (Highlander Edition). There can be only one. But seriously, you actually need 3, but one can have a built in cable. One for power, one to monitor, one for expansion. Daisy chain two together for a pro version.
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Exactly my point! From Apple’s perspective, the extra ports are a feature that serves to differentiate Pro laptops from non-Pro models.
But a pro port (SDXC) vs a regular Joe port? No one is paying extra for USB-A... it would just be handy for a lot of us who own a bunch of devices that we could leave attached to it.
I don't see why there should be disagreement - the word has a very clear meaning. Obsolete means "no longer being used" and on that basis nobody here is using it correctly.
There are several reasons why.
First, for office workers who use projectors in conference rooms, carrying the dongles into meetings is very inconvenient.
Second, USB to HDMI can only support a maximum of 4K30 resolution. It can “technically” support 4K60, but only by dropping chroma sampling to an unacceptable 4:2:0 mode. So, while the dongles were fine in a 1080p world, they don’t work in a 4K or 8K world. Of course, we can all buy DisplayPort screens for our desks, but televisions and the majority of monitors and projectors use HDMI.
I'm not saying they didn't make any money out of it. I'm saying it wasn't some grand conspiracy.
No this is wrong. Lightning pre-dates just the release of the first USB-C specification by 2 years and the IEC ratification by 4 years. No one even started making USB-C chips and connector shells until way after lightning was on the market.
The mechanical and electrical specification for Lighting is still superior today than USB-C which is quite frankly a ****ing **** show nightmare that came flying out of satan himself's ******* when it comes to reliability, repairability and vendor implementation. We could have something much better today. But no we have USB-C.
They could’ve waited another ~2 years and gone straight from Dock connector to USB-C, and maybe they should’ve. But they wanted the iPhone 5 to have a nicer connector that was ready, and USB-C wasn’t.
"The design for the USB-C connector was initially developed in 2012 by Intel, Texas Instruments and the USB Implementers Forum."
This is true. Lightning did not need to stick around for over a decade, though...
Right, and Lightning was out in 2012. Not just a design, but mass production.
Well, I appreciate that you actually looked and found something. I suppose I can consider ordering some of these newer versions as I need new adapters. The big rub though is that amongst all of our test stands and test cell configurations. We are using over 100 of these. So even with one off here and there being not terrible expensive. buying 100 of them to move completely over gets pretty pricey, especially when USB-C doesn't bring any advantages to this stuff. It is just a different connector. USB-C protocol is also a nightmare to follow. At least with USB-A it was fairly easy to tell what the port was capable of (it did get a bit more confusing later on, but not as bad as USB-C) with the color coding that was often used on PC's. I honestly just prefer a world where USB-A and USB-C can just coexist and be used where they make sense.I'm not a RS485 expert, so sorry if this isn't exactly what you need. I just searched because it seemed strange there wouldn't be a USB-C version by now.
Solar Monitor RS485 Serial USB C To Wire End Cable
Solar Monitor RS485 Serial USB C To Wire End Cable with good quality and factory price, order from Original China OEM factory online shop.www.elecbee.com
I thought this one looked more solid, but depending on how you are connecting, it might not be what you want:
Since I don't see a price there, I searched on the part number to see if it is still available and found:DSD TECH- Connecting the future
DSD TECH is the most professional and comprehensive serial equipment supplier in the worldwww.deshide.com
Let me know if these are even remotely what you are looking for, as I find this stuff interesting!
DSD TECH SH-U11C USB-C to RS485 RS422 Adapter
The SH-U11C is a mini USB-C to RS485 RS422 converter. Unlike the SH-U11 and SH-U11L which only use the USB A interface. The SH-U11C uses the more versatile USB-C connector, which makes it more suitable for laptops with only USB-C ports. Please note: There is no 120 ohm resistor between A+ and ...www.amazon.ca
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Unless you intend to immediately switch over to the new minis (assuming this rumor is even true... probably, but it is currently a rumor), I expect you will still have many years with that world you prefer.
But now you have some newer versions when you need them!
Sure, but I seem to recall them promising exactly that because people at the time were complaining that they already had perfectly good dock connector cables and they were forcing them to upgrade. This thread is just one of many deja vu moments in the computer industry. Now imagine the complaints if they had dumped Lightning after 3 years for USB-C (you might want to go back and look at the threads when they went USB-C only on the MacBook, as USB-C is far more popular now and people are still complaining).
There are too many users for Apple to ever be able to time a Goldilocks moment where the timing is "just right" for everyone.
Actually, by those definitions, I would say that the 1b definition would be an accurate description of USB-A in regards to the MacBook. If this rumor is indeed true, that will make it accurate for the new mini.
And the "old-fashioned" portion could easily extend that definition to the current situation, as USB-A has been around since the last century.
You people really don’t need to mansplain “obsolete” to me. I’ve been in IT for plenty of time. I do not care what it means outside the trade, because we’re having an IT discussion here.
Yes, which is why I liked your post which stated Apple would have had to hold fire on changing ports for an additional 2 years. I was merely correcting another poster's comment. Apple was well aware of its development.
You don't think any of us have worked in IT either? 😅 What about the IT specific technical term websites? We're just ignoring those too? A newer version of hardware existing doesn't inherently mean the older version is obsolete, until well, it becomes obsolete. I can see how software can be different for the viewpoint of the engineers/devs that built it, but even then when an update is issued, the old version isn't obsolete for the people that are still using it, it's merely on its way to obsolescence
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As I said, I'm all for keeping old ports because I have been doing this for decades and have lots of legacy equipment. I expect you likely have a similar backstory.
The problem for you and I is that removing the A ports causes us to have to get replacement cables or dongles if we don't already have them. I see our existing accessories as already sunk costs into the e-waste future.
The problem I have with the "better for the environment" argument is mainly for the truly new users that buy their first new computer and go to add accessories. If it were me, I expect that I would probably just look at the prices and just buy USB-A parts because they are usually cheaper. Fully understandable, but that is just adding to the accumulation of legacy parts that are already starting out closer to their eventual End Of Life, and extending this grandfathering cycle ever farther.
But as you said, I'm simply playing devil's advocate, mainly because the notion of being environmentally friendly while upgrading computers strikes me as at a bare minimum quite contradictory. I use my phones and computers long past most, and usually keep them as backups even when I upgrade, but I still figure my e-waste footprint will be rather large when they eventually carry my cold corpse out.
Edit: I forgot to respond to your theory that USB-A is longer lasting. I haven't yet noticed that, having had low quality and high quality cables for each. I have used A longer though, so perhaps I will find more failures with C in the next 20 years. At least a couple of the SS10 USB-C cables I've purchased have had very high quality connectors, as they've held up well... I quite miss MagSafe on the MacBook Air M1, but at least those USB-C ports and these cables seem to be able to handle the occasional accidental pull, even at an angle. I do prefer the reversability of C, though, but I find A easier to actually push in if I actually have the initial alignment correct. I would say they both have many good qualities, and they sure beat RS-232!
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Not sure what you mean. Yeah, when talking about the web in an IT context, we generally assume we aren’t talking about arachnids.
But USB-C isn’t just a newer version. It’s a version that dramatically changes some things. Not just the connector. It introduces modes, for example.
When an update is pushed, the old version is obsolete when the vendor says it is. But what we’re apparently arguing about is what the implications are.
What I’m saying is: it means you can still use it, but you’re discouraged from further investment, because it isn’t the future.
Anyway, as I’ve said, I think this is quite an aside regarding the Mac mini. Whether they put USB-A in ultimately depends on whether they prioritize small/thin/light/simple (knowing Apple: probably!) or convenient/compatible.
Interestingly, if you click the link, Webster's definition actually includes this:
obsolete
1 of 2
adjective
1b
: of a kind or style no longer current : OLD-FASHIONED
an obsolete technology
current
1 of 2
adjective
1a (3)
: most recent
the magazine's current issue
It's ok mate, we can agree to disagree. 👍🏼 We all think you just got your vocabulary confused, but if you and your colleagues choose to use it that way, great.