- iPhone: $25 extra. I've got about 10 free USB cables from every iPhone.
- Networking cable: $29 dongle. Already own USB dongle.
- Monitor: $69 dongle on Apple's site. I've got at least spare HDMI cables lying around that came free with various devices over the years.
- External HDD: $29.95 (x2) USB-C to USB Micro B cable
- RAID: $49 Thunderbolt 3 USB-C to Thunderbolt 2 cable
- Flash drive: $19 dongle USB-C to USB
- External camera control: $19 dongle USB-C to USB Micro
- USB Microphone: $19 dongle USB-C to USB
$288.90 + $2599 to get the cheapest 15" that matches the 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD I already have in my five year old machine and we're looking at $2,887.90 just to get a machine that Geekbenches 14500 vs 12000 for my 2012 retina machine and 10000 on my iPhone X. No freaking way man. That's nuts. If my MBP exploded tomorrow I'd rather get a refurb 2015 for $1500-1600 or take my chances on Craigslist for $1200-1300. Although honestly my iPad Pro has been slowly replacing it so I'd probably just get a 2017 5K iMac like I've got at work.
You can get there cheaper with a USB-C dock. You can also save about $100 by going third-party for the most simple cables and adaptors (Monoprice: USB-C to USB-A, ~$5, USB-C to Micro B, <$5). And since the MBP only has four USB-C ports, you can replace seven USB-C to other USB items with four USB-C to USB-A dongles plus the two non-USB dongles (Monitor: $69, RAID: $49) for a grand total of $140.
I also have not seen anybody saying that the MBP should have come with with four USB-A ports and TB2 ports on top of maybe two USB-C ports. Meaning even under the best scenario, that TB3 to TB2 adaptor is inevitable (unless you really think the MBP should have shipped with both TB3 and TB2 ports, I doubt any computer has both of those ports). And let's say under the best case scenario, the current MBP would be like the 2012-2015 MBPs (ie, like yours) with two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, the two TB ports upgraded to TB3 and the charging port also upgraded to TB3. In that scenario, you'd still need the $49 TB3 to TB2 adaptor. And comparing the current situation with your 2012 MBP (with two USB-A ports), to match that you'd need only two USB-C to USB-A adaptors. Thus the delta cost between the current configuration and your ideal one (only change being the TB2 ports upgraded to TB3), is only the HDMI adaptor and two USB-C to USB-A adaptors or $80.
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Some time ago on the podcast, he was complaining about using his 12" MacBook. He was at a conference and wanted to use it for podcasting. He then complained he couldn't power it, and connect something else at the same time. Listening to that, I thought to myself, huh? You knew this in advance. The 12" MacBook is simply very limited in the connection department.
So one of the cohosts (Casey) asked him the extremely obvious question: why didn't you buy a hub? Answer: he looked on Amazon, but all of them had varying reviews.
You can look at this from two different viewpoints. One is that only real downside is the outlay for a USB-C hub. The other is what Apple could have done differently without really compromising the migration to USB-C or the cost or space limitations of the 12" MB. Which is to add a second USB-C port. So, if both sides got of their high horse and Marco bought a USB-C hub and Apple added a second USB-C port, the situation would be drastically less dire.
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By making every iMac buyer buy an entirely new screen every time because the mini's lobotomized and the Mac Pro is stuck between floors.
What you are forced to do is to take a hit to the resale value for the individual components of an iMac (which would fetch higher prices if they could be sold individually). If a three-year old iMac screen is as good as new, it should fetch a resale value close to its original price. If it doesn't get this price, it means you payed for the same version of the screen more than you get for the old one.
You are also forced to upgrade several components in tandem, ie, you cannot upgrade just the CPU or just the GPU or just the storage (well that you can, at an extra service cost and with very limited options for the slotted SSD) or just the screen, or just the motherboard/case. But you have some flexibility as you can combine the same CPU with maybe two GPU options, two different screen options and several storage options as well as vice versa.
