No need to get a dongle or a dock.
You can buy a 3 pack of USB-A (female) to USB-C (male) adapters very cheaply.
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No more USB-A?
- Thread starter ivnj
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No need to get a dongle or a dock.
You can buy a 3 pack of USB-A (female) to USB-C (male) adapters very cheaply.
I too have been using the MX Master keyboard and mouse for years (currently have the 3S for both). Was kinda buggy on my 2018 and 2023 Mac Mini's over BT, but with the new M4 Mac Mini that I setup last night (and am typing on now with the combo), zero issues so far over BT! Hope it stays that way.Have had the MX Master for years too. But for the keyboard - MX Master Keys For Mac - I believe you have to eat the bloat to get the driver. Might be possible to run without a driver (can`t remember), but the driver comes with bloat, and I don`t believe Logitech cares about stuff like privacy - it wants to call home. Don`t mind cabled keyboards, but I do mind poor keyboard cables
I used to set device 1 and BT and device 2 as the old dongle, but haven't had the need to even plug it in yet. I'd say the only delay is after boot up (maybe 3-5 seconds to respond and enter my Mac password), but other than that, smooth mouse and no missed keystrokes...so far.
I've used this brand for a couple years in cars for Carplay as well as on MacBooks. No noticeable issues in my use.
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Hope so too, but 1 day is a short time, and the trouble I had was that it was running smoothly for a week, sometimes two, and running MacBook Pro closed lid with external monitor, I had to pull it out to access the laptop keyboard in order to pair it again. Annoying. Loosing it on a desktop might be even more annoying,,,, Another thing with the (old) MBP and the old iPhone I got is reach. A bit too short to be great. It`s even better on my spare (Thinkpad) , and that is vintage material.
Haven`t ordered Mini yet, but I`m pretty sure the one thing that I most definately will not appreciate is the jack in the front, as there always will be a cable connected to my speakers. Not a huge camel, but I have to eat it. I`d be fine with the rest and will stick to the base iteration.
I have had no issues using them but that's just my experience.
For less than $10.00 for three, I think that it's worth it to give it a try.
I choose to look at the bright side - at least USB C is backwards compatible, so solving this minor issue with dongles is cheap and simple. Imagine if it were just a lame duck older standard going away and NOT compatible. Now that would have been a genuine headache. This is minor potatoes IMHO.
No reliability issues with adapters from fairly reliable companies such as Anker and Ugreen. Not the cheapest, but not expensive.
Standardizing IS great. Some vendors kept USB - like Beats with USB micro - far too long, and that`s why transition are stretched over many many years. They should have done what e.g. Samsung did with their portable SSDs, made the device USB-C and supplied cables for USB A for a couple of years.
It`s annoying to the guys having issues with it because i.e. Apple delayed transition, and failed to communicate their intentions as to when they would move to USB C. M2 Studio and Mini should have been USB C only, The M1 iterations would have been sufficient for transition.
The transition models gave good reason to both keep and purchase new USB A gear - to be able to use all the ports.
Then there are stuff like TVs who for no good tech/practical reason keeps USB A. That will be an annoyance in the future, believe me.
I had a problem with a Superdrive connected via a powered OWC thunderbolt hub - it still complained about not receiving power and to plug directly into the Mac. Will one of the USB-C to USB-A dongles address that or do I need something specific? It's not critical - hardly ever use it but tried ripping some CDs last night but no joy.
Yes. I gave my Superdrive to a friend for his M1 MacBook Air. It didn't work with the AV dongle, but it worked fine with a single-purpose USB-A to USB-C adapter.
Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander: USB A to USB C adapters are cheap and convenient.
...what disciples of the One True Port seem to forget is that many, many "USB-C" devices are only running the same old USB 3 protocols as before and gain zero advantage from running via a USB-A port. Thunderbolt devices still carry a hefty premium - and are overkill for many uses when USB A can go up to 10Gbps (not supporting 10Gbps USB 3.1g2 over USB A was an Apple thing - you'll find 10Gbps USB-A ports on PCs and some TB hubs). This was even more prevalent ~2017 when Apple (thankfully) didn't drop USB-A from the iMac and Mini.
Sure, USB-C can support DisplayPort, USB4/Thunderbolt and now up to 240W power - but that's optional and requires more complexity and expense at the host end - and I suspect that even a USB-only USB-C port costs more to implement than USB-A. The so-called "Transition" Macs already supported as many Thunderbolt 3 ports as the chip allowed - the USB-A ports were a bonus and didn't come at the expense of TB ports - or even USB-C ports with video and higher power delivery support.
Unless all of your devices were Thunderbolt or USB4 those extra USB-A ports were useful to have.
I think its probably timely that the new Minis have gone all-USB-C - and good that at least the M4 Mini has managed to offer more ports in total than the M2 - although the M4 Pro has lost a port overall.
No, the reason the "transition" took so long is that Apples are not the only fruit and USB-C uptake has been much slower on PCs. Even on Android phones, USB-C has only become ubiquitous in the last couple of years. Meanwhile, there are a vast number of perfectly good devices out there that work fine with USB 2 or 3 and although you could use them with an adapter or replacement cable there's absolutely zero gain from doing that.
Then there are various key USB-C products that, again, have only appeared in the last couple of years: like cheap, multi-way USB 3.x hubs with downstream USB-C sockets (there are a now few 4-way ones). Until recently, I was relying on a USB-A 3 hub to get enough ports, I've recently switched to an Elements TB4 hub because I saw one on offer, but still cost way more than a ragular USB hub and is no more efficient for USB 3 devices - it's still just a USB 2/3.2 hub (it only makes sense because I've also got a DisplayPort monitor connected to it, and that's only necessary because a quirk with the particular monitor and HDMI) - and even TB4 hubs like that only came along ~2021.
Meanwhile, I think that part of the problem was that Apple jumped the gun by 5 years or so when they suddenly released the all-USB-C Mac Pro in 2016 - resulting in the #1 USB-C peripheral being the "help! give me my old ports back!" multi-port USB-C hub/dock. Instead of easing in USB-C they tried to force it, and created a pushback.
Then the slightly ridiculous thing is, the one case where USB-C is clearly all-round better for everyone - as a replacement for MicroUSB (particularly the kludgy USB 3 versions thereof) on phones and small peripherals is the one place Apple didn't use it until very recently! OK, they had the whole lightning ecosystem to worry about for the iPhone, but the Tragic Mouse/Keyboard and Magic Trackpad weren't for iPhone, and the rechargeable versions weren't released until after Apple had introduced USB-C on the 12" Macbook (and the new MBP was almost certainly in the pipeline) - they should never have had Lightning!
Good arguments.
To be clear: I`m not a fan of USB C. I`m a fan of standardization where it makes makes sense. USB C is just the tool which at present is best suited for that within electronics.
Apple has been in the driving seat for "interface performance" for a long time, not satisfied with what everybody else were satisfied with.
Having used high spec Thinkpads for a long time, the number of different ports +++ has been annoying. I get why they had to be that way (visiting premises with a wide variety of old gear), and some features were great - "smart chip card readers" and LTE/4G card option and so on.
Well aware of the "protocol mess" in lack of a better word for USB. USB C won`t solve that, it merely takes the physical interface - the plug - out of that equation, which is a very good thing. Agree keeping the last port would have been great, preferably in the back. It is sufficient for me, but I`m only one customer and not even a cool one
One still has to keep eyes open when picking cables, and there still is that thing with future proofing (Vs cost of cables), but when transition is completed, travelers will have less cables covering their needs. I want everything to go USB C. From TVs to shavers. At home and when traveling. I will make conscious decisions when picking cables when I have picked up a Mini M4, probably end of month.
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Adapters are useful, but that`s something undesirable like a plethoria of cables. I would possibly consider one (Usb Micro for my Beats), but I`m willing to consider getting rid of the Beats to complete the clean out, and that`s including the 4-5-6-7 chargers I have. When I find shavers/trimmers that suits me with USB C interface, I replace that too.
Might be Apple "jumped the gun" (I welcomed it wholehartedly), but I am more inclined to believe they tried a balancing act not to have the transision hurting business. I wanted them to make the move 100% as I realised USB A and Lightening would be an obsoleting factor in the future. Which is now. Would have moved for M1/M2 mini if it wasn`t for USB A. One thing pretty relevant was 2FA. I have singled out Yubikey, and with 3 different plugs - USB A/C and Lightening - a mess.
I wrote off Wintel product quite some time ago, thus you might very well be right in they being slomo too. A transition has to start somewhere and with a certain thrust not to prolongue the misery, and with misery I`m thinking of all the USB A and USB micro "things" sold as new today. It`s a contribution to dragging the thing out. Facilitate old stuff for a while, I can understand that to a certain extent (eg M1/iPhone 12 or 13 tops or so). But keeping the USB A train rolling is not a good thing for anyone.
I get why Apple did provide Lightening for that, One cable covering several Apple pherperials. I actually like Lightening, and the only reason for wanting that to go away is standardization. I don`t believe USB C has huge advantages ahead of Lightening for the stuff Lightening works well for. Having one cable staying connected for all sorts and not having to swap it.
To be clear: I`m not a fan of USB C. I`m a fan of standardization where it makes makes sense. USB C is just the tool which at present is best suited for that within electronics.
Apple has been in the driving seat for "interface performance" for a long time, not satisfied with what everybody else were satisfied with.
Having used high spec Thinkpads for a long time, the number of different ports +++ has been annoying. I get why they had to be that way (visiting premises with a wide variety of old gear), and some features were great - "smart chip card readers" and LTE/4G card option and so on.
Well aware of the "protocol mess" in lack of a better word for USB. USB C won`t solve that, it merely takes the physical interface - the plug - out of that equation, which is a very good thing. Agree keeping the last port would have been great, preferably in the back. It is sufficient for me, but I`m only one customer and not even a cool one
One still has to keep eyes open when picking cables, and there still is that thing with future proofing (Vs cost of cables), but when transition is completed, travelers will have less cables covering their needs. I want everything to go USB C. From TVs to shavers. At home and when traveling. I will make conscious decisions when picking cables when I have picked up a Mini M4, probably end of month.
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Adapters are useful, but that`s something undesirable like a plethoria of cables. I would possibly consider one (Usb Micro for my Beats), but I`m willing to consider getting rid of the Beats to complete the clean out, and that`s including the 4-5-6-7 chargers I have. When I find shavers/trimmers that suits me with USB C interface, I replace that too.
Might be Apple "jumped the gun" (I welcomed it wholehartedly), but I am more inclined to believe they tried a balancing act not to have the transision hurting business. I wanted them to make the move 100% as I realised USB A and Lightening would be an obsoleting factor in the future. Which is now. Would have moved for M1/M2 mini if it wasn`t for USB A. One thing pretty relevant was 2FA. I have singled out Yubikey, and with 3 different plugs - USB A/C and Lightening - a mess.
I wrote off Wintel product quite some time ago, thus you might very well be right in they being slomo too. A transition has to start somewhere and with a certain thrust not to prolongue the misery, and with misery I`m thinking of all the USB A and USB micro "things" sold as new today. It`s a contribution to dragging the thing out. Facilitate old stuff for a while, I can understand that to a certain extent (eg M1/iPhone 12 or 13 tops or so). But keeping the USB A train rolling is not a good thing for anyone.
I get why Apple did provide Lightening for that, One cable covering several Apple pherperials. I actually like Lightening, and the only reason for wanting that to go away is standardization. I don`t believe USB C has huge advantages ahead of Lightening for the stuff Lightening works well for. Having one cable staying connected for all sorts and not having to swap it.
Fishrrman fearless prediction:
USBa is going to remain around for some time yet.
At least in the "non-Mac" computing world.
USBc is ok with me.
But I reckon the reason they added the "c" was to call it
"USB-confusing"
... because of the fact that the port can have different functions, and there are numerous types of USBc cables that can be difficult for the average user to distinguish from one another...
USBa is going to remain around for some time yet.
At least in the "non-Mac" computing world.
USBc is ok with me.
But I reckon the reason they added the "c" was to call it
"USB-confusing"
... because of the fact that the port can have different functions, and there are numerous types of USBc cables that can be difficult for the average user to distinguish from one another...
Yeah, USB A will be around for some time, and even more so because brands will continue to produce it. If it`s new today it will be around for a while.
Agree, that is a mess, a bit similar to cables for displays and different capabilities at various levels and qualities.
The important thing for yours truly is that I personally can get rid of it and standardize, thereby reducing the number of cables and chargers floating around in OUR house. What anyone else do is fine by me. The new Mini permits me to do that. Finally
I plugged in an Anker 4-port USB-A hub into one of the USB-C ports in the back: it has a Logitech video camera, a Dragonfly DAC, and a Logitech Universal receiver plugged into it. I am having all kinds of issues with my MX Master 3 mouse in this configuration, the pointer is super herky jerky.
I suspect it is the fact that it's plugged into the hub, so I am getting one of the USB-C/USB-A adapters mentioned in this thread.
I suspect it is the fact that it's plugged into the hub, so I am getting one of the USB-C/USB-A adapters mentioned in this thread.
Thanks for this - I ordered an overpriced one from Apple which came today and it works great.