Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
P.P.S. Few minutes ago I dropped a book near my desk. The book hit the USB-C charging cable and... the cable just smoothly slid out of the port. My laptop on the desk didn't move a millimetre.
 
I am saving this thread to visit after WWDC and probably rant about MagSafe too.

#bringbackmagsafe

If Magsafe haven't saved your computer yet, you basically cant understand why we are ranting over its being abolished.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ulenspiegel
Forget petitions, we need hecklers at the WWDC...You have people risking their lives to heckle politicians with secret service around just to tell them to iron their shirt but no one courageous enough to tell Tim to bring back the lighting Apple!!
 
MAGSAFE SUCKED

1) Twice the connector failed and I had to buy 80 dollar replacements. Partially ruined a job I was on because I could not locate a replacement in time.
2) More than half the time it was on the WRONG SIDE, but with USB-C I can charge from either side.
3) I don't need an extra hole in my laptop, thank you!
4) USB-C charging means I can charge from my monitor or even a external battery pack...too cool for school!

Magsafe was cute, fun tech, but not versatile and certainly more cumbersome and expensive.

And...I'm sorry if you have no ability to "safely" charge your laptop, but that's not exactly an issue I ever heard of UNTIL folks had MagSafe. Suddenly dogs, kids and Penguins were ripping power cords out of computers right & left. LOL!


R.
 
Last edited:
Magsafe was cute, fun tech, but not versatile and certainly more cumbersome and expensive.

I tend to agree. It was great as an idea, but the application left me wanting quite frequently, for the same reasons you stated.
 
I loved the original magsafe with the L style connector, hated magsafe 2. Magsafe 2 stuck out too far and was always coming loose. Sometimes just enough to where it wasn't charging, even though it looked plugged in. Unless I noticed that the tiny LED was orange instead of green, my laptop would be discharging. Weak cables, fraying rubber coatings, I don't miss it. Bye Bye Magsafe 2.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HenryDJP and CaptRB
I loved the original magsafe with the L style connector, hated magsafe 2. Magsafe 2 stuck out too far and was always coming loose. Sometimes just enough to where it wasn't charging, even though it looked plugged in. Unless I noticed that the tiny LED was orange instead of green, my laptop would be discharging. Weak cables, fraying rubber coatings, I don't miss it. Bye Bye Magsafe 2.



Yup...perfect review of weak tech. Bye-bye is right! I forgot about all the times MagSafe didn't charge.


R.
 
I tripped over my wife's charging port the other day. Thank goodness it was magsafe. The cable came right out, I didn't trip and the laptop stayed on the table. That's safety and good value in the sense that nothing got broken.
 
Then there was this....



Mag...Safe???




Yikes!

So MagSafe is terrible. The ONLY reason why a few people want it is because they're not responsible enough to charge a laptop device safely. There's always a story about some guys autistic Beagle tripping over the cord, but MagSafe saving the day. Yay!

Honestly, if you can't learn to charge a device safely, you shouldn't have a laptop! Utterly ridiculous subject. USB-C has so many advantages and the people who want old tech are saying, "But we're clumsy!"

Meanwhile, it looks like MagSafe alternatives are finally shipping. So if you can't get it together and manage a single power cord, buy one!

Sorry, time is marching on.


R
 
Sure, its only "two sides", but this means that I can always plug my power in with as little inconvenient cable routing as possible — this is a noticeable quality of life improvement that I experience every day. Not to mention that having data and power port unified means that I only need to plug in a single port when I get to the office — again, a noticeable quality of life improvement (as I need to move around with my laptops a dozen or two times per day on average) .



Double of zero is still zero :) On a more serious note, magsafe doesn't work that well with lighter laptops (if your machine weights just north of 1kg, a magnetic latch does not always disconnect) and having magsafe does not license you for carelessness. You wrote above that you didn't need to do risk analysis, well that's false. Its just wrong sense of security. Once you take care of proper cable placement and don't leave your laptop in dangerous positions, you pretty much eliminate any damage risk due to tripping on cables. Of course, Magsafe in such a situation bring this risk to practically zero. But again, is this extra safety margin worth all the advantages that come with a unified power/data port? Not according to me and my experience.

Put it simply: I can't really remember a single instance where Magsafe would save my computer. But using the new ports results in more comfort for me every single day. On the other had, what I remember is magsafe cable constantly getting damaged at the power adapter and annoying disconnects because i would move my leg awkwardly and pull the cable or try to move the laptop on the desk and again pull the cable. So no, I don't miss Magsafe.

'magsafe doesn't work that well with lighter laptops'
You're in the wrong thread bud.:) This thread is for the magsafe on macbook pro.
You're talking about a standard macbook (2015-16 only), but a macbook pro weighs more than 1kg. Macsafe has never been strong enough to pull my laptop with the cable.

You may think yourself witty, however I covered my bases when I said 'I would say' meaning I couldn't firmly state it was double because it was in fact nearly zero, and that assumes the reader knows what 2x0 is and doesn't consider themselves math geniuses for knowing that.

(for brevity) 'is the extra safety margin worth' more than that of it's USB-C counterpart, and I would have to agree with you. USB C is simply more valuable. With this said, try and look at the changes on paper, both with their pros and cons. It feels to me we lost a valuable and iconic part of macbooks, and with the power not only financially but in sheer brain power that apple has, I can't help but feel they could have found a way to keep or replace the magsafe charger.

'having magsafe does not license you for carelessness' While this is true, I do not think you read what I said. Since you didn't quote allow me.
/////
"The fact that we didn't really need to do a "risk analysis" in the first place and do now, is a blatant downgrade"
I see how my statement was questionable, but I never said magsafe bought the users a careless card. I simply said the truth. I didn't really ever need to go out of my way to make sure my cable was hidden. The magsafe was better than 'insurance', it was a feature and one that gave the user peace of mind hidden or not.

In short, I respect your mention of the counter claim, the good side of magsafe. I see your claim more clearly, the charging port would without a doubt be on both sides ideally, and keep up with the tech around it with USB-C. But because USB C can do everything, it eliminates ports PRO users shouldn't have to live without.
 
Yikes!

So MagSafe is terrible. The ONLY reason why a few people want it is because they're not responsible enough to charge a laptop device safely. There's always a story about some guys autistic Beagle tripping over the cord, but MagSafe saving the day. Yay!

Honestly, if you can't learn to charge a device safely, you shouldn't have a laptop! Utterly ridiculous subject. USB-C has so many advantages and the people who want old tech are saying, "But we're clumsy!"

Meanwhile, it looks like MagSafe alternatives are finally shipping. So if you can't get it together and manage a single power cord, buy one!

Sorry, time is marching on.


R


You know, I had Magsafe for a decade and managed to not trip over the cable of any of my laptops, bringing them crashing down. I am pretty sure I still possess the situational awareness to manage the next decade without doing the same.
 
You know, I had Magsafe for a decade and managed to not trip over the cable of any of my laptops, bringing them crashing down. I am pretty sure I still possess the situational awareness to manage the next decade without doing the same.

I'm not the cable avoiding stallion I used to be :(
 
You know, I had Magsafe for a decade and managed to not trip over the cable of any of my laptops, bringing them crashing down. I am pretty sure I still possess the situational awareness to manage the next decade without doing the same.



LOL...Maybe I could avoid it BECAUSE I had MagSafe. Now that I don't have it there will be a parade of tripsters flinging themselves into my power cords, driving over them, snagging them with fishing poles, tall leggy blondes hooking their high-heels on them and sending my beloved laptop flying into the technobyse of Macbookblivion.

But I doubt it.


R.
 
LOL...Maybe I could avoid it BECAUSE I had MagSafe. Now that I don't have it there will be a parade of tripsters flinging themselves into my power cords, driving over them, snagging them with fishing poles, tall leggy blondes hooking their high-heels on them and sending my beloved laptop flying into the technobyse of Macbookblivion.

But I doubt it.


R.

Even my rambunctious dogs have managed to not pull one down, including a couple of labs going through puppyhood. But the tall leggy blond angle might be appealing. If one of my laptops ever does go down, that's the way it should be :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: CaptRB
For the record:

I have tripped over the USB-C cable several times (Never tripped over a MagSafe). Each and every time the cable has come flying out and wacked my leg. The dog has also tripped over it and quickly scampered away. I still maintain you shouldn't route the cable in a place where it could be a tripping hazard, and with a 10 hour battery there's very little reason for that situation to even exist. However, for what it's worth in real world usage, any force exerted on the cable big enough that would cause the laptop to fall, will cause the weakest connection to fail first. Which in this case is the cable flying across the room.

Yes if you tug it slowly the cable will drag the laptop with it, and yes MagSafe wouldn't do this. I'm just adding that in my real world usage, scratches have been presented to my legs and not the MacBook.

If anyone is still genuinely concerned, just use a power supply extender, I think my charging cable runs 4m now so there's really no need to have it hanging over a walkway.

The fact that we didn't really need to do a "risk analysis" in the first place and do now, is a blatant downgrade. Talking about risk analysis. If anyone is dropping that much coin on a laptop (granted for a label and OS), it should enable them to do MORE, not shy away from taking their laptop to the library because of your "risk analysis" coming to the result of 'unsafe'.

You should never have your cable routed in a way that could be a trip hazard. This is in no way because of the potential damage to the computer. Granted with MagSafe the cable could snap away easier and protect your computer. But you are not giving consideration to whoever tripped over the cable in the first place, they might not snap away and could seriously injure themselves. It's a massive 'IF', but if that happened, I don't think explaining that as you had MagSafe you felt it was okay to string a cable across the hallway at knee level because it would snap away is going to be of any consolation to them.

So yes, you should have done your 'Risk Analysis' when using MagSafe before, and should still do it now.
 
Last edited:
Lol where are you routing the cable that you and your dog keep tripping over it? Perhaps do a little 'risk analysis' before starting work each day, that HR person who made you sit through that day of Health & Safety would be super proud!

That's like saying avoid making a mistake before you make a mistake.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.