Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Brian Y

macrumors 68040
Oct 21, 2012
3,776
1,064
USB-C is new. Apple aren't going to go to the expense of making USB-C cables for everything until they know it caught on.

Same as thunderbolt, originally. And firewire. When they first came out, NOTHING supported them natively. Give it time, and they'll start to be supported without adapters. For now, though, that USB-C -> USB-A adapter is a must.
 

lucasfer899

macrumors 6502
Sep 23, 2012
432
2
London
This thread just screams nonsense.
New account, hate post against macbook to rile up macrumors members. Move along, people.
 

ZipZap

macrumors 603
Dec 14, 2007
6,076
1,448
USB-C is just the smallest and simplest connector that fit the rMB strategy. Its not replacing anything.

It also another huge revenue stream for Apple's OVER PRICED dongle strategy.

Want to be upset?

Be upset over how Apple really views its customers…as endless cash cows.
 

JDHiro

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2013
372
622
Seattle, WA
I fully expect the new MBP's that come out will continue to have USB-A ports and the Macbook to be the odd one for at least another year.

I think this one is pretty firmly 50/50 depending on if the next MBP is Skylake or not. Thunderbolt 3 is supposed to have a new smaller connector, and also supports switching to a USB3.0 interface.

Part of me actually wonders if Apple won't adopt the USB-C connector for Thunderbolt 3, they way they adopted DisplayPort for Thunderbolt 1/2.

If they do, I'm fully expecting the next MBP to have 4 Type-C connectors, audio AUX (personally, I'd be fine with this going too), and nothing else.
 

cfedu

Suspended
Mar 8, 2009
1,166
1,566
Toronto
Lightning gives Apple a lot more than just the space savings over the 30-pin, so I don't see it being replaced with USB C anytime soon. I think the solution already exists in that most if not all IOS devices sync wirelessly. With free services like onedrive and dropbox, you don't ever need to worry about big file transfers either.

Besides the size reversibility, what advantages does lightning have over the 30 pin connector?
 

rahulr

macrumors regular
Aug 1, 2008
134
32
North Carolina
Besides the size reversibility, what advantages does lightning have over the 30 pin connector?

Well as I understand it, the lightning is all digital opposed to the 30-pin which was not. Am I mistaken to assume that the new digital headphones and mics that plug directly into lightning ports have only now been made available because of this change?

The lightning is also more durable than the 30-pin. I think everyone who has had an IOS device for a long period of time has noticed wear on the edges of the 30-pin, whereas the lightning after 2+ years of use hasn't had a lick of damage.

But aside from that, reversibility and size are really the biggest advantages for the overwhelming majority of IOS users.
 

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,537
10,823
Colorado
Besides the size reversibility, what advantages does lightning have over the 30 pin connector?

It is a much smaller (physically) connector. I'm sure that is a large part of the reason they went to that in the iPhones and iPads.
 

cfedu

Suspended
Mar 8, 2009
1,166
1,566
Toronto
Besides the size reversibility, what advantages does lightning have over the 30 pin connector?

Well as I understand it, the lightning is all digital opposed to the 30-pin which was not. Am I mistaken to assume that the new digital headphones and mics that plug directly into lightning ports have only now been made available because of this change?

The lightning is also more durable than the 30-pin. I think everyone who has had an IOS device for a long period of time has noticed wear on the edges of the 30-pin, whereas the lightning after 2+ years of use hasn't had a lick of damage.

But aside from that, reversibility and size are really the biggest advantages for the overwhelming majority of IOS users.

It is a much smaller (physically) connector. I'm sure that is a large part of the reason they went to that in the iPhones and iPads.


Yes, but the questions was,besides those two items since there was a claim that lightning offered much more than just the physical size benefit over the 30 pin connector.

Besides lightnings size and reversibility, the 30 pin had many advantages. Cheaper accessories, backwards compatibility and better picture quality with 1080P video. USB-C is vastly superior over lightning besides its size, just as the 30 Pin is also superior.
 

happyslayer

macrumors 65816
Feb 3, 2008
1,027
578
Glendale, AZ
iPhone will not have USB-C for the simple fact that it is... USB. They will stick with lightning because it is proprietary and it will keep people from side-loading apps and the like.

I would think they would make a USB-C to lightning connector. But as others have said, there are or will be 3rd party alternatives. Admittedly, I never plug my iphone into any of my computers--that's what iCloud is for, honestly--so for me it's not a big deal. I do have a Chinese branded cable I got off eBay that is USB-C to and Ethernet dongle with three USB-3 ports. So far that has served my needs--mostly just using standard USB sticks and plugging into wired ethernet.
 

legioxi

macrumors 6502a
Mar 2, 2013
644
76
rMB has USB-C strictly due to the size of the port and the thickness of the laptop.

The watch cable has a standard USB-A connector due to how common it is... being on nearly every computer in existence except for 15+ year old computers and the new Macbook.

Neither decision is exactly surprising.
 

MH01

Suspended
Feb 11, 2008
12,107
9,297
It will take quite a long time for USB-C to become standard.

Unlike you, most of the population does not own a 12 MB , so the USB-C is useless to them. Standard USB in Apple idevices is fine for a few more years, not everyone who buys an iDevice owns a Mac .
 

shenan1982

macrumors 68040
Nov 23, 2011
3,641
80
Unlike you, most of the population does not own a 12 MB , so the USB-C is useless to them. Standard USB in Apple idevices is fine for a few more years, not everyone who buys an iDevice owns a Mac .

You do realize numerous other brands have moved from USB-A to USB-C in their laptops too, right?

Within a year I bet all laptops will come with USB-C. I'll bet some brands will maintain a model or two in their line with USB-A, but for the most part there's no logic to sticking with an old technology.

It's like when USB 3.0 came out, people said oh it'll take forever to catch on...the moment that Dell and HP added it to their line, it went standard and finding laptops with 2.0 became difficult (unless you walked into the Apple Store)...

Apple's trained us to accept being the last to move to new industry standards, so people are naturally afraid it's not going to take off because usually it's everywhere before Apple. Then again people are also using examples like Firewire and Thunderbolt as past decisions made by Apple to go with technologies that never really take off as a standard. USB-C is not Firewire nor Thunderbolt.

----------

This thread just screams nonsense.
New account, hate post against macbook to rile up macrumors members. Move along, people.

That can be said about many many posts on Mac Rumors Forums, LOL.
 

cfedu

Suspended
Mar 8, 2009
1,166
1,566
Toronto
You do realize numerous other brands have moved from USB-A to USB-C in their laptops too, right?


It's like when USB 3.0 came out, people said oh it'll take forever to catch on...the moment that Dell and HP added it to their line, it went standard and finding laptops with 2.0 became difficult (unless you walked into the Apple Store)...

Who are these numerous others brands who have moved from USB A to C for notebooks?

USB 3.0 is not a really good analogy as USB 3.0 was physically backwards compatible with USB 2.0. A lightning cable does not care if the port is 2.0 or 3.0, type C is a no go with an adapter.

I'm not sure how any rMB owners would be upset about the limited connections options. USB Type C solutions will come and if you need them right now, I don't think the rMB is for you, or at least not yet.
 

cfedu

Suspended
Mar 8, 2009
1,166
1,566
Toronto
Some Chromebooks are the only other laptops that use USB-C that I've seen.

That is correct, but the chromebook has not "moved from USB-A to USB-C" as it still has USB A ports. The chromebook incorporated USB type C, the rMB has moved on.
 
Last edited:

MH01

Suspended
Feb 11, 2008
12,107
9,297
You do realize numerous other brands have moved from USB-A to USB-C in their laptops too, right?

Within a year I bet all laptops will come with USB-C. I'll bet some brands will maintain a model or two in their line with USB-A, but for the most part there's no logic to sticking with an old technology.

It's like when USB 3.0 came out, people said oh it'll take forever to catch on...the moment that Dell and HP added it to their line, it went standard and finding laptops with 2.0 became difficult (unless you walked into the Apple Store)...

Apple's trained us to accept being the last to move to new industry standards, so people are naturally afraid it's not going to take off because usually it's everywhere before Apple. Then again people are also using examples like Firewire and Thunderbolt as past decisions made by Apple to go with technologies that never really take off as a standard. USB-C is not Firewire nor Thunderbolt.

----------



That can be said about many many posts on Mac Rumors Forums, LOL.

You do realize that not everyone is going to be buying a new laptop/desktop in the next 12 months ?

USB 3.0 was backwards compatible and same connector, poor example.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.