If they want USB-A, they can buy a used Intel Mac mini on the cheap. Or, they can buy a used power Mac cube and get a disc drive as a bonus.
Or...they could buy the Satechi hub that started this thread, or a CalDigit TS4, the new Kensington Thunderbolt 5 dock or a number of other reputable brand docks. Even the new OWC Thunderbolt 5 hub, which uses one of your Thunderbolt 5 ports and gives you 3, manages to throw in one more port...a USB-A type port.
Which speaks to a powerful testimony in favor of USB-A. The strong brand name computer dock and hub makers have a clear vested interest in closely studying their market, which includes a range of Mac and PC users. They look at what these people want, need and use, and aim to offer that up. I suspect they have a much better handle on the user market for adding ports than most of us. And in the spirit of 'voting with their feet,' these people put out a lot of products that add USB-A ports. The same is true for displays with hub functionality.
Actually it's true, not forever. Just a really really really long time if new devices have to continue supporting both USBA and USBC until all devices that only support USBA are totally gone (maybe several decades).
A 'does the tail wag the dog' issue. Which is the tail and which is the dog, the computer using public or the equipment manufacturers? Apple often acts like it's the dog, whereas the Windows PC world (much larger and a huge influencer on hardware) seems to consider the user the dog.
In the meantime, all new devices will be bigger, less elegant, and with added cost because they have to support two standards. The smaller, more elegant, or cheaper the type of device, the more of an issue this is, but it will always be an issue to a degree because these are three things that the market tends to demand.
Yes, but the same is true of HDMI ports. Apple tried to get rid of those on notebooks, IIRC, and got considerable backlash from the user base. I prefer a USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode connection myself.
That's why although there have necessarily been devices that do support both, it's decreasing and will only decrease more.
Yes, particularly where there's a need - like the very thin/slim and light notebooks. My old 2017 12" MacBook has one USB-C port and one audio port...that's it. So of course I bought a dongle to give it more ports.
The purpose of my post was not to try to artificially declare it the winner (not that anything we say here determines anything; only the market does), but merely pointing out the somewhat obvious fact that a transition would take an insanely long time if we have to wait for all devices with an existing standard to die out everywhere completely before making a device with only a new standard. I think everyone can agree this is not a realistic expectation since the market won't allow for this.
Yes, I think so, too. But it will take a long time, because some USB-A peripherals can potentially last a really long time (e.g.: mice, keyboards). But in time, more systems will require you use an adapter, hub or dock. Especially the slimmer notebooks. It starts with the fact a notebook can't practically offer as many ports as some people want so a hub or dock becomes a common accessory. That's not so much USB-A going extinct as moving from the computer to the dock, etc...
While I was one of those hoping the M4 series Mac Minis would still have a USB-A port or two (even at the cost of being a little bigger), I can see the case for it being the way it is. And I can see the case where some people would find additional USB-C ports more useful than adding 3 USB-As.
But I get the sense some people (not you), not just from this thread but some others discussing these things, are eager to dance on USB-A's grave.
