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Should the lack of ports on the MacBook Air/Pro be a problem if I'm only using software provided by the Apple ecosystem?
- Thread starter AndronicusMaximus
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I have to admit that the one thing I really still wish for is just a single standard old USB-A port. I'm continually having to pull out adaptors.
Never miss them on mine so far, but I did get a hub when I first got it just in case, made the m2 air
I for one am glad it doesn’t. Nearly everything I use with my MacBook Pro is USB C now. It’s so much nicer not having to carry around or look for multiple types of cables. The only item i use that’s USB A now is a mic but that’s connected to a thunderbolt dock with all my other desk peripherals.
I’m not following why only purchasining Apps on the App Store has any relevance to the ports on your MacBook. 🤷♂️
I'll ask it differently. As someone who is planning to use a future MacBook Pro for video editing, should I be worried about the lack of legacy ports?
Rephrasing your question doesn't make it any clearer. If you come across a legacy connection you need to use, get an adapter.
Probably not. Ultimately the adaptors seem to work reasonably well. On the individual level it is simply an annoyance to have to carry them around all the time, especially if you have that one old, absolutely critical, legacy USB device. On a larger scale it has proven to be a larger problem: I work in the EDU sector and nearly 100% of the time all a student or staff member needs to use is that one, single, old USB device. Having a single legacy USB port would have completely resolved this issue, and since the adaptors get lost so often it is a continuous struggle to locate them. We also worry about the extra wear-and-tear on the USB-C ports, as the majority of adaptors allow for a lot more accidental leverage to be applied to the port itself. Since these ports are also the charging ports on all of our M1s (as well as some older Intel models), this is not a small concern. But no, will you actually be *hampered* by the lack of legacy ports? Not usually.
I'm still not understanding why you need to ask this question. What peripherals are you plugging into your MacBook? If you're using all USB C connections ,than no. If your using USB A, than you need to decide if you want to use an adapter or a new cable with a usb c end on it. Only you know what peripherals you will be using.
I guess much depends on how good your Wi-Fi connection may be in every location you may take your MacBook, and are the peripherals (modems, printers, scanners, external drives, etc) at those locations Wi-Fi capable and / or have USB-C connectivity. If this could be an issue, then the number of ports may be an issue, and you're looking at dongles and / or hubs to accommodate that.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Lack of ports is absolutely no problem at all until you need a port type not on the MBpro. At that time, you can buy a dongle or hub that has the port you need and carry on with whatever you are doing. No need to be proactive buying adapters or hubs until you need a port you don't have.
However, If you anticipate not being able to see the need and then it being urgent (time sensitive) at the time, you can buy a loaded Thunderbolt hub (10 in 1, 11 in 1, 14 in 1) with pretty much all major port types and keep it in the bag too. Else, just about any port "dongle" and some hubs can be found at stores like Best Buy and even Walmart right when you need them.
If you are actually making a soft gripe about lack of some port on Macs, there's no making everyone happy. Ask 5 people to write down the 'perfect' mix of ports to go on the next one and you'll probably get upwards of 5 different answers in those 5 lists. There's actually quite a lot of port types still used in the world. One that someone finds completely useless may be towards the most important port to someone else.
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1. U may need usb a for legacy flash drives. Buy usb c drives.
2. U may need usb a for usb mics. Buy a small adaptor for such cases and keep them on your usb mike cable.
3. You may need usb a for various video capture cards. Just buy usb a to usb c cable and replace the cable.
Done
2. U may need usb a for usb mics. Buy a small adaptor for such cases and keep them on your usb mike cable.
3. You may need usb a for various video capture cards. Just buy usb a to usb c cable and replace the cable.
Done
