Thunderbolt 3/USB-C Adapters, Cables, and Hubs for New MacBook Pro

[wallysb01]

Dead by cable! That volume you saved in the MBP? You loss all of them with the dongles. Real pros use ports, not dongles.

Speak for yourself, I'm a real pro with my dongle!
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Anytime a new standard comes along there are dongles and adapters everywhere to help people transition from their older tech, that's just the way it has to be.

But with Apple we seem to be constantly stuck in this two year adoption window now. At what point do we just have what it is we need?
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Can we get this back on track?

Dude, this is a front page post on like page 25. No one can even see the tracks anymore, much less get back on them.

 

[Rockadile]

Why are all of you using your laptop to charge your phone

It's the closest thing that will charge it?
A Macbook charger has more reach than the iPhone's.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Yes, joke about the need for dongles for everything.

But that's just for now. In 3-4 years, most new products will have type C ports/plugs as the main connection, and the MacBook and MacBook Pro will be ready for them. Just like the first iMac ditching everything but USB. People bitched and complained, and bought adapters. But within a couple years, those old plugs were gone.

Other than some extremely-limited uses, 9-pin PC serial ports, parallel ports, parallel SCSI, ADB, and Apple serial ports were obsolete by 2002.

 

[thekev]

Oh come on guys, stop the whining.

How many actually have REAL-life experience? How many of you already use the retina Macbook? How many have used the Macbook Air of the first (or later) generation?

How often did you REALLY need adapters?

In almost 9 years of owning Macbook Airs, I've NEVER needed the ethernet adapter. I've used HDMI maybe once or twice. I needed an VGA adapter to connect my Macbook to projectors once in a while. I can't remember the last time I actually plugged in a USB thumbdrive. I use dropbox like almost always. I do use external drives quite frequently, but not really on the go, so a dock sitting on my desk or a teeny-tiny adapter will just be fine. I don't own cameras with SD, so I've been using external card readers since forever.

For me, nothing much will change. I look forward to just buying either a small dock or a bunch of USB-C to USB-A cables for my external drives.

Seriously, you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

You have a serious ego problem if you believe that your experience should serve as a guide for others.

 

[jalo07]

This is LOL. Cook should go...

Johnny Ive should go with him!

 

[TouchMint.com]

Not that this is new but the amount of profit margin on these have to be huge. They cost like $2-$3 to make?

 

[jalo07]

Here ya go for a fraction of the cost.. http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/Laptops/hp-envy-laptop---15t-w2k85ua-aba you're welcome!
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Anytime a new standard comes along there are dongles and adapters everywhere to help people transition from their older tech, that's just the way it has to be.

Give it a year or 2 when people and companies see the massive advantage of USB-C and more and more peripherals become available with it and things will change. This fragmentation as you call it is only the beginning and very soon things will be even more unified than they were previously. More unified than they have ever been.

On a side note ... Ground control to Major Dong

Yeah give us a year or two with a couple USB-A ports and one or two USB C, then switch the MBP to all USB-C when there's more devices supporting it. Johnny Ive and his port hating, thin loving design has got to stop. Or Apple should just drop Pro from anything they make and I would be happy.

 

[jeremiah256]

Here ya go for a fraction of the cost.. http://store.hp.com/us/en/pdp/Laptops/hp-envy-laptop---15t-w2k85ua-aba you're welcome!

A nice computer, but without Thunderbolt 3...

 

[jalo07]

A nice computer, but without Thunderbolt 3...

OK so you will only need one USB C to Thunderbolt DONGLE... There's no escaping the dongle! LOL

 

[bussdriver]

I'm so upset I created an account just to post how upset I am! (I've been a reader here since 2000.)

Apple has a bunch of YES MEN who never really "got it" in charge who cluelessly look to Jobs history for answers without really understanding.

The PowerMac G3 (after iMac) had ADB and they sold it with SCSI cards pre-installed because PROS are not the same!! Jobs embraced IDE/ATA and they had internal firewire - they didn't force that.

Furthermore, USB-A is one of the most successful global standards ever created! USB became the standard DC power connection worldwide! Millions of non-peripheral devices (even a USB Toaster!) Every phone... Flash keychain drives are everywhere and WILL BE EVERYWHERE for a decade at least!
SD cards will last for decades.

I was ready to buy the top model but I'm going to hold out and figure out if I should migrate away. JUST ONE USB-A PORT would be enough! I'd have given up the headphone jack for a USB-A (and I use headphones - I'd just glue an adapter on them.) Why don't we have spill proof laptops after all this wait and expense?

16GB?? That kills it. I could get a fat case with built-in adapters and maybe more battery but I can't get 32GB!

 

[jeremiah256]

OK so you will only need one USB C to Thunderbolt DONGLE... There's no escaping the dongle! LOL

Sorry for any confusion, I was talking about speeds. USB-C is the form factor. Both the PC shown and the new MBPs use the same form, USB-C, but the PC speeds are USB-3.1 (10 Gbps) while the MBP is TB3 (40 Gbps) and can support dual 4K monitors from one port.

But you're right. You'll still need a dongle, but I've never had a computer (PC or Mac) where I didn't buy at least one.

 

[MH01]

With that GPU I'd imagine you are pushing CPU and RAM a bit too, is thermal staying in check for you? I'm interested in exploring more with VR, my company has dedicated systems and various headsets (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and phone based Gear VR. HoloLens on the AR front) but I'd like my own dedicated hardware. I'm hoping I can replace my Mac Pro soon with a new offering from Apple and it will drive the Vive and Rift as I don't want to have an otherwise idle Windows machine invading my space. eGPU could be a fallback for me if they don't release a new Mac Pro by early spring. I had looked briefly at the Bizon Box, is that what you are using?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-2012-2-6-gtx-1070-gaming.1980043/#post-23065693

If you have any questions or tests you want me to run, just message me, so we don't derail this conversation. Happy to help out

 

[PBRsg]

I dare Apple to abandon Lightning interface on iPhones and go with USB-C based thunderbolt port. Does Apple have the guts to do it?

TBH, switching Lightning for USB-C 3.1 would be less controversial than their removal of the headphone jack. At least any USB-C accessories can be used universally; the Lightning headphones can only be used with iOS devices.
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Sorry for any confusion, I was talking about speeds. USB-C is the form factor. Both the PC shown and the new MBPs use the same form, USB-C, but the PC speeds are USB-3.1 (10 Gbps) while the MBP is TB3 (40 Gbps) and can support dual 4K monitors from one port.

But you're right. You'll still need a dongle, but I've never had a computer (PC or Mac) where I didn't buy at least one.

Dongles are a small price to pay for having Thunderbolt 3 ports that can pretty much support anything (power, PCIe, USB, Thunderbolt serial, DisplayPort).

 

[hagar]

But with Apple we seem to be constantly stuck in this two year adoption window now. At what point do we just have what it is we need?

So very true. I'm an apple user since 15 years and the last 10 years it's all about dongles. If someone believes this is the last transition, the're crazy. In two years it will all be about thunder-USB-D-flash ports.

Also, for the first time I don't see how they will resolve the iPhone vs Mac headphone issue. Adding a lightning port to mac seems a no no. Switching from lightning to USB-c on iPhone is definitely out of the question. So what will they do? Dongles forever or pray all headphones become wireless and affordable in 10+ years?

And why the hell did they remove the SD-card reader???

 

[MH01]

Legacy ports eventually die on the PC (e.g. PS/2 ports, serial ports). Even on the PC side it is finally becoming rarer to see built-in VGA ports on notebooks. Remember, this is a MacBook Pro thread, so notebook trends count, not desktop motherboard trends. It will take longer for USB-A to go away, but some Ultrabooks have done away with them (e.g. HP Spectre).

You are correct, was about to reply why PS/2 was in fact superior in some cases

Though sticking to notebooks, yes they do away with ports, though I see the change blocker to be desktops, hence why no PC manafacturer has done an apple, PC manafactures compete on offering more . And while ultra books have space constraints and an excuse to do away with ports, it's a much harder sell on a performance laptop. If a PC manafacturer launched a performance machine with just TB3, that machine would not sell, frankly on PC people are in fact used to "it just works" as in you can plug something in without a dongle. Dongles are not an imporoved user journey, they are profit accessories. I had to add £150 to my 12" MacBook for it to be fit for purpose, with the new MacBook Pro I'm looking at £200 probably x2 if I want a set in the office....so I usually get a top spec machine, so looking at £4000 + £400 , so around £4400 ....... another 10% price hike on a price hike on Brexit....my Mac Pro I bought from apple 6C 1TB D700 64GB cost me less..... I've always seen value in macs.... except this time, I will try it, but to own a piece of kit with 16GB of ram for £4.4k..... as a PC user you would never accept it...they get 32 GB and fully specd for much less

 

[jeremiah256]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-2012-2-6-gtx-1070-gaming.1980043/#post-23065693

If you have any questions or tests you want me to run, just message me, so we don't derail this conversation. Happy to help out

Yea gods, your setup is tempting. And now this: http://www.polygon.com/2016/11/1/13491426/google-daydream-view-release-date-vr-headset

VR is going to be crazy next year.

TBH, switching Lightning for USB-C 3.1 would be less controversial than their removal of the headphone jack. At least any USB-C accessories can be used universally; the Lightning headphones can only be used with iOS devices.
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Dongles are a small price to pay for having Thunderbolt 3 ports that can pretty much support anything (power, PCIe, USB, Thunderbolt serial, DisplayPort).

Preach.

 

[kcamfork]

Can we get this back on track? There are plenty of other threads to vent frustration at Apple's design decisions. The fact of the matter is that lots of us are interested in the MacBook Pro, and want to discuss the accessories that are available for it.
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It's highly unlikely. The USB-IF is backed by all the major industry players. We may well get Thunderbolt 4 with better DisplayPort capabilities, but the USB-C port is here to stay and is set to supplant the other variants of USB over the coming years (including USB-A and micro-USB).

And the reason products keep getting released with USB type A connectors would be?

 

[ohboy...]

In line with the 12-inch MacBook, Apple has removed all ports on the new MacBook Pro beyond two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Thunderbolt 3 carries power, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA over a single USB-C port, creating one standard for connecting most accessories and peripherals.

The issue for now, however, is not all devices are equipped with USB-C ports. Apple's very own iOS devices, for example, use a proprietary Lightning port instead.

More USB-C accessories will inevitably be released over the coming months and years, but in the meantime, many new MacBook Pro users will need to purchase at least one dongle or hub to use the notebook with their current setup. Own an iPhone? You need a new cable. Own a Thunderbolt Display? You need an adapter.

Below, we have rounded up some of the USB-C adapters and cables available from Apple and third-party accessory makers.

Apple

Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 1/2 Adapter -- $49

This adapter can be used to connect the new MacBook Pro to Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 peripherals. Examples include Apple's discontinued Thunderbolt Display and older Thunderbolt external storage drives.

The adapter can also be used to connect the new MacBook Pro to Apple's Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter and Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter. Tip: Belkin sells a direct USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet adapter for $34.95.

The adapter is bidirectional, so it can be used reversely to connect new Thunderbolt 3 devices to an older Mac with a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port.

USB-C Charge Cable -- $25

Have you ordered a new MacBook Pro and also own an iPhone? You can't connect the two devices out of the box without purchasing an additional adapter or cable. One of those options is Apple's own USB-C to Lightning cable.

The cable can be used to charge and sync any Lightning-equipped iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with USB-C devices like the new MacBook Pro. A 1-meter cable is available for $25, while a 2-meter version costs $35.

Few if any third-party Lightning to USB-C cables authorized under Apple's MFi Program are currently available.

Tip: An alternative option is to purchase a USB-C adapter or hub with at least one USB-A port and then use a traditional Lightning to USB cable -- see below.

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Article Link: Thunderbolt 3/USB-C Adapters, Cables, and Hubs for New MacBook Pro

[doublepost=1478069667][/doublepost]Learning from the fashionistas:
These are Apples new anorexic models.

 

[xmonkey]

And the reason products keep getting released with USB type A connectors would be?

It's called 'transition' for a reason. It's not a light switch.

Apple is trying to push it along, more than others.

 

[userstefan]

will people stop pointing to the replacement of floppy / serial ports / CD / DVD etc. as an example of why USB-A and other ports should die?

the older standards became obsolete due to better alternatives and the transition happened very slowly with various transitional generations with legacy ports in between

the first usb 3 devices came out in 2009 i think (7 years ago) and there is still a roughly 50-50 split in new devices coming out, we've only started getting full usb 3 laptops and motherboards 1-2 years ago - and this was for a backwards compatible port with no adapter required

for most manufacturers it doesn't make sense to use usb 3 because the bandwidth is not required and there is higher manufacturing cost

new UHD tv still rely on hdmi and will in the near future

we may see usb-c overtaking usb-a in 4-5 years but by then most of these laptops will be long dead and apple will be pushing usb 5 / thunderbolt x

 

[FoxMcCloud]

Apple really should include at least 1x USB-A to USB-C adapter in the box. They did it with iPhone for god damn headphones, why not laptop that might need ANY USB-A peripheral connecting to it.....LIKE THE IPHONE.

Silly sods.

 

[kcamfork]

It's called 'transition' for a reason. It's not a light switch.

Apple is trying to push it along, more than others.

I think it's blatantly obvious that neither other companies nor the majority of customers want this.

Supply and demand. Simple economics.

 

[Nuvi]

Johnny Ive should go with him!

Yep, its very very unfortunate but nowadays for Johnny's innovation is just making everything thinner and removing ports. If he really thinks removing ports and making everything external makes beautiful computers than this person needs a reality check and visit into a dongle jungle.

 

[old-mac-man]

You only need a new cable if you've bought the new MacBook Pro, so it can't be a problem that's bothering many people, it certainly won't be bothering me.

 

[crsh1976]

It's called 'transition' for a reason. It's not a light switch.

Apple is trying to push it along, more than others.

TB isn't mainstream, so it's not like HDMI/DP is going away from displays, screens with USB-C will remain marginal for quite some time at the very least.

In any case, just look at the current line-up of Macs - you have a mix of TB2, TB3, HDMI and DP. You have the rMB with USB-C that does not support TB3. You have peripherals that connect to one model but not the other. If, like many folks, you have more than one Mac, you're bound to have a whole set of dongles and different cables to keep using your stuff. You can't connect your iPhone (any of them) without buying a new cable. The list goes on.

Assuming people will, for example, buy a new USB-C monitor to go with a new Macbook Pro is incredibly shortsighted. Pros have invested in high-quality equipment, they don't replace peripherals every time a new connector/cable is required. Backward compatibility is key, adding USB-C to the existing array of ports would go a long way rather than forcing people to purchase dongles/cables to use them is a horrible move.

Yes it's a transition, but it's an incredibly messy one. Further more, it's not even necessary - when did USB-C become "the future"? It's a port designed to make users buy more stuff, nothing else.