USB-C in 12-Inch MacBook Adds Limitations but Opens Up Possibilities

[435713]

Is there some reason they couldn't fit three ports on the actual notebook? To my eyes, it looks like at the VERY least, they could have fit THREE USB Type C ports on EACH side of the computer. I don't think anyone would complain too loudly about having 6 totally flexible high speed ports on one of these things (or even 4). Hell, even Google gives you TWO of them on their new Chromebook. That would at least be enough to let you plug the thing in AND connect one device of some kind at the same time without a stinking overpriced adapter (that you pray you don't lose since you have to take it almost everywhere with you).

And if this connector is so awesome and the future of computing why didn't Apple include even ONE on the new Macbook Pro updates? Does Apple expect there to be much 3rd party support for the ports if they don't include them on ALL their computers? I mean you should see this port on the iMac, etc. as well if they want to really get people to start adopting this style port over the old ones with either a cheap hub or connectors to fit old devices. I've got a LOT of USB devices connected to my Mac Mini, for example. I've got a USB 2.0 hub AND a 7-port USB 3 hub (all the slots but one are used on the 2.0 port and three of the 4 on the Mini itself are used plus three of the ports on the 3.0 hub). I can't get enough damn ports (I've got a USB 3.0 card for my 2008 Macbook Pro so I have 4 ports on the Macbook Pro and STILL have another hub for docking and that's on a machine that already has separate FW400 and FW800 ports and a separate DVI video connector. God I miss the days when Apple actually made REAL "PRO" machines that made life easy for the consumer (e.g. I can even change out my battery in all of 15 seconds with a spare on that model!) instead of an adapter nightmare.

100% agree. I have to swap between the two on my MBP quite a bit. Usually leave my phone plugged in and speakers. External HDD or a Mic and I got to switch it up. Probably could have got a hub but I haven't been bothered with two.

I guess USB type C seems cool and all but I certainly don't find it necessary by any means. Rather see thunderbolt get fast enough to plug in an external GPU to beef up the laptop with desktop glass GPU's or something. I know most people love USBc, and that's fine, I am happy in the minority here. I have quite a bit USB devices like we all do, and it's easier to use the normal style than some adaptor. I also never have found my 2012 13" MBP a fatty by any means. Don't get the thin thing, it is beyond annoying.

I'd love to be CEO of Apple obviously for the cash, but I know I would probably get into a UFC style fight hearing Ive spout some pompous idiotic BS. Guarantee if they made the MBA and MBP thicker this time around and beefed them both up with more ports better cooling etc... then proceeded to list the benefits the sales would be exactly the same. 100% sure on that.

IMO they should have made the iPad pro and it would ship with a keyboard and be much like the SP3. Sure you get called a copier, but to me that would have been a far more beneficial product. Also it wouldn't overlap the laptop lines. The Air was fine as is, and the tablets are doing quite nicely in CPU horsepower anyways.

On the plus side I got to see two Ive videos with the white background and him talking pompously. Always great for a laugh.

 

[Thermonuclear]

For less than one fifth the price...

For less than one fifth the price, you can buy a Chromebook which can do just about everything a typical user needs to do, and that Chromebook will come with a USB 2 port, a USB 3 port, an HDMI port, microphone, headphone jack, camera, and a separate power jack.

Is that shining white Apple logo really worth US$1,000? Is anyone that desperate to impress people?

 

[SusanK]

You made me laugh

Thank you!

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Better hope that one port doesn't go kablewy on you! You are sorta dead if that puppy fails. No connections and no charging.

That was my thought. My other MBA has a bad USB port. There is power to the port but it will not accept a cable. Would be up a creek with a one port Mac.

 

[zhenya]

It should be USB 3.1 which is 10 Gbps. Yet the OP reports 5 Gbps...

This is an early implementation of usb-c that appears to be using the 3.0 standard rather than the upcoming 3.1. That could either be a factor of the standard not being quite ready for implementation in this form factor yet (at this point only a few full sized motherboards are being released with 3.1) or it could have something to do with what Apple deemed to be an acceptable wire thickness. The full type-c 3.1 spec calls for 15 wires plus braided shielding to attain 10Gbps. At 5Gbps only 10 wires plus shielding are required.

http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/125011/how-does-usb-type-c-handle-reverse-polarity

I can accept that the new MacBook simply isn't aimed at me. At my last job I had a 17" MacBook Pro with nearly every port in use simultaneously:

Magsafe because I only got 2 hours battery life and crippled performance while unplugged.
Gigabit Ethernet because competing with 300 other devices for wireless bandwidth is stupid.
External display because more screen real estate is always better.
Ergonomics demands input devices be placed on a different level than displays so external KB/mouse is necessary. I used a wired KB/mouse, but theoretically could have gone with Bluetooth to free up a USB port.
A USB headset is necessary because PC and iPhone headsets are mic-level while the MBP requires amplified line level inputs. We did a lot of Skype calls.
I usually had one or more iPhone or Android devices connected for debugging.

You do realize that in short order you'll be able to have all of those things connected via a hub/dock via that single connector?

For less than one fifth the price, you can buy a Chromebook which can do just about everything a typical user needs to do, and that Chromebook will come with a USB 2 port, a USB 3 port, an HDMI port, microphone, headphone jack, camera, and a separate power jack.

Is that shining white Apple logo really worth US$1,000? Is anyone that desperate to impress people?

Nobody would seriously suggest a Chromebook for anything other than a home Internet device.

 

[deconstruct60]

Apple claims on their website that the new 2015 Macbook Air can support an external monitor up to 3,840 x 2,160 x 30 Hz. But this seems to be patently impossible, as the current USB port is only 5 gigabits/second, and the bare minimum for such a display is 5.76 gigabits/second.

It is not just a USB port. Type-C can be a conduit to output DisplayPort 1.2 if trigger the DP 1.2 alternate mode.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8558/displayport-alternate-mode-for-usb-typec-announced

You can plug in a Type-C to DisplayPort adapter cable and all 4 high speed data pairs in the connector output pure DP v1.2. Well inside the realm of possibility to drive a 4K display because this is a extremely common 4K monitor connector. What you are not going to get anymore in that specific context is any SuperSpeed (USB 3.x ) data out of the port anymore.

The Type-C connector is hooked to both the DP and USB sources inside this MacBook system. Plugging in the correct cable essentially flips an a-b switch to move over to the alternate source ( default source being USB ).

 

[SusanK]

Thanks for saving me some money, MacRumors community!*


* I'm still getting one.

Enjoy your new Macbook!

Sometimes we see an item that appeals so strongly we know we must have it.

I still remember the moment Steve slipped the MBA from the A4 envelope. I knew it was for me. Didn't matter what was/was not there. Specs be darned. I wanted it. Still love MBA.

The pure enjoyment is often worth more than the cost of the item.

----------

I hope that they won't build their next computer without any ports at all so you have to buy a new one when its battery dies!

Stop giving them ideas, please.

 

[deconstruct60]

This is an early implementation of usb-c that appears to be using the 3.0 standard rather than the upcoming 3.1.

Type-C doesn't require USB 3.1. It is not "early", they are two different things. Type-C is just a connector. The system with Type-C connector(s) may or may not have a USB 3.1 controller inside ( it may or may not have DisplayPort or other alternative sources inside).

Likewise USB 3.1 doesn't require Type-C connector. USB 3.1 can be run with Type A sockets/connectors.


"... Since both the USB 2.0 Standard-A and USB 3.1 Standard-A receptacles may coexist on a host, color coding is recommended for the USB 3.1 Standard-A connector (receptacle and plug) housings to help users distinguish it from the USB 2.0 Standard-A connector. Blue (Pantone 300C) is the recommended color for the USB 3.1 Standard-A receptacle and plug plastic housings. ..."
http://www.em.avnet.com/en-us/desig...1-A-Brilliant-Example-of-What-USB-Can-Be.aspx

Type-C has more headroom to follow what comes after 3.1 but for what is going into systems for the next 3-4 years A or C is a design choice not a requirement for top end USB.


What Apple has implemented in this MacBook is just USB 3.0. "USB 3.1 Gen 1" is just a longer way of saying USB 3.0. It does play in the somewhat common misunderstand that Type-C and USB 3.1 are not tightly coupled to one another. People see a Type-C connector and think "Wow USB 3.1"... well not necessarily. Slap "USB 3.1 Gen 1" on it and can spin some hype.

 

[magbarn]

It is not just a USB port. Type-C can be a conduit to output DisplayPort 1.2 if trigger the DP 1.2 alternate mode.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8558/displayport-alternate-mode-for-usb-typec-announced

You can plug in a Type-C to DisplayPort adapter cable and all 4 high speed data pairs in the connector output pure DP v1.2. Well inside the realm of possibility to drive a 4K display because this is a extremely common 4K monitor connector. What you are not going to get anymore in that specific context is any SuperSpeed (USB 3.x ) data out of the port anymore.

The Type-C connector is hooked to both the DP and USB sources inside this MacBook system. Plugging in the correct cable essentially flips an a-b switch to move over to the alternate source ( default source being USB ).

Great so while you're plugged into a dp monitor/screen (higher than 1080p or 4k@60hz) you won't be able to charge or use a usb device? Fail

 

[AdonisSMU]

For less than one fifth the price, you can buy a Chromebook which can do just about everything a typical user needs to do, and that Chromebook will come with a USB 2 port, a USB 3 port, an HDMI port, microphone, headphone jack, camera, and a separate power jack.

Is that shining white Apple logo really worth US$1,000? Is anyone that desperate to impress people?

Not everyone is buying computer to impress people. I buy a computer because I like it and it fits my needs.

 

[iRun26.2]

I thought a hand was going to reach out, tap the screen and pop the bubble, showing off its touch screen.

Thank God that didn't happen!

 

[lucanaut]

To all you dongle Losers: Keep the pesky new dongle attached to the cable you'll be using and it probably won't get lost. I got a dedicated Displayport to HDMI adapter for an older MacBook Pro and it stays on the packed-away HDMI cable for travel.

Any chance you could post a link for that adapter? Sounds exactly like what I'd want to get but I can't find something like it.

 

[iRun26.2]

Maybe this laptop was going to be Skylake with wireless charging. But they removed that due to the delay. Would have been quite a bit easier having it charge wirelessly leaving the port open for accessories.

Smartest post I've read in quite some time.

Wireless charging will be next year (or later this year) with Skylake. MagSafe won't be needed then. That solves the port limitation and loss of MagSafe in one simple move. Brilliant deduction!

 

[macfoxpro]

I'm sure Apple has some kind of office type, hub product for all sorts of devices coming out soon. Something that every Apple user will need if they plan on purchasing new Apple products that will need to connect/charge.

 

[steve62388]

I have lost count the number of times my Magsafe connector has saved my Macbook from serious damage after I have accidentally caught the lead and it's pulled out. I can see a lot of these laptops crashing to the floor.

 

[Thermonuclear]

Apple Engineer Talks about the New 2015 Macbook - it made me LOL anyway

Gosh, that was hilarious. Unless you just bought a new MacBook, in which case it was tragic.

Someone really has to send a copy of that video to Uncle Timmy.

 

[Tech198]

Gosh, that was hilarious. Unless you just bought a new MacBook, in which case it was tragic.

Someone really has to send a copy of that video to Uncle Timmy.

i wish i still had his email address u can find it online.

 

[junkw]

I just hope the future Apple car will get a big Magsafe to recharge

 

[alex0002]

Yes, its a MacBook Pro.
None of the unibody MacBooks (2008 MacBook, and later polycarbonate model) had it, nor did air have it...

Thunderbolt is overkill for 99% of user, an average laptop user never connects anything, and apple is obviously one by one killing of wires and physical media.
I don't know why is everyone acting so surprised, they were always the first to drop VGA, DVI, etc etc from their laptops, even Pro-moniker machines.

Ethernet? Please.

Average MacRumors user is not an average computer user, average computer user is my sister who never visited a computer related forum in her life and rarely connects anything except charger to it (since most of the usb dongles have been obsolete by cloud-based sharing), average computer user is my mother, who connects speakers, keyboard, and mouse (because she still has the old wired keyboard), etc, and most of those are fine with just one port, or in worst case, having to buy that 79$ dongle (which imo should be included for free with the laptop).

Average computer user likes to throw their laptop in a sleeve and purse/briefcase and don't bother if they forget the charger.

It's a MacBook. It's not even AIR, let alone Pro.

before we all go up in arms, lets see what they do with the Pro line.

People naturally compare with the Macbook Pro, because it is in the Macbook Pro price range, just as any Lenovo or ASUS or Dell in that price range would be compared with the Macbook Pro.

From the sounds of things, your mother and sister would manage quite well with chromebooks.

 

[Ploki]

People naturally compare with the Macbook Pro, because it is in the Macbook Pro price range, just as any Lenovo or ASUS or Dell in that price range would be compared with the Macbook Pro.

From the sounds of things, your mother and sister would manage quite well with chromebooks.

Probably. Most of people would. if you compare the recent increase in CPU speed, storage speed and RAM... Ipad air is already twice as powerful as 2009 macbook was, and you can get (especially with ssd) a lot of good work done on a 2009 machine. Its just the OS and infrastructure thats not there. My mother uses MS office for work i.e., thats where chromebook falls short. And again, the force of habit. People are used to getting things done in a certain way

 

[Valkyre]

That is simply pathetic. I am a long time Apple fan (and still am) but this thing is simply BS.

1 effing USB - C port?

Why? Oh yeah, those adaptors are JUST 80$...

You cant even charge the damn thing while using the USB-C port to connect SOMETHING like a drive or whatnot!

Are they even remotely serious?

Perhaps cordless computing IS the future, but this definitely isnt the time to release such a product...

Mind is simply blown for all the wrong reasons... I cannot fathom how they went on to present something like this... If they wanted to be genuine about their intentions the least they could do is offer the damn adaptor for free, included in the package, instead of asking users to fork another 120$ just to be able to have a computer with the bare minimum of connectivity.

What a load of crap... sorry but I am very dissappointed and I honestly hope that this thing bombs so we dont have Macbook Pros follow the same stupid idea...

No wonder people make such videos...can you honestly blame them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHZ8ek-6ccc&t=201

 

[ScepticMatt]

They could just as easily put usb-c on the right hand side and included a usb-to-3.5mm adapter.

USB is digital. 3.5mm is analog audio. So unless your "adapter" doubles as "soundcard", that's impossible. (DAC chip and supporting electronics)

 

[weckart]

Thunderbolt is nothing like Type-C, Apple had exclusive rights to the technology and requires certification and costs a lot.

Thunderbolt is Intel's baby and Apple has no exclusivity to it. Sony brought out the first Thunderbolt equipped notebook.

My biggest fear with relying on this connector for charging the macbook would be if the cord gets yanked on or bent accidentally and the connector breaks off in the machine, then what? new topcase? insane.

The only saving grace is that you won't have to wait long for cheap third party peripherals to come to the party. How difficult would it be for someone to create a usb cable with a weak/magnetic coupling somewhere near the jack so that it would function similarly to a Magsafe? Having said that, with the new Macbook's being so light, there will be limits to how effective this sort of safety feature will be. Once the Macbook becomes feather light, the magnets would have to be so weak that they won't support the weight of the cable or otherwise the Macbook would more likely go flying before the cable decoupled.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

...No wonder people make such videos...can you honestly blame them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHZ8ek-6ccc&t=201

ROTFLMAO!
Thanks for the link, have not seen it yet.

 

[toke lahti]

I'd love to be CEO of Apple obviously for the cash, but I know I would probably get into a UFC style fight hearing Ive spout some pompous idiotic BS. Guarantee if they made the MBA and MBP thicker this time around and beefed them both up with more ports better cooling etc... then proceeded to list the benefits the sales would be exactly the same. 100% sure on that.

Well, if Apple wanted to make products that we want, they could make two product lines throuhout their entire existing product lines: SLIM and PRO.
Pro versions would be fatter, have more connectors anf bigger battery. SLIM versions would be, oh well... just what they are already doing.

I understand the point and Apple's reasoning. They could just as easily put usb-c on the right hand side and included a usb-to-3.5mm adapter.

2nd port and TypeC-3.5mm adapter would have smart, if only Apple wanted to make computers that we'd like to have. But now they are on a mission to cut all the cords, because that way they make more profits.

TThe full type-c 3.1 spec calls for 15 wires plus braided shielding to attain 10Gbps. At 5Gbps only 10 wires plus shielding are required.

This brings interesting question about the dongles.
Are they also with 10-wire cords?
Meaning that when next MB has full 10G typeC, you'll have to buy all dongles again to benefit from the full speed.

You can plug in a Type-C to DisplayPort adapter cable and all 4 high speed data pairs in the connector output pure DP v1.2. Well inside the realm of possibility to drive a 4K display because this is a extremely common 4K monitor connector. What you are not going to get anymore in that specific context is any SuperSpeed (USB 3.x ) data out of the port anymore.

AAaannd here we go again with one-port-to-rule-them-all rulet. 5 pairs of wires, 4 pairs to displayport, one pair left to data or power!
Hmm, does usb1 work with just one pair? Wouldn't it be funny to use usb1-speeds with brand new MB to illustrate how much handier it is to pay for iCloud?
Again, seems like anybody who'd like to connect MB to modern high resolution display, should wait for next gen.
Is this that (once again) Apple is trying to show how inferior usb is compared to their magical port (fw or tb)?

 

[RedRaven571]

It's like a microSD in the iPad - it's not missing due to lack of space to put it.

That is my guess too. It has always been my understanding that the lack of a SD card slot on the iPad is so the buyer has to pay Apple's price for upgrading the internal memory vs. buying a cheap SD card.

I just don't understand why Ives (or anyone else) wouldn't put at least a second port on the other side of the Macbook, especially if it didn't impact the thinness of the device. What purpose does it serve, except that the end used needs to purchase more dongles?