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

[doelcm82]

Im passing on this one. Having no USB and/or vga connection simply is a no for me. I don't feel like carrying all this cords with me.

I thought Apple is about simplicity?

Therefore waiting for 2nd gen.

Love my Air '14.

I'm also passing on this. Like you I bought a new computer in 2014, and don't see a compelling reason to replace it in 2015 with this entry-level computer.

I'll also pass on renewing my drivers license. I did it last month and don't see a compelling reason to do it again this month. Why would I go through all that trouble when my current one is good through 2021?

 

[Technarchy]

I'm just annoyed we now have a port on this particular macbook that looks like a lightning port, but isn't, and that the iphones and ipads might now get usb-c later this year and we'll have to buy all our accessories new again!

I would be surprised if iPhones and iPads dumped Lightning.

Apple controls the tech for Lightning. They get tons in licensing from it.

They don't control USB-C, but they do control if you have to go and buy expensive adaptors.

 

[brilliantthings]

If there were 2 usb-c ports, could you charge the Macbook using either? That might be the problem.

 

[YoitsTmac]

I think we can all agree that cordless computing is the future, but for some people it's not the right choice at present.

Therefore: Apple should NEVER have included this machine in their lineup. The best way to reach the future is to embrace the past--forever! If anyone wants the future now, there should NOT be an option for them.

Apple was wrong to ditch floppy drives. They were wrong to make optical drives an external option. They were wrong when they first made USB standard while the rest of the industry was still embracing serial ports.

Now they are wrong to think people will be willing to use a laptop without a power cord attached. We MUST have a power cord, we MUST never change to a better USB port, and we MUST have multiple corded devices hanging off the smallest portable model.

Please, Apple, give us something like the old MacBook Air. Put a new processor in that, instead! The FUTURE is NEVER!

I don't think you get why people are upset. For some it's the lack of variety in ports, but mainly because there is only one. There's not much wrong with taking a leap into USB-C since that is the next generation and will help create a market for it to go mainstream, but when there's only one there's an issue. You can't copy files from one source to another (unless you copy it to the computer first). Even some native tasks like backing up your computer to a USB-C drive can become a hassle. If your battery starts to die you either have to stop, unplug it, and grab the charger or fork out money for the adapter so you can have more than one in at a time. I think even really average users plug stuff into their computer and can run out of battery on the go.

 

[linuxcooldude]

"USB-C is a brand new technology, but with Apple embracing it, it won't be long before we see tons of companies racing to produce USB-C compatible products."

Like it happened with thunderbolt? Companies just flocked to it because Apple used it... If companies flock to it, it is because its the new USB standard on PCs that equals about 3 billion USB ports shipped each year, not because apple added it.

It's for people who don't understand why we have thunderbolt. TB is not meant for average consumers but professionals. That's why you see no TB mice, keyboards & webcams.

 

[joecool99]

remember first gen. macbook air?
one USB port, headphones and DP in that POS collapsible cover?

users hated it enough for apple to get this fixed in the 2nd gen. - as it is today.

this new macbook needs at least 2 USB-C ports! wait for 2nd. gen.

 

[Javi721]

I think we can all agree that cordless computing is the future, but for some people it's not the right choice at present.

Therefore: Apple should NEVER have included this machine in their lineup. The best way to reach the future is to embrace the past--forever! If anyone wants the future now, there should NOT be an option for them.

Apple was wrong to ditch floppy drives. They were wrong to make optical drives an external option. They were wrong when they first made USB standard while the rest of the industry was still embracing serial ports.

Now they are wrong to think people will be willing to use a laptop without a power cord attached. We MUST have a power cord, we MUST never change to a better USB port, and we MUST have multiple corded devices hanging off the smallest portable model.

Please, Apple, give us something like the old MacBook Air. Put a new processor in that, instead! The FUTURE is NEVER!

I bet everything will be wireless in the future- hard drives, memory cards, etc. But you can always have an option for a 199.99 adaptor

 

[cppguy]

I can already envision next spring's keynote: Our engineers have found a way to double the amount of ports on the MacBook! Now you can use your computer while it's being charged! Amazing! I love this company!

 

[WestonHarvey1]

I can already envision next spring's keynote: Our engineers have found a way to double the amount of ports on the MacBook! Now you can use your computer while it's being charged! Amazing! I love this company!

You can already use it while it's being charged...

 

[Javi721]

I think there is one dirty secret that apple is hiding by not adding any ports. This laptop is not powerful enough for any peripherals. By connecting external hard drive and sd card it will kill this laptop. It needs extensive tests.

 

[Woochoo]

Those who defend "the future" and "innovation", buy one and be early adopters. Then, please, tell us your experiences and if you can do anything else with it rather than watching movies or surfing the web.
Btw, for those who don't remember, the first Air also was introduced with a low-end processor & graphics just to get a better CPU and nVidia graphics later... Maybe because it wasn't enough? Similar story here...

The day Apple switches to a i5 Skylake/Cannonlake processor on this new Macbook, then I might think about getting it. Otherwise, to me this new Mac is just a "let's see who does it thinner, no matter what" (similar to nVidia's & AMD's "let's see who make it bigger" on $1000 GPU's).

Btw again, I'm surprised for those who think innovation means 3mm less and a lot of functionalities out. If it had wireless charging then I'd call it innovation (and it would justify the lack of MagSafe). Having 1 port for everything is not innovation, is just a kick in the nuts.

 

[Javi721]

This laptop is not powerful enough to use external hard drive and sd card. That is apple's dirty secret. End of story. There is no innovation.

 

[D.T.]

They don't control USB-C, but they do control if you have to go and buy expensive adaptors.

Since USB-C is an industry standard, we can at least count on 3rd party products in the very near future that will likely be much cheaper than the OEM Apple options (looking at you Monoprice ). I use a ~$7.95 display-port-to-HDMI adapter, 3rd party, works beautifully.

 

[silvetti]

I don't get people bitching about this new Macbook and ports and this and that...

If you want a Macbook Pro Retina 13.3 you have it in the lineup.

This device is not for you, don't you get it?

 

[thekeyring]

Two things:

People saying the Pro and Air lines will converge because the Pros are so thin: how could you not see something like this coming?

Second: I guess the 12'' MacBook and the iPad Pro weren't the same device, after all.

There was a heart stopping moment in the reveal video where it looked like this was all screen and I thought they had made a hybrid.

 

[decksnap]

So I imagine this means that lightning becomes obsolete and replaced with usb c on ios devices. So will iphone 6s have usb c instead of lightning?

And does usb c do audio? I suppose this will finally mark the end of the earphone plugs on ios and computers as well!

I don't see them replacing lightning with a larger port. Seems unlikely.

 

[troop231]

As I said in another thread,

I find it hard to believe with how much Apple played a part in USB C's specification that they couldn't come up with an omnidirectional magnetic power AND data connector. Think of it as MagSafe on steroids.

 

[thekeyring]

I don't get people bitching about this new Macbook and ports and this and that...

If you want a Macbook Pro Retina 13.3 you have it in the lineup.

This device is not for you, don't you get it?

Exactly. Someone was moaning that this wasn't 'powerful enough' ... Seriously people?!

 

[kingofwale]

A note to the nay-sayers: Calling something too soon just means that YOU aren't ready for it. That doesn't mean others aren't ready for it.

who is ready for a single port (a port that nobody uses) for a laptop that includes charging??

I don't believe I've EVER heard anyone complain that their laptop has TOO MANY ports.

it's a retarded move by Apple, driving partly but their ridiculous concept of "thin-ness" and partly by greed to sell you a adaptor for 100 dollars

 

[troop231]

There was a heart stopping moment in the reveal video where it looked like this was all screen and I thought they had made a hybrid.

Lol, I know I'm not the only one who thought that 'bubble' in the video was going to go all the way to the edge.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

This laptop is not powerful enough to use external hard drive and sd card. That is apple's dirty secret. End of story. There is no innovation.

Your comment doesn't make any sense. An SD card reader does not require a ton of CPU power. Neither does an external hard drive. It's simply too thin for an SD slot or a USB-A connector.

 

[QCassidy352]

I think we can all agree that cordless computing is the future, but for some people it's not the right choice at present.

Therefore: Apple should NEVER have included this machine in their lineup. The best way to reach the future is to embrace the past--forever! If anyone wants the future now, there should NOT be an option for them.

Apple was wrong to ditch floppy drives. They were wrong to make optical drives an external option. They were wrong when they first made USB standard while the rest of the industry was still embracing serial ports.

Now they are wrong to think people will be willing to use a laptop without a power cord attached. We MUST have a power cord, we MUST never change to a better USB port, and we MUST have multiple corded devices hanging off the smallest portable model.

Please, Apple, give us something like the old MacBook Air. Put a new processor in that, instead! The FUTURE is NEVER!

Your sarcastically delivered point is noted, but it doesn't follow that Apple had to make the change this drastic right from the jump. Previous macs that have introduced new ports (FireWire, thunderbolt, display port, etc) have also included older standard ports with the understanding that although tech changes, it doesn't change all at once. Even the serial port was retained on the power mac line while newer technologies were also being introduced.

They should have included a small number of older ports along with the new usb-c port to make this more palatable while more usb-c adapters and peripherals become available.

 

[opeter]

This is the first step into the right direction for Thunderbolts death.

 

[kingofwale]

"All day battery life".

Use it how you want w/ external USB-C devices during the day.

Plug it in at night. Next to your watch.

i'm confused. Apple told me yesterday that 18 hours = 1 day

now "ALL Day = 9 hours".

maybe next week 3 hours will be considered "all day"

 

[aaronhead14]

I hope Apple isn't ALREADY going to ditch Lightning and Thunderbolt. Either of them could have been used instead of USB-C. Remember FW800, anyone?

And I hesitate to call USB-C a "standard" any more than Apple's proprietary ports. Nobody uses it. It looks like a worse version of Lightning.

Uhhh... just remember that Apple developed USB-C not by themselves, but in collaboration with Intel, Microsoft, AMD, HP and several other companies.

...So yes, it IS going to be a standard (without quotes, that is). And it's actually a significant improvement to Lighting.