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What USB-C accessories do you want?

P

PDFierro

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 8, 2009
3,932
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Unlike Thunderbolt, USB-C is an open standard and we'll see lots of new products with USB-C as time goes on. SanDisk has already announced a USB-C thumb drive.

So, what kind of USB-C accessories would you like to get your hands on? I'm not talking about adapters, but actual products. I guess these would be things you already own, but would have USB-C natively. Just another way to get us to spend money!

The only time I ever plug anything into my rMBP other than to charge my phone is to use my external Blu-ray drive. I'd love to see a USB-C external Blu-ray drive, but I'm not sure if it'll ever come to fruition and if it does it'll take a bit. So an adapter works just fine for now.

USB-C monitors in the future sound cool as well. And maybe in 1-2 years when USB-C is widely adopted, we'll see USB-C hubs similar to the USB/HDMI hub is Apple is going to be selling for $79.
 
OK I'll bite,

Right now I'm in a hotel with my 2014 11" plugged into a charger, one of the USB ports plugged into the Apple USB 2 Ethernet adapter and hooked into a LAN line. When my phone is charged I will plug in the iPad Air 2 for more screen space.

So total devices in use:

1. Charger and cable.
2. Ethernet adapter (I could have used WIFI but like the cable for signal stability).
3. iPad charger and cable.

So there are three devices in use from three ports.

I need an adapter with USB C charge ability, USBA (std USB for iPad), maybe another cable for the LAN line and I get to eliminate a charger. So if I use WIFI instead of the Ethernet adapter and I replace a charger with a single adapter cable, net zero. But, I have to buy another cable for $79.

I also believe someone is out there dreaming, designing and about to produce a USB C device I have to have but don't know it yet. Five, no seven years ago I never knew I needed an iPhone.
 
I imagine that port replicators/break out boxes will be popular. Break out to a few USB3/2/1 plugs, maybe a legacy FW plug or 2, ethernet, etc.
 
Good discussion topic. ;)

Here's my immediate answer (probably not the popular answer): nothing. That doesn't mean I don't hope people don't come up with the whole spectrum of accessories, but I am running four computers right now (rMBP, Mini, Win notebook and desktop) and all have USB 3 Type A connectors. Adding an rMB leaves it as the odd one out.

I have accessories that include a pile of USB 3 flash drives, specialty radio cables, RS232 adapters, specialty camera cables, external "floppy" drive, external CD/DVD drive, external BRD drive, display calibration hardware, USB hubs...probably lots more. Right now, I really don't want to buy any new accessories - I want to be sure I can continue using the accessories I already own!

I know that's not exactly what you intended by way of answers, but I would guess there are people, not all of them cheap Yankees like me, who are going to feel the same for a while? Anyway, this is intended to be a contribution to the discussion rather than a troll post. :)
 
PDFierro said:
Unlike Thunderbolt, USB-C is an open standard and we'll see lots of new products with USB-C as time goes on. SanDisk has already announced a USB-C thumb drive.

So, what kind of USB-C accessories would you like to get your hands on? I'm not talking about adapters, but actual products. I guess these would be things you already own, but would have USB-C natively. Just another way to get us to spend money!

The only time I ever plug anything into my rMBP other than to charge my phone is to use my external Blu-ray drive. I'd love to see a USB-C external Blu-ray drive, but I'm not sure if it'll ever come to fruition and if it does it'll take a bit. So an adapter works just fine for now.

USB-C monitors in the future sound cool as well. And maybe in 1-2 years when USB-C is widely adopted, we'll see USB-C hubs similar to the USB/HDMI hub is Apple is going to be selling for $79.
Click to expand...

Luckily I don't need any yet, but I would imagine one would have to get an external hard drive, pen drive, and basically whatever else they need for regular USB.

I'm skeptical about the adapters. I wonder if the speed would still be as fast...
 
I would want to have a hub for more ports (both USB-C and other types) if I was using the rMB for more than casual use. I also really want a USB-C to lightning cable so I don't need an adapter to plug an iDevice into the rMB.
But then again if I plugged an iPad into it to use as an extra display, that would significantly increase battery consumption. So maybe I would still want a hub that would let me power the computer and use the port for the extra display. Man I really wish Apple put another port on this thing, it would make it such an easier buy.
 
Honestly, none really. Maybe the USB-C version of my external drive, but I don't use it with my MBA. Maybe one day I will ?

I don't even really need an adapter, but it would be nice to have one that goes to USB-C and USB-A, just in case. Basically what Apple already has, but without the VGA or HDMI port.

That said, for the majority of users, I think the most needed accessory is external drives. Then external displays, maybe. The problem isn't the lack of accessories, it's the lack of available ports.
 
I'd love a USB-C to Thunderbolt cable.. Even if it couldn't do the maximum speeds, it would be great for Thunderbolt hard drives.. I bought an 8TB one and it'd be frustrating having to switch to another computer just to access the drive. I guess when I get my iMac that I could set it up to share the drive somehow.. :eek:
 
pasadena said:
Honestly, none really. Maybe the USB-C version of my external drive, but I don't use it with my MBA. Maybe one day I will ?

I don't even really need an adapter, but it would be nice to have one that goes to USB-C and USB-A, just in case. Basically what Apple already has, but without the VGA or HDMI port.

That said, for the majority of users, I think the most needed accessory is external drives. Then external displays, maybe. The problem isn't the lack of accessories, it's the lack of available ports.
Click to expand...

If people need external drives and things like that, they might as well get the MBP or MBA. I have my external drive connected to my router. All our computers back up from there and we can access it wirelessly for files.

If you can afford an Apple Macbook, you can probably afford a wireless external OR a router that you can plug your external HD to. I'll probably need a USBA to C and a VGA to USB C adaptor (for presentations at work) but I'll bet I'll rarely use either.
 
squirrrl said:
If you can afford an Apple Macbook, you can probably afford a wireless external OR a router that you can plug your external HD to.
Click to expand...

Yeah but that kind of defeats the purpose of a machine you can take everywhere.

Not that I need any more disk space that it has, but I can see why other people would.
 
pasadena said:
Yeah but that kind of defeats the purpose of a machine you can take everywhere.

Not that I need any more disk space that it has, but I can see why other people would.
Click to expand...

That was my point. If you feel like you need to constantly plug this into an external drive for some reason, this rMB isn't for you. If you just want to do backups when you're at home or work, they just get the wireless HD or plug it into your router.
 
At the simplest, a hub with three USB-C and about three USB-3 ports. One goes to the charger, one to the machine, one for future use.

For a bit more, I'd like it also to contain Ethernet and DP or HDMI. Wouldn't argue if it had space to install a drive in it.
 
Basically just two things:

USB-C 4K display, which can charge my rMB and provide USB ports, Ethernet and audio. Similar to existing TBD, but replace Thunderbolt with USB-C. Hopefully made by Apple.

Small travel dock / mini-hub. I am thinking something like current Apple USB-C charger, but with added USB-C hub functionality. 3 ports would do for me. The idea being that I can charge my rMB, and still connect to 2 additional peripherals.

electorate said:
I'd love a USB-C to Thunderbolt cable.. Even if it couldn't do the maximum speeds, it would be great for Thunderbolt hard drives.. I bought an 8TB one and it'd be frustrating having to switch to another computer just to access the drive. I guess when I get my iMac that I could set it up to share the drive somehow.. :eek:
Click to expand...

USB-C to Thunderbolt cable isn't going to happen. Thunderbolt is a PCIe bus extension technology - USB-C isn't designed to carry something like this, not even in AltMode.
 
USB-C to USB-A (For the 20+ USB sticks I have)
USB-C to Ethernet (um, for wired ethernet)
Anything else.... isn't that important to me.
 
presently:

1) extension cables
2) Hubs in a variety of forms
3) couplers
4) adapters for data
5) adapters to power stuff
6) adapters to link stuff
7) adapters to do things I can't think of
8) drives

and all for a 'reasonable' amount. (in other words, non-OEM)

So far we've got like...nothing.

But worry? Nah...it only about 2 years for Thunderbolt stuff to show up, and it pretty much never was much.
But this C is a standard, so i'm a bit more confident.
 
Last edited:
tom vilsack said:
thanks for the info...I would want to use this MB as a desktop at home,so that adapter is a must have for me...
Click to expand...

Edit: link is here: http://hengedocks.com

Someone posted a link to a very slick line of docking stations for various rMBP and MBA models a couple of days ago. I noticed that their blog says they're working on preliminary designs for the rMB and will put the project into high gear when they get the physical computer in their shop. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name - it was very good looking (well designed technically and esthetically) stuff.
 
Only adapters. If possible, one similar to Apple's $79 one so I can plug in whatever i want in the USB port, charge the MB at the same time, and eventually connect it to an external projector for presentations. Or just a USB-C <-> USB-A adapter (that I already bought).
 
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