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hajime

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
8,132
1,393
Hello. Anybody knows why Apple decided to place all the USB ports to the left (when the laptop is facing the user)? I guess most people are right handled. For me, I use a wired mouse. The usb cable is barely long enough to wrap around the back of the 17" MBP. Placing the cable between the MBP and me is a bit bothering.
 
I think it would have been nice for them to throw at least one on the right but I guess that didn't quite fit with there minimalist design or something.
 
On the pre-unibody MacBook Pro's they were on both sides while the optical drive was in the front. They moved the optical drive to the right so they moved all of the ports to the left. We will likely only see ports on both sides when/if Apple removes the optical drive like the MacBook Air which has ports on both the left and right.
 
Well, I'm left handed and I like the ports on the left side. They are just easier to plug in and out with the left hand. Is Steve Jobs a lefty?

Steve to staff: Who the !!!! thought it would be cute to put the ports on the right hand side? Go back to the lab and bring me something I can use!
 
I did not like that all 3 USB ports are on the left (I have a 17 MBP) at first, but when i use it at work, it looks clean having all cables on the left side (power, ethernet, and two USB's) and leave the right side clean.

It allows more space for the right side for a USB numeric keypad to sit right next to the MBP and magic mouse not worry about cables or USB stick. I think it looks good having all cables to the left side of the MBP and you'd get used to have all ports on the left side. It was weird at first, but now I'm 100% fine with that.
 
This is why:
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Apple really doesn't like sneaking leads and wires across components to other sides of the board.

Notice they only did it once
 
Personally I would prefer the optical drive to be on the left and the rest of the ports to be on the right.
 
Because Apple has a Magic Mouse, thus needing no USB port. Why would you ever use a non-Apple mouse, anyways?

Image

I use the wireless Logitech Anywhere MX mouse at home. However, when I use the laptop outside, I use a very small wired usb mouse due to portability and that it does not require battery.
 
I’d prefer them to be on the back, but everyone is different. They probably just flipped a coin. Also, I can’t remember seeing a laptop with the optical on the left.

Compaq/HP laptops, unless they've changed, are almost always on the left. I know the old Compaq certainly was.
 
I’d prefer them to be on the back, but everyone is different. They probably just flipped a coin. Also, I can’t remember seeing a laptop with the optical on the left.

The back is the best (like the Thinkpads). However, with the current LCD hinge design, it might be difficult unless they increase the height of the laptop.
 
Personally I would prefer the optical drive to be on the left and the rest of the ports to be on the right.
And personally I would rather be in Jamaica right now.

Really, why do people bog down on topics like this as though a design mistake has been made. Clearly Apple and most other laptop makers correctly deduced that an optical drive would require more dexterity when handling CD's. More so than the single action of plugging something into a USB port.

It's not that complicated. And for the most part... it really doesn't matter.
 
I’d prefer them to be on the back, but everyone is different. They probably just flipped a coin. Also, I can’t remember seeing a laptop with the optical on the left.

That is one of the things I don't like about my TiBook. Everything is on the back.
 
That is one of the things I don't like about my TiBook. Everything is on the back.

I love laptops that have everything on the rear. It makes everything look so much cleaner when you are setup @ your desk. It's why I still have a Dell D630.
 
I love laptops that have everything on the rear. It makes everything look so much cleaner when you are setup @ your desk. It's why I still have a Dell D630.

I don't care how it looks. I want it to be easy to get to, like my iBook.
 
Personally I find that having peripherals plugged into the right side of a laptop gets in the way of using a mouse at times.
 
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