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Honestly for some specific use cases where the computer being very light is needed, this is great, but the fact every mac has this now is a little crazy.
I’m no Apple fanboy (never owned a product of theirs and never will) but to be fair, those two USB-C ports can do everything the old, removed ports can do and more. The real crime here is not putting enough of them on the laptop.
I am happy that things have converged over time to a single, truly versatile multi-bus capable port (USB-C/Thunderbolt 3) … however, the vendors IMHO should be legally bound to supply down-converters for all the peripherals that used the older buses for the next 10 years, transitively for 2 generations of buses.
If USB-C supports bus ‘X’, then there should be inexpensive and easy to purchase down-converters from USB-C to ‘X’. If Bus ‘X’ replaced bus ‘Y’ in the last 10 years then there should be a down-converter available from bus ‘X’ to ‘Y’.
One problematic example is Firewire… Apple used to make Thunderbolt-2-to-Firewire800 dongles, but they stopped and now they’re rare as hens’ teeth and ungodly-expensive.
They still sell Thunderbolt-3-to-2 dongles, but how long will they keep selling those?
Oh, and while I’m wishing for ponies, the drivers/specifications for all such adapters should be open-source and royalty-free.
I’m good with it to be honest. One port that can do it all. Not proprietary.
The longer we keep including legacy ports the longer they’ll stick around on peripheral devices
Manufactures won’t change until forced.
The big issue in my eyes is that they cut down on ports period. Yeah sure you can do it all. Here’s 2 ports for your trouble. There’s not a meaningful amount of them after. My current personal laptop has 2 USB a, one type c, HDMI and microsd. My work laptop is the same, but flipped usba and c. That’s fine for a lot of people, including myself. But then you look at other machines like the xps 13 Plus which has like 2. Or a MacBook air. Which also has 2 but at least you get a headphone jack.
For sure, 3 on one side and 2 on the other minimum.
But I already have peripheral devices with older connectors. This just forces me to buy dongles.
Also, USB-C can only “do it all” on paper. In practice you have multiple sockets on any given device that support different subsets of the standard. If you’re lucky, the capabilities are printed right on the device or in the manual. If you’re unlucky you’ll have to figure it out yourself.
You’re usually safe with Apple’s Type-C port supporting a lot.
But I already have peripheral devices with older connectors. This just forces me to buy dongles.
I already have a computer with USB-C - legacy connectors on peripherals force me to buy dongles.
Also, USB-C can only “do it all” on paper. In practice you have multiple sockets on any given device that support different subsets of the standard.
It’s definitely not as good as it should’ve been, but as long as PC manufactures include as many standards as possible it should play well with whatever standard the peripherals are using.
I already have a computer with USB-C - legacy connectors on peripherals force me to buy dongles.
That’s why I want my computer to have both.
It’s definitely not as good as it should’ve been, but as long as PC manufactures include as many standards as possible it should play well with whatever standard the peripherals are using.
Until it doesn’t.
Almost everything I have has a USB A or a DE-9 plug. I don’t have a single peripheral that plugs into a USB C port. I don’t want to deal with dongles and I’m certainly not going to replace my perfectly good hardware.
Eh, it’s been a standard for nearly a decade now. We’d still be on DVI with this attitude.
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That’s what happens when designers boss engineers around. Form over function is pure cancer and it’s becoming pervasive in our civilization due to the overwhelming ubiquity of propaganda(marketing). I have nothing but contempt for these trends.
“Designers boss engineers”.
That’s what happens when people who know nothing about the industry post their word soup as fact.
Alright Elon, we know nobody tops your knowledge of manufacturing around the world. Apple has the best design team in the world, they have brought us genius inventions like on off buttons under desktop computers or charging USB-C ports under a mouse. I bow to the obvious error of my ways and sheepishly retract myself from this conversation.
This isn’t Reddit.
sheepishly retract myself from this conversation.
You could’ve done this without announcing it.
Thank you from extracting yourself from your constant world saving design and manufacturing throne where you direct the machines for maximum efficiency only to reply to my low manufacturing knowledge self. Again I praise your descent from the heavens to bring about ample knowledge with your words instead of debasing yourself with snide remarks, themselves, devoid of any knowledgeable words.
Ok, redditor.
No u
The consumer does not appear to mind, unfortunately.
Good function will usually result into nice form anyways. Like old thinkpads for example.
Enjoy this wonderful Posy video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjKjZwd_KY0
I love that there’s a relevant Posy video that is only 22hrs old
I dunno - I’m pretty sure I’d choose the modern MacBook Pro’s ports over any of these other options.
We’re mindlessly bashing Apple here, we don’t need your sensible reasoning!
Continue bashing, they use apple maths and only have ports on expensive models.
That picture is from the tech specs page of the base 14-inch
Where do you see Apple bashing? Most comments are about the general state of notebook ports.
From my personal experience Apple products aren’t as great as the fanboys claim but are far far better than they haters say they are.
Yeah M1+ Macs are great. I say this as a diehard Apple hater
If you got that kind of money to spend on a laptop, sure. I really don’t.
Edit: to be clear, I know this is a stack of Mac’s in OPs picture, but the development that the entry models have basically no ports at all is a more recent development. Having to pick the pro just to be able to connect your stuff without dongles or hubs is a bit insane considering the price (and price difference).
Zero USB-A ports? Hell no…
Yeah, props to Apple for bringing back the card reader and HDMI. When I bought my early 2015 MBP I specifically went with the older model because these ports were removed on the newer one which also came with the shitty butterfly keyboard as well which they’ve also since discontinued.
Power, HDMI, a few USBs, and headphones, all you’ll ever likely need.
There’s no doubt a dongle for anything else.
Cause I live toting a do gle around and risk breaking the laptop because of it.
I did enough of that in the 90’s, TYVM
in the ’90s*
Username checks out.
Unless you want a desk setup. I have 2 monitors, kb, mouse, external dac, usb extension for thumbdrives, ethernet, usb soundcard for my mic and a kvm. That’s dp, hdmi, 6 usb-a, ethernet and I still sometimes plug-in 1-3 devices to charge them.
It sounds like you need a desktop computer or a docking station.
That’s a use case for a laptop dock if ever there was one.
Like I already said to another user: No. There are more than a few use cases that require a mobile set up for demos for example but that you’d also want to use in a desk setting. For example, architects or sw dev.
Why are you making an effort to justify getting shafted by corporations?
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You’re still missing the forest for the trees.
There’s no real reason why you’d have to choose having a few ports + a hub or tons of ports + the option of using a hub.
If you prefer to “consolidate” your devices to a single poinf of failure on an external device then by all means, go ahead. I just think that it’s pretty crappy that options are being artificially limited and users of all people are making excuses for it.
In this situation a hub is still better. You can pack all the stuff away plugged into the hub for easier set up. If your plugging that all into your laptop, you’ll need to plug it all back in again when you move.
Which might be an issue for you but it’s not for me. Also, I prefer the flexibility to have all of the ports I might need, natively.
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It’s not about it being practical. It’s about if it’s actually doable or not and how well it would work. Having the native ports will always be better that using a hub/dock.
Strongly disagree. I use a laptop with a thunderbolt dock. Being able to plug in a single cable to provide power, connect my monitor, all of my input devices, Ethernet, and anything else in a single cable is awesome. If I had to plug 10 things in manually it would be quite cumbersome. I disconnect the laptop daily as I bring it between work and home, as well as use it, well, as a portable laptop.
Kudos to you.
What you could do now is step out of your bubble and consider that other people have different use cases and might need or prefer to have more native ports.
You literally lose nothing by having more connectivity options.
Except the device inevitably ends up bigger and chunkier.
Yeah, because plugging in one thing is way harder than plugging in six.
This is a classic use case for a laptop dock.
That’s a very lazy, short-sighted and first world problem way of looking at this issue.
Why would having the option of using either a hub or plugging things on separately be worse than only being able to use a hub?
Because I don’t want a chonky boi laptop to carry around.
SD card reader is nice to have if you fuck around with cameras and microphones.
Yes, and it’s better to be downgrading USB-C ports with adapters than to be stuck adapting a USB-A port to USB-C or ethernet.
Cause I live toting a do gle around and risk breaking the laptop because of it.
I did enough of that in the 90’s, TYVM
in the ’90s*
An ethernet port is essential for any computer.
It’s really not. I have one on my work laptop and have never plugged an Ethernet jack into it. That stays permanently in my dock and gets transferred to the laptop via USB-C. All other non-desk work is done via … WiFi. Shock! Literally can’t tell the difference when making money.
Exactly! What are you going to do if your router dies (or you mess something up fiddling w/ things)? I may only need it once/year or so, but when I do, it’s really important and I most likely can’t find the dongle.
An RJ-45 port could totally fit on there if they used one of those flip-down things that Dell has on their professional line.
I just this … https://a.co/d/ijxaPae
I have an M2 Air, and all mine is missing from that is the SDXC slot, third TB4 and HDMI, and honestly, it’s fine. A third TB4/USB would be nice for when I’m doing my radio show and have to plug in my controller and mic while also charing my phone, but I already have a hub so it doesn’t bother me.
That said, the limited ports on my M1 mini are quite problematic. Two TB3/USB, but one of them is lost to a DisplayPort cable for my second monitor. So I have a desktop computer that functionally has three USB sockets, which ain’t great. But again, I have a hub, so it’s not a huge problem.
Is this rage bait? Those are different macbooks. I think the bottom ones are pros. My current Pro M2 has HDMI and magsafe. My M1 (Air?) is like the top one, but is not in fact a pro and therefore does not provide as many ports.
The MacBook Pro still doesn’t have USB A ports. I have an apple silicon model for work and have to use multiple dongles to connect all my peripherals. This is ridiculous for a 2000+ dollar computer.
As an fyi, the USB 4 spec doesn’t include USB A anymore; only USB C.
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I like USB C - mostly. If only Logitech would actually create a tiny usb-c unifying receiver…
It’s insane they haven’t made the bolt adapter a C yet. You can get very cheap and tiny A->C adapters but come on. Plus Logitech uses different adapters for different series’.
I use an MX Master S and a G series clicky keyboard. They use different wireless adapters. I just connect via Bluetooth. Of course they also use different software managers also which is annoying.
I’ve found that while Bluetooth works well enough, my admittedly cheap Bluetooth mouse has an ever so slight lag to it. I only use it when out in the field working but it’s disconcerting to say the least.
I’ve seen the same before as well. Strangely enough though, my newer MX Master 3S at my office seems to jitter less when using Bluetooth compared to my older Master 3 (non-S) at home.
USB-C has been out for 10 years and it’s a huge mess. For some devices it makes sense to switch like an external hard drive, but for things like a wired keyboard, I don’t need to repurchase it for USB-C, that serves no purpose.
Nobody’s telling you to repurchase.
If the keyboard has the cable attached, you can attach a tiny (and extremely cheap) adapter on the end and just leave it there, and if it’s not attached, you can do that or just replace the cable.
Or you could just get one of the many laptops that still have a USB-A port.
I can’t believe they cancelled 32 pin serial sort and D-sub VGA on 2000 dollar computer!
Good.
Apple removing the disgusting pile of shit of a connector without a single redeeming quality was a big part of the fact that cables have C ends instead now.
People still use usb a?
Wired keyboard and mouse, USB sticks/thumb drive, and USB-A to lightning cable. I think I have more USB-A peripherals than USB-C.
I think I have two.
Luckily you can buy several USB-A to USB-C adapters for ~$1 each, instead of demanding manufacturers persist an outdated spec — that’s been superseded for a decade — and creating significantly more e-waste and headaches for everyone in the long run.
It’s a repost of a 6 year old Reddit post.
Yes this is rage bait using an old meme from back when Johnny Ive was working for Apple; the top MacBook is from 2015 and for the last few years they put back MagSafe, HDMI, headphone port, and SD card readers.
Imagine seeing a stack of macbooks and becoming enraged!
Why not complain about them not having a floppy drive anymore while you’re at it? That’s as obsolete as the non USB-C ports.
As someone who daily drives a laptop for work and does field work on server facilities, finding a modern replacement that has both a RJ45 port and square USB (USB-A?) ports available on both sides, has been a pain in the hassle.
And I’m not even crying over the loss of VGA any longer. That one I can live without.
The annoying thing is they’re not even that much thinner. They’ve just reshaped the edge to make it look like there isn’t room for real ports.
The sb part of the acronym means Serial Buss which is what all external peripherals used to connect to the system. The u part means Universal as in one size fits all. Every iteration of the spec has led up to this point. We had A,B,Micro, and now C. Everything could also be wireless today if there were enough spectrum available
They remove the extra ports because they take up space in the board.
That aside if you’re buying Mac you took it from yourself. No one made you buy it.
I miss having a thousand different cables to keep track of /s
really, all we need is the companies to start packing those laptops with thunderbolt3 or equivalent USB-C (USB 4). I love the old ports, but they were unnecessary. I’d rather the industry finally takes on the open thunderbolt standard and we’re all good to go. With 10 thunderbolt ports you have 10 HDMI, or 10 USB, or 10 Ethernet, or 10 headphone jacks, or 10 RJ45 or whatever you need + PCIe tunneling.
Back pain?
