Apple wants to kill the USB port in favor of USB type C

[fubar.gr]

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2016/10/18/apple-macbook-pro-kill-usb-port/

According to rumors, the new Macbook Pro will ditch USB ports and come equipped with USB-C ports exclusively.

Some people think this is a good move, because it will force electronic equipment mfgs. to adopt the new standard more quickly.

Any opinions?

[Jeroen3]

I'm only using the proprietary dock connector on my Dell. I don't think only one plug is that much of an issue.
Especially for premuim priced products where people are more likely to buy a dock anyway.

It probably isn't such good idea for the €400 laptop people. Since the laptop will be +hub +hdmi +ethernet, aaand it's €650...

[DutchGert]

Nice one. USB-C is very nice so the more adopters the better.

I have  a Lumia Phone that comes with it and the fast charging and 'round' plug are very nice

[JPortici]

IIRC next version of thunderbold will adopt usb c as its connector so it's another plus.

I already use an USB 3.0 dock for ethernet/multiple usb/video output on a dell windows laptop. Always need more ports and usb3 is a blessing. 3.1 is even better.

if my macbook pro wasn't a 2012 model, which still have the firewire port, i'd do the same (i'd need more usbs anyway and i already use an adapter for hdmi.. i actually use lots of cables and adapters and getting a docking station would be a smart move anyway)

If anybody starts complaing that he will have to buy another cable or two... people. you are buying macbooks. if you can't afford a couple bucks more you really need to rethink your priorities

[station240]

Yeah because that worked so well with firewire, then firewire 800.

I thought the whole point of a laptop is for it to be portable, if you have to drag an entire docking adapter around it is less so.
Of course you have people that just own a laptop because it looks cooler on their desk. 

[Someone]

IIRC next version of thunderbold will adopt usb c as its connector so it's another plus.

I already use an USB 3.0 dock for ethernet/multiple usb/video output on a dell windows laptop. Always need more ports and usb3 is a blessing. 3.1 is even better.

It gets better with the protocol aggregation:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/207211-intels-thunderbolt-3-offers-usb-compatibility-at-full-thunderbolt-speed
So you put the laptop on the desk and plug in a single cable running from your monitor, this then connects:

• Power
• Wired Networking
• Display to the monitor
• USB peripherals on the desk
• Display to another daisy chained monitor

Theoretically makes docking a breeze with the compact and reversible connector, but it'll have to wait and see what real world is like. The interesting question for how it will come together on a new "pro" laptop is the number of ports and their capabilities. Apple has placed such tiny symbols next to the ports (in positions where you cant even see them) that the only differentiator has been shape, will they include power delivery/reception capability on all the ports and maintain the undifferentiated approach? or will they just not have many ports as the macbook did? or will there be many ports each with different capabilities as PC makers do? (I think one of my desktop PCs has at least 5 different classes of capabilities on its various USB ports)

Cant wait to find out.

[nfmax]

if my macbook pro wasn't a 2012 model, which still have the firewire port, i'd do the same (i'd need more usbs anyway and i already use an adapter for hdmi.. i actually use lots of cables and adapters and getting a docking station would be a smart move anyway)

This year, seeing which way the wind was blowing, I grabbed a refurb 2012 MBP base model off the Apple Store to act as a second machine. The last pre-retina MBP, but with USB3, Firewire, Thunderbolt, wired Ethernet, 3.5mm audio, SD card reader, and optical drive. Almost the last fully user upgradeable machine, so it now has 16GB RAM (it can be done!) and a 500GB SSD. The original hard drive is now in an external housing as a backup device.

It's now a very nice machine, let down only by the display and runs the latest Sierra. I wouldn't want to have a machine with only USB-C for a few years yet.

It has struck me recently that Apple no longer makes things I particularly want to buy - even if they weren't so expensive. The prices have been drifting up significantly over recent years!

[JPortici]

IIRC next version of thunderbold will adopt usb c as its connector so it's another plus.

I already use an USB 3.0 dock for ethernet/multiple usb/video output on a dell windows laptop. Always need more ports and usb3 is a blessing. 3.1 is even better.

It gets better with the protocol aggregation:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/207211-intels-thunderbolt-3-offers-usb-compatibility-at-full-thunderbolt-speed
So you put the laptop on the desk and plug in a single cable running from your monitor, this then connects:

• Power
• Wired Networking
• Display to the monitor
• USB peripherals on the desk
• Display to another daisy chained monitor

Theoretically makes docking a breeze with the compact and reversible connector, but it'll have to wait and see what real world is like. The interesting question for how it will come together on a new "pro" laptop is the number of ports and their capabilities. Apple has placed such tiny symbols next to the ports (in positions where you cant even see them) that the only differentiator has been shape, will they include power delivery/reception capability on all the ports and maintain the undifferentiated approach? or will they just not have many ports as the macbook did? or will there be many ports each with different capabilities as PC makers do? (I think one of my desktop PCs has at least 5 different classes of capabilities on its various USB ports)

Cant wait to find out.

something like the thunderbolt display, i must say

[amyk]

I thought USB-C is a USB port?

I prefer separate ports in any case. On a laptop, a big barrel plug for power is most reliable. Look at the USB C standard and you'll realise just how much complexity there is (and consequently how much there is to go wrong...)

[timb]

I thought USB-C is a USB port?

I prefer separate ports in any case. On a laptop, a big barrel plug for power is most reliable. Look at the USB C standard and you'll realise just how much complexity there is (and consequently how much there is to go wrong...)

Yeah, those big barrel plugs for power are *the* single most unreliable parts on most laptops.

From 2001-2006, my mom went through 4 brand new IBM ThinkPads. Each time the failure was caused by stress on the barrel jack. It wasn't an isolated thing, either... In 2005 I did IT management for a number of small companies. Over a 2 year period, over 40% of the damaged laptops we took out of service were due to stresses on the main PCB caused by the barrel jack. This was a mix of manufacturers: Dell, HP, IBM/Lenovo, etc.

Lenovo finally got wise to this and put the power barrel jack on it's own small little PCB. When the PCB traces finally fractured, you could just open it up and replace the assembly.

Meanwhile, over the last 10 years, I've never seen a MagSafe receptacle go bad. For 5 of those years I managed IT for three "Mac Only" companies; add that to the dozens of Macs that I (or friends and family) have owned in that time and you're looking at about 200 machines without issue.

That said, the weak point with MagSafe seems to be the cable itself. It tends to fray at the connector end after about a year and a half of heavy use. To solve that problem, I put about 6" of white heatshrink tubing on the connector end on new adapters; that seems to solve the problem. For already frayed ones, I simple buy a replacement cable from China for $10, crack open the adapter, solder it in and epoxy it back together. (If you know how to pop them open properly, they look brand new after you're done.)

The big advantage to MagSafe is the safety to your laptop! I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone trip over a cord, or someone's dog comes running by and catches the cord; with MagSafe, the connector just pops off and the laptop doesn't end up crashing to the ground.

[Someone]

I thought USB-C is a USB port?

There are already products out in the market with Thunderbolt 3, it uses the same USB type-C connector and can autoidentify the device connected to it and revert to USB mode if needed.

The big advantage to MagSafe is the safety to your laptop! I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone trip over a cord, or someone's dog comes running by and catches the cord; with MagSafe, the connector just pops off and the laptop doesn't end up crashing to the ground.

And with this USB type-c power delivery it might be the end of magsafe, such a shame apple kept magsafe to themselves and didnt license it out as a new standard.

[Cerebus]

Meanwhile, over the last 10 years, I've never seen a MagSafe receptacle go bad. For 5 of those years I managed IT for three "Mac Only" companies; add that to the dozens of Macs that I (or friends and family) have owned in that time and you're looking at about 200 machines without issue.

I have a collection of the pre-MagSafe Apple power supplies with knackered connectors on. When I need a smallish switch mode supply for something the knackered connector gets cut off and the otherwise pristine PSU used that way. Those vile proprietary jack-plug-come-phono connectors were the worst ever power connectors for laptops used by anybody. Kick a power cable ONCE and the connector bent and then would only properly work in one orientation, kick it twice and you needed a new power supply and also had to replace the input board on the laptop. Apple had to come out with something better or anybody using Apple notebooks would have started to suspect the connectors were deliberately chosen to  up their spares revenue.

[timb]

And with this USB type-c power delivery it might be the end of magsafe, such a shame apple kept magsafe to themselves and didnt license it out as a new standard.

I know! I was upset that USB-C wasn't on a MagSafe connector. They could have made it a bit wider to accommodate the extra signals. I would have stuck an optical port in the center as well, for even higher speed ThunderBolt. (Originally ThunderBolt was supposed to be optical, but Intel dropped it for some reason and went with copper...)

Meanwhile, over the last 10 years, I've never seen a MagSafe receptacle go bad. For 5 of those years I managed IT for three "Mac Only" companies; add that to the dozens of Macs that I (or friends and family) have owned in that time and you're looking at about 200 machines without issue.

I have a collection of the pre-MagSafe Apple power supplies with knackered connectors on. When I need a smallish switch mode supply for something the knackered connector gets cut off and the otherwise pristine PSU used that way. Those vile proprietary jack-plug-come-phono connectors were the worst ever power connectors for laptops used by anybody. Kick a power cable ONCE and the connector bent and then would only properly work in one orientation, kick it twice and you needed a new power supply and also had to replace the input board on the laptop. Apple had to come out with something better or anybody using Apple notebooks would have started to suspect the connectors were deliberately chosen to  up their spares revenue.

I know, right? My first Mac was a 2001 White iBook G3 and at first I thought the power adapter was awesome; having the status LED in the connector like that seemed cool! Around 2004 I had a PowerBook G4 and I started hating those connectors... I had at least two with intermittent connector issues and tripped over a third, which broke the connector inside the PowerBook.

I was *so* happy when MagSafe debuted in 2006. Like I said, earlier units (2006-2012) had some issues with the cable fraying at the connector end, however current units no longer have that problem.

I have about five or six MagSafe adapters in a box I've collected over the years (from friends and family). A couple have chewed up cords from someone's puppy, the rest are frayed. One rainy day I need to sit down and replace all the cords.

[NiHaoMike]

I would have stuck an optical port in the center as well, for even higher speed ThunderBolt. (Originally ThunderBolt was supposed to be optical, but Intel dropped it for some reason and went with copper...)

Sony once did that to add an external GPU. Problem is that they used a cheap mobile GPU so it didn't work very well. Make it accept a standard desktop GPU and it would work much better.