15 ms·

When Nintendo got rid of the headphone jack

157 points by shawndumas 10y ago

helthanatos 10y ago
A game system (worth around $100) that was not meant to have a multimedia experience vs something that has been a multimedia experience that costs around $850 (the only one I would buy)... Is the comparison a joke? Because they also omitted reference to more comparable products that deleted the jack.
- joemi 10y ago
  I don't think the comparison is a joke, considering they mentioned these differences in the article. Edit: out of curiosity, what are the more comparable products they omitted?
- pjc50 10y ago
  "multimedia experience" is such a 90s phrase. Encarta on win95 was a "multimedia experience".
  - gm-conspiracy 10y ago
    What MPC level? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_PC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_PC
chris_wot 10y ago
The difference here is that the primary purpose of an iPhone is to make phone calls. And uses multimedia, like music. Leading to this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z_wImaGRkNY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z_wImaGRkNY
- joemi 10y ago
  Mentioned in the article.
  - chris_wot 10y ago
    And downplayed by the following: On the other hand, the GBA SP existed before Bluetooth headphones were a relatively cheap and widespread alternative to the wired standard. And Apple includes both Lightning headphones and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter in the box with the iPhone, which ought to ease the transition for many.
    - joemi 10y ago
      That's not downplaying. That's putting it in context.
      - chris_wot 10y ago
        Which downplays it.
- elmigranto 10y ago
  Making calls might not even make it to Top 5 things people use iPhone for.
  - chris_wot 10y ago
    Uh, what?
    - jotux 10y ago
      I use my smartphone almost entirely for texting and browsing. I think my monthly talk time averages 30-60 minutes. Observing my peers (20-40 something tech-savvy people) this seems to be the norm.
      - chris_wot 10y ago
        Still in the top 5 for most people!
        Kiro 10y ago
        I think you're wrong.
        chris_wot 10y ago
        The popularity of FaceTime, Viber, Skype, Facebook video and phone calls and Whatsapp calling tends to rather give me some reasonable data points.
        jsmeaton 10y ago
        I'd doubt that. Browser, text, whatsapp, fb, messenger. They'd be my top 5. Feedly and casual snapchat would still come before speaking on the phone.
        chris_wot 10y ago
        Yes, but I didn't just mention phone calls. On the browser you'd be getting video feeds, needing sons. Facebook is full on video these days, also needing sound. However, if you look at the money and the plans that Telcos are providing, it's pretty evident that phone calls are still very much an important part of having a phone. Viber, Facebook calling, Whatsapp phone calls, Skype and FaceTime are all extremely popular. Even sending Vines requires sound.
- jaimex2 10y ago
  I'm starting to see a trend in the comments where anyone who actually posts something rational that makes sense gets down voted. He is right, no one used the Gameboy as a media player.
  - covekeyboard 10y ago
    I didn't downvote, but I suspect he's getting downvoted because what he said is not rational, but actually a pretty bad rationalization. The Gameboy Advanced SP is used to play video games, and I don't know of a single game on it that doesn't include music and sound-effects. In other words, 99% of the GBA SP's use case involves sound, in contrast to the iPhone, where there are plenty of apps that don't require sound, such as texting, browsing the web, looking at maps, etc. Better to just accept that the SP not having a headphone jack was bad, but it sold anyway, and that the iPhone not having a headphone jack will be bad, but it'll probably sell anyway, instead of coming up with illogical post-hoc justifications for why it's okay for the SP but not the iPhone.
    - chris_wot 10y ago
      I don't tend to make many phone/FaceTime calls that lack sound. I also tend to enjoy listening to music and videos with sound. Could be just my illogical post-hoc rationalisation kicking in though.
      - covekeyboard 10y ago
        Sure, there are plenty of use cases that require sound in the iPhone. I never disputed that. But this is something it has in common with the SP, not a difference. I guess I was pretty rude about it, though, so sorry about that.
        chris_wot 10y ago
        Its ok, I've said worse. Thank you for apologising.
    - 10y ago
- unimpressive 10y ago
  FTA: "Why Nintendo, why why why why why? The speaker is just as tinny and pathetic as the GBA, and thus if you have any intention of playing a game with the sound on while in the presence of human beings around, you'll know that you'll get that glare. Try the same thing on a train or a plane (or better still, in a library) and your life won't be worth living. Headphone socket. Where the hell is it?" I don't know if you've ever played a handheld in public, or been around somebody doing it, but you do not want to be that jerk who forces everybody on the bus to listen to Mario stomp red turtles.
- Kiro 10y ago
  I would say it's the other way around. I've never used headphones for my phone but I sure need them when playing GBA.
jfoster 10y ago
If you wanted to replace the headphone jack with your "new thing" the most effective way to do that would have to involve as many audio hardware companies as possible also producing headphones that work with your "new thing". You would want to pre-announce it along with specs and make it an open standard that other companies can utilise without paying royalties. The GBA still wouldn't have had anywhere near enough market share to pull it off. Apple definitely could've, I think. I haven't followed closely enough, but are other accessory manufacturers able to produce headphones for the new iPhone, or is it completely limited to whatever Apple release?
- joemi 10y ago
  I think it had a comparable (or even better?) percentage of the market, though probably fewer actual units.
- culturestate 10y ago
  > I haven't followed closely enough, but are other accessory manufacturers able to produce headphones for the new iPhone, or is it completely limited to whatever Apple release? I cannot fathom the amount of (legitimate) outrage that would follow Apple's decision to limit audio output to Apple-branded products. Several companies already make Lightning-connected headphones, and you can still connect whichever Bluetooth headphones/speakers you want.
  - freehunter 10y ago
    I cannot fathom the thought process behind someone thinking Apple has removed Bluetooth support from the phone. Just goes to show how ridiculous the outrage and FUD can get sometimes.
    - pbhjpbhj 10y ago
      The thought process would be "Apple want to own the peripherals market for their devices and their fans won't be perturbed by such a buyer hostile approach".
  - 10y ago
chucky_z 10y ago
I distinctly remember this at the time. I just played all my games with no sound, a mild frustration at best as it was the only real option as a kid if you wanted to play games at night without goofy adapters for your GBA! It's more akin to the iPhone 1 not including a jack then adding one later than the iPhone 7 removing it. Another note: Original Gameboy games stuck way out the back. The GBA SP sure made a lot of sacrifices, and odd design choices but the fact that it fixed the biggest issue means a lot for it.
- cm2187 10y ago
  > It's more akin to the iPhone 1 not including a jack then adding one later than the iPhone 7 removing it. And I came to the iphone from the ipod. To me the iphone was (and still is) an ipod with wifi and a crappy mobile connection. Hence me seeing the removal of the audio jack as killing one of the core features.
  - wingerlang 10y ago
    > To me the iphone was (and still is) an ipod with wifi and a crappy mobile connection. What do you consider a phone/smartphone then?
arm 10y ago
I remember this as well (I still have mine in fact!). However, I didn’t really care that much considering how much better the Game Boy Advance SP was than all the previous Game Boys. It was the first Game Boy to have a backlit screen, which meant I could finally easily sneak and play on it in the night without alerting my parents (instead of trying to do the same with the much less effective wormlight accessory I had for my Game Boy Advance). The D-pad was far more comfortable to use over long periods compared with the ones on previous Game Boys. I distinctly remember having my left thumb hurt after playing for a few hours on my Game Boy Advance, since the D-pad on that one makes you feel like you have to press down a lot harder than the one on the Game Boy Advance SP. And the biggest point: it was the first Game Boy to include a rechargeable battery! This was huge, since people really didn’t buy rechargeable batteries nearly as much back then as they do now, so you’d pretty much be either wasting two alkaline batteries per day or two, or staying tethered to a wall by using the included AC adapter. That was a pretty annoying option too, especially when the power in your home died right before you could get to a save point… When I got one, I essentially stopped playing GBA games on my Game Boy Advance, since playing them on my Game Boy Advance SP was a far more enjoyable experience (so much so that I didn’t really lament the loss of the headphone jack all that much).
- eropple 10y ago
  I still have my GBA SP, too, but I'm pretty sure part of why charging it is so finicky now is that I used the headphone adapter so often. Which is a bummer. But it still charges with a little bit of a wiggle and I've got a flash cart with a bunch of translated versions of Japanese games. It's still a bunch of fun and I bring it when I fly.
  - qwertyuiop924 10y ago
    I've got an original GBA. It's not the best, but it rocks for playing stuff on the go. Also, if you're into music and have a GB flashcart, lsdj is a must buy.
- eriknstr 10y ago
  >It was the first Game Boy to have a backlit screen, which meant I could finally easily sneak and play on it in the night without alerting my parents Actually, there was another Game Boy with backlit screen released much earlier -- just a few months before the Game Boy Color, though only in Japan. I remember said Game Boy because a friend of mine whose father traveled to Japan had brought one such Game Boy back with him for his son. It was called the Game Boy Light. The screen was monochrome with green backlight. Pretty badass. http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Game_Boy_Light http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Game_Boy_Light http://www.computercloset.org/NintendoGameBoy.htm http://www.computercloset.org/NintendoGameBoy.htm http://retro-treasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/silver-nintendo-game-boy-light.html http://retro-treasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/silver-nintendo-...
shasheene 10y ago
This reminds me of the "feature phone" era in the early 2000s, where every phone had a proprietary charging port, proprietary headphone jack and the removable memory interface was not yet standardized on MicroSD. Thankfully European Union pushed for MicroUSB standardization. While vendors (like Apple) can still get around it by bundling an adapter in European markets, it was enough to push the entire industry to standardize. Still, both Nintendo and Apple still change charging port standards frequently (and not adopting the universal standards even when they're superior): the original GBA used a certain proprietary charging port, then both GBA SP and the original Nintendo DS shared a (different) charging port. But Nintendo DS Lite used another standard (looks a lot like MicroUSB but wasn't). Finally all handhelds since DSi (including DSi XL, 3DS XL and New 3DS variants) all use another proprietary variant! New 3DS systems don't even ship with AC adapters! Not even a cable from the proprietary 3DS connector to USB type A! This means little Johnny will get between 0 and 1 charges out of the system on Christmas Day, while his exasperated mother has to go find a shop that's open during the holiday period just to charge the device. Very surprising since Nintendo have sometimes been very good regarding backwards compatibility of interfaces on their hardware - Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and Gamecube all shared the same video cable (a proprietary connector to composite audio/video out via Red/White/Yellow RCA connectors) Apple of course do it with constantly changing MagSafe variants, as well the old 30-pin iPod/iPhone connectors (and not switching to the MicroUSB standard) and chasing Firewire (and to a much less degree Intel Thunderbolt) and most recently choosing the superior (to USB2.0) reversible Lightning connector over the new industry standard, USB3.1 Type C. The reasons for doing this appear to be mostly related control of an ecosystem to enable price gouging. (Can't really be due to increasing water resistance, as competitors show it's possible to have even better water resistance without removing any standardized jacks)
- xuki 10y ago
  They have 2 MegSafe versions in 10 years (MegSafe was introduced in 2006), the 2nd one was necessary to make slimmer laptops. Same thing with 30-pin connector and lightning. Lightning was before USB-C and it's superior to the old 30-pin connector. Btw, MegSafe is one of the best thing about MacBooks, I'm actually sad they're not using it in the new MacBook.
jwildeboer 10y ago
Remember the time when the first Android phone was released and it didn't have a headphone jack? The HTC Dream AKA the G1? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream
- usaar333 10y ago
  Yup. I recall upgrading to an HTC Hero the next year and feeling relieved that I no longer needed to constantly have a usb to headphone dongle on hand.
eggy 10y ago
Nintendo really did some cool things. I had played with my daugther's GBA; my son wanted the Sony PSP. I inherited the PSP from my son. My daughter sold her GBA. They got a lot of use out of them. I wound up coding on the PSP. Simple stuff, but I almost got into some high-end things, but then PIC chips and 32 bit uCs, and FPGAs flooded the market. I am to this day amazed at how modern the PSP still looks and feels compared to the way that phones and computers age. Good screen too! I still charge it and play with it once and a while. Something about a dedicated game unit with no distractions from the internet, although it does have connectivity!
- Roritharr 10y ago
  "I inherited the PSP from my son." I'm going to become a father in roughly 6 weeks. Besides all the other emotions flying around, your post just made me look forward to it a little more. Thank you. :)
  - eggy 10y ago
    You're welcome, and all the best to you and yours! I joke with my son that when I come home to visit him, I am going to take back the fancy telescope I bought him several years ago! He uses it a lot. There is a secret side of me that wants it, that and the microscope I bought my daugther ;)
byuu 10y ago
Bandai did the same with the Wonderswan devices, which competed against the Game Boy Color and Advance. The device was only released in Japan around '98 - '01. And so now, if you want to use headphones with it (and you do; as not only do you get stereo instead of monaural sound; you get an extra channel of audio so you'll be missing certain sound effects in some games without them!), you get to buy one of these pricey ($60-80) adapters for it, plus shipping fees from Japan: http://www.ebay.com/itm/361198122142 http://www.ebay.com/itm/361198122142 Of course, if you really want to see the fun of removing standardized ports, look no further than the Gamecube's component cables, which sell for a cool $250+ today: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131939975870 http://www.ebay.com/itm/131939975870 So, yeah. I'm strongly in favor of industry standard ports, even if it adds a few pennies onto the cost or a few mm onto the device size.
- BinaryIdiot 10y ago
  Oh wow I had no idea Gamecube component cables are so crazy expensive now. I had a set back when I used to have my Gamecube and I gave it all away only a couple of years ago. Damn.
- Jach 10y ago
  The fun doubles for modders. See e.g. https://github.com/ikorb/gcvideo https://github.com/ikorb/gcvideo ; plus the FPGA and parts is cheaper than a set of cables... (And for the GBA SP it's been done more nicely than the pic in the article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0iihTSqPKo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0iihTSqPKo)
- djhworld 10y ago
  The Gamecube example is interesting. From the Wikipedia page: > The only cables that can output a 480p signal from the GameCube are the official Nintendo-brand YPBPR component cables, available in both RCA[note 1] and D-Terminal[note 2] variations. These cables are equipped with a unique digital-to-analog converter developed by Nintendo which has not been reproduced by any third party company. So the adapter is proprietary and I'd imagine wasn't exactly manufactured in huge numbers back then, which attracts such a high price. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GameCube_games_with_alternate_display_modes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GameCube_games_with_al...
tylermauthe 10y ago
Are you people still talking about this? Go build something.
- lucb1e 10y ago
  Like what, hardware mods that make the overkill vibration engine a little less huge so we can have a jack?
bhhaskin 10y ago
Nintendo also ended up adding it back for the DS and has kept it since.
- gambiting 10y ago
  As a matter of fact, Nintendo added it back to GameBoy Micro, so before DS was released. It's mentioned in the article too.
  - bhhaskin 10y ago
    The DS (2004-2014) was released almost a full year before the GameBoy Micro (2005-2006).
- falcolas 10y ago
  Yes, this is the most telling part of this story, imo.
StreamBright 10y ago
The real problem with iPhone 7 is the lack of lossless wireless capabilities, bluetooth does not have enough bandwidth.
- threeseed 10y ago
  This could be fixed in the iPhone 7s with the introduction of Bluetooth 5.
  - StreamBright 10y ago
    Indeed, after having that we just need headphones with reasonable battery life.
    - striking 10y ago
      Or you could just buy two pairs instead.
- wodenokoto 10y ago
  What does? WiFi? Also, as far as I understand they use a "wireless lightning" proprietary thing with the new wireless headphones.
  - StreamBright 10y ago
    I do not know what does, I am just pointing out that I cannot move over to BT as it is right now. I have all my music in ALAC and I am using a great headphone that has no alternative in post iPhone 7 Apple land.
JusticeJuice 10y ago
The gameboy advanced SP was the first gaming device, and in fact the first piece of technology I owned. I still remember my excitement of going to the mall with my dad on my birthday to get it + pokemon leaf green. In my eyes, it was perfect. I never felt like it needed a headphone jack, and my friends at school who had the previous generation which had a headphone jack never used it either.
AJRF 10y ago
I didn't use a GameBoy Advance to listen to music daily.
spdegabrielle 10y ago
It's worth remembering these devices are primarily used by children. Children who are both at risk of permanent ear damage and lacking in judgement as to what is too loud. I call this an unintended benefit.
Netcob 10y ago
I rarely used headphones on any handheld console (except for the PSP, on which I watched movies sometimes). I remember being annoyed though because whenever I actually did want to use headphones on my GBA SP, I had to look for that stupid adaptor.
sarreph 10y ago
Very interesting reminder of the parallel that exists in the GBSP... However, since Apple's focus is unequivocally (and technologically and commercially viably) on wireless headphones, the author does this fact a disservice by burying Apple's counter argument in the middle of the article: > On the other hand, the GBA SP existed before Bluetooth headphones were a relatively cheap and widespread alternative to the wired standard. And Apple includes both Lightning headphones and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter in the box with the iPhone, which ought to ease the transition for many.
pmoleri 10y ago
Many mobile phone manufacturers did the same at some point. Sony used to cell phones with their own propietary sound output and their propietary memory sticks. LG did the same for sound. Then the industry matured with standarized chargers, memory and sound output. But Apple somehow got their own way, sound is just one more thing.
- nolok 10y ago
  Mobile phone companies didn't "mature" into using the same micro USB charger. The European Union sat them all down at a table and said "you standardize on something you like, or we make a law to force a standard". They agreed, and renewed the agreement yearly. Few years down the line and Samsung says "I'm not signing this year, because Apple doesn't play ball and use their own cable", and the EU moved on their threat and started process on a law. Don't know if it's finally passed or not. (the EU original intent was to limit waste, and was triggered by seemingly every single Nokia phone needing its own specific charger)
  - pmoleri 10y ago
    Yes, it's true, they needed some help. Although memory and sound was product of maturity, I always thought that Samsung has been a big pusher in this matter.

157 points by shawndumas 10y ago

A game system (worth around $100) that was not meant to have a multimedia experience vs something that has been a multimedia experience that costs around $850 (the only one I would buy)... Is the comparison a joke? Because they also omitted reference to more comparable products that deleted the jack.

joemi 10y ago
I don't think the comparison is a joke, considering they mentioned these differences in the article. Edit: out of curiosity, what are the more comparable products they omitted?
pjc50 10y ago
"multimedia experience" is such a 90s phrase. Encarta on win95 was a "multimedia experience".
- gm-conspiracy 10y ago
  What MPC level? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_PC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multimedia_PC

chris_wot 10y ago

The difference here is that the primary purpose of an iPhone is to make phone calls. And uses multimedia, like music. Leading to this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z_wImaGRkNY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z_wImaGRkNY

joemi 10y ago
Mentioned in the article.
- chris_wot 10y ago
  And downplayed by the following: On the other hand, the GBA SP existed before Bluetooth headphones were a relatively cheap and widespread alternative to the wired standard. And Apple includes both Lightning headphones and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter in the box with the iPhone, which ought to ease the transition for many.
  - joemi 10y ago
    That's not downplaying. That's putting it in context.
    - chris_wot 10y ago
      Which downplays it.
elmigranto 10y ago
Making calls might not even make it to Top 5 things people use iPhone for.
- chris_wot 10y ago
  Uh, what?
  - jotux 10y ago
    I use my smartphone almost entirely for texting and browsing. I think my monthly talk time averages 30-60 minutes. Observing my peers (20-40 something tech-savvy people) this seems to be the norm.
    - chris_wot 10y ago
      Still in the top 5 for most people!
      - Kiro 10y ago
        I think you're wrong.
        chris_wot 10y ago
        The popularity of FaceTime, Viber, Skype, Facebook video and phone calls and Whatsapp calling tends to rather give me some reasonable data points.
      - jsmeaton 10y ago
        I'd doubt that. Browser, text, whatsapp, fb, messenger. They'd be my top 5. Feedly and casual snapchat would still come before speaking on the phone.
        chris_wot 10y ago
        Yes, but I didn't just mention phone calls. On the browser you'd be getting video feeds, needing sons. Facebook is full on video these days, also needing sound. However, if you look at the money and the plans that Telcos are providing, it's pretty evident that phone calls are still very much an important part of having a phone. Viber, Facebook calling, Whatsapp phone calls, Skype and FaceTime are all extremely popular. Even sending Vines requires sound.
jaimex2 10y ago
I'm starting to see a trend in the comments where anyone who actually posts something rational that makes sense gets down voted. He is right, no one used the Gameboy as a media player.
- covekeyboard 10y ago
  I didn't downvote, but I suspect he's getting downvoted because what he said is not rational, but actually a pretty bad rationalization. The Gameboy Advanced SP is used to play video games, and I don't know of a single game on it that doesn't include music and sound-effects. In other words, 99% of the GBA SP's use case involves sound, in contrast to the iPhone, where there are plenty of apps that don't require sound, such as texting, browsing the web, looking at maps, etc. Better to just accept that the SP not having a headphone jack was bad, but it sold anyway, and that the iPhone not having a headphone jack will be bad, but it'll probably sell anyway, instead of coming up with illogical post-hoc justifications for why it's okay for the SP but not the iPhone.
  - chris_wot 10y ago
    I don't tend to make many phone/FaceTime calls that lack sound. I also tend to enjoy listening to music and videos with sound. Could be just my illogical post-hoc rationalisation kicking in though.
    - covekeyboard 10y ago
      Sure, there are plenty of use cases that require sound in the iPhone. I never disputed that. But this is something it has in common with the SP, not a difference. I guess I was pretty rude about it, though, so sorry about that.
      - chris_wot 10y ago
        Its ok, I've said worse. Thank you for apologising.
  - 10y ago
unimpressive 10y ago
FTA: "Why Nintendo, why why why why why? The speaker is just as tinny and pathetic as the GBA, and thus if you have any intention of playing a game with the sound on while in the presence of human beings around, you'll know that you'll get that glare. Try the same thing on a train or a plane (or better still, in a library) and your life won't be worth living. Headphone socket. Where the hell is it?" I don't know if you've ever played a handheld in public, or been around somebody doing it, but you do not want to be that jerk who forces everybody on the bus to listen to Mario stomp red turtles.
Kiro 10y ago
I would say it's the other way around. I've never used headphones for my phone but I sure need them when playing GBA.

jfoster 10y ago

If you wanted to replace the headphone jack with your "new thing" the most effective way to do that would have to involve as many audio hardware companies as possible also producing headphones that work with your "new thing". You would want to pre-announce it along with specs and make it an open standard that other companies can utilise without paying royalties. The GBA still wouldn't have had anywhere near enough market share to pull it off. Apple definitely could've, I think. I haven't followed closely enough, but are other accessory manufacturers able to produce headphones for the new iPhone, or is it completely limited to whatever Apple release?

joemi 10y ago
I think it had a comparable (or even better?) percentage of the market, though probably fewer actual units.
culturestate 10y ago
> I haven't followed closely enough, but are other accessory manufacturers able to produce headphones for the new iPhone, or is it completely limited to whatever Apple release? I cannot fathom the amount of (legitimate) outrage that would follow Apple's decision to limit audio output to Apple-branded products. Several companies already make Lightning-connected headphones, and you can still connect whichever Bluetooth headphones/speakers you want.
- freehunter 10y ago
  I cannot fathom the thought process behind someone thinking Apple has removed Bluetooth support from the phone. Just goes to show how ridiculous the outrage and FUD can get sometimes.
  - pbhjpbhj 10y ago
    The thought process would be "Apple want to own the peripherals market for their devices and their fans won't be perturbed by such a buyer hostile approach".
- 10y ago

chucky_z 10y ago

I distinctly remember this at the time. I just played all my games with no sound, a mild frustration at best as it was the only real option as a kid if you wanted to play games at night without goofy adapters for your GBA! It's more akin to the iPhone 1 not including a jack then adding one later than the iPhone 7 removing it. Another note: Original Gameboy games stuck way out the back. The GBA SP sure made a lot of sacrifices, and odd design choices but the fact that it fixed the biggest issue means a lot for it.

cm2187 10y ago
> It's more akin to the iPhone 1 not including a jack then adding one later than the iPhone 7 removing it. And I came to the iphone from the ipod. To me the iphone was (and still is) an ipod with wifi and a crappy mobile connection. Hence me seeing the removal of the audio jack as killing one of the core features.
- wingerlang 10y ago
  > To me the iphone was (and still is) an ipod with wifi and a crappy mobile connection. What do you consider a phone/smartphone then?

arm 10y ago

I remember this as well (I still have mine in fact!). However, I didn’t really care that much considering how much better the Game Boy Advance SP was than all the previous Game Boys. It was the first Game Boy to have a backlit screen, which meant I could finally easily sneak and play on it in the night without alerting my parents (instead of trying to do the same with the much less effective wormlight accessory I had for my Game Boy Advance). The D-pad was far more comfortable to use over long periods compared with the ones on previous Game Boys. I distinctly remember having my left thumb hurt after playing for a few hours on my Game Boy Advance, since the D-pad on that one makes you feel like you have to press down a lot harder than the one on the Game Boy Advance SP. And the biggest point: it was the first Game Boy to include a rechargeable battery! This was huge, since people really didn’t buy rechargeable batteries nearly as much back then as they do now, so you’d pretty much be either wasting two alkaline batteries per day or two, or staying tethered to a wall by using the included AC adapter. That was a pretty annoying option too, especially when the power in your home died right before you could get to a save point… When I got one, I essentially stopped playing GBA games on my Game Boy Advance, since playing them on my Game Boy Advance SP was a far more enjoyable experience (so much so that I didn’t really lament the loss of the headphone jack all that much).

eropple 10y ago
I still have my GBA SP, too, but I'm pretty sure part of why charging it is so finicky now is that I used the headphone adapter so often. Which is a bummer. But it still charges with a little bit of a wiggle and I've got a flash cart with a bunch of translated versions of Japanese games. It's still a bunch of fun and I bring it when I fly.
- qwertyuiop924 10y ago
  I've got an original GBA. It's not the best, but it rocks for playing stuff on the go. Also, if you're into music and have a GB flashcart, lsdj is a must buy.
eriknstr 10y ago
>It was the first Game Boy to have a backlit screen, which meant I could finally easily sneak and play on it in the night without alerting my parents Actually, there was another Game Boy with backlit screen released much earlier -- just a few months before the Game Boy Color, though only in Japan. I remember said Game Boy because a friend of mine whose father traveled to Japan had brought one such Game Boy back with him for his son. It was called the Game Boy Light. The screen was monochrome with green backlight. Pretty badass. http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Game_Boy_Light http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Game_Boy_Light http://www.computercloset.org/NintendoGameBoy.htm http://www.computercloset.org/NintendoGameBoy.htm http://retro-treasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/silver-nintendo-game-boy-light.html http://retro-treasures.blogspot.com/2012/04/silver-nintendo-...

shasheene 10y ago

This reminds me of the "feature phone" era in the early 2000s, where every phone had a proprietary charging port, proprietary headphone jack and the removable memory interface was not yet standardized on MicroSD. Thankfully European Union pushed for MicroUSB standardization. While vendors (like Apple) can still get around it by bundling an adapter in European markets, it was enough to push the entire industry to standardize. Still, both Nintendo and Apple still change charging port standards frequently (and not adopting the universal standards even when they're superior): the original GBA used a certain proprietary charging port, then both GBA SP and the original Nintendo DS shared a (different) charging port. But Nintendo DS Lite used another standard (looks a lot like MicroUSB but wasn't). Finally all handhelds since DSi (including DSi XL, 3DS XL and New 3DS variants) all use another proprietary variant! New 3DS systems don't even ship with AC adapters! Not even a cable from the proprietary 3DS connector to USB type A! This means little Johnny will get between 0 and 1 charges out of the system on Christmas Day, while his exasperated mother has to go find a shop that's open during the holiday period just to charge the device. Very surprising since Nintendo have sometimes been very good regarding backwards compatibility of interfaces on their hardware - Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and Gamecube all shared the same video cable (a proprietary connector to composite audio/video out via Red/White/Yellow RCA connectors) Apple of course do it with constantly changing MagSafe variants, as well the old 30-pin iPod/iPhone connectors (and not switching to the MicroUSB standard) and chasing Firewire (and to a much less degree Intel Thunderbolt) and most recently choosing the superior (to USB2.0) reversible Lightning connector over the new industry standard, USB3.1 Type C. The reasons for doing this appear to be mostly related control of an ecosystem to enable price gouging. (Can't really be due to increasing water resistance, as competitors show it's possible to have even better water resistance without removing any standardized jacks)

xuki 10y ago
They have 2 MegSafe versions in 10 years (MegSafe was introduced in 2006), the 2nd one was necessary to make slimmer laptops. Same thing with 30-pin connector and lightning. Lightning was before USB-C and it's superior to the old 30-pin connector. Btw, MegSafe is one of the best thing about MacBooks, I'm actually sad they're not using it in the new MacBook.

jwildeboer 10y ago

Remember the time when the first Android phone was released and it didn't have a headphone jack? The HTC Dream AKA the G1? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Dream

usaar333 10y ago
Yup. I recall upgrading to an HTC Hero the next year and feeling relieved that I no longer needed to constantly have a usb to headphone dongle on hand.

eggy 10y ago

Nintendo really did some cool things. I had played with my daugther's GBA; my son wanted the Sony PSP. I inherited the PSP from my son. My daughter sold her GBA. They got a lot of use out of them. I wound up coding on the PSP. Simple stuff, but I almost got into some high-end things, but then PIC chips and 32 bit uCs, and FPGAs flooded the market. I am to this day amazed at how modern the PSP still looks and feels compared to the way that phones and computers age. Good screen too! I still charge it and play with it once and a while. Something about a dedicated game unit with no distractions from the internet, although it does have connectivity!

Roritharr 10y ago
"I inherited the PSP from my son." I'm going to become a father in roughly 6 weeks. Besides all the other emotions flying around, your post just made me look forward to it a little more. Thank you. :)
- eggy 10y ago
  You're welcome, and all the best to you and yours! I joke with my son that when I come home to visit him, I am going to take back the fancy telescope I bought him several years ago! He uses it a lot. There is a secret side of me that wants it, that and the microscope I bought my daugther ;)

byuu 10y ago

Bandai did the same with the Wonderswan devices, which competed against the Game Boy Color and Advance. The device was only released in Japan around '98 - '01. And so now, if you want to use headphones with it (and you do; as not only do you get stereo instead of monaural sound; you get an extra channel of audio so you'll be missing certain sound effects in some games without them!), you get to buy one of these pricey ($60-80) adapters for it, plus shipping fees from Japan: http://www.ebay.com/itm/361198122142 http://www.ebay.com/itm/361198122142 Of course, if you really want to see the fun of removing standardized ports, look no further than the Gamecube's component cables, which sell for a cool $250+ today: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131939975870 http://www.ebay.com/itm/131939975870 So, yeah. I'm strongly in favor of industry standard ports, even if it adds a few pennies onto the cost or a few mm onto the device size.

BinaryIdiot 10y ago
Oh wow I had no idea Gamecube component cables are so crazy expensive now. I had a set back when I used to have my Gamecube and I gave it all away only a couple of years ago. Damn.
Jach 10y ago
The fun doubles for modders. See e.g. https://github.com/ikorb/gcvideo https://github.com/ikorb/gcvideo ; plus the FPGA and parts is cheaper than a set of cables... (And for the GBA SP it's been done more nicely than the pic in the article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0iihTSqPKo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0iihTSqPKo)
djhworld 10y ago
The Gamecube example is interesting. From the Wikipedia page: > The only cables that can output a 480p signal from the GameCube are the official Nintendo-brand YPBPR component cables, available in both RCA[note 1] and D-Terminal[note 2] variations. These cables are equipped with a unique digital-to-analog converter developed by Nintendo which has not been reproduced by any third party company. So the adapter is proprietary and I'd imagine wasn't exactly manufactured in huge numbers back then, which attracts such a high price. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GameCube_games_with_alternate_display_modes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GameCube_games_with_al...

tylermauthe 10y ago

Are you people still talking about this? Go build something.

lucb1e 10y ago
Like what, hardware mods that make the overkill vibration engine a little less huge so we can have a jack?

bhhaskin 10y ago

Nintendo also ended up adding it back for the DS and has kept it since.

gambiting 10y ago
As a matter of fact, Nintendo added it back to GameBoy Micro, so before DS was released. It's mentioned in the article too.
- bhhaskin 10y ago
  The DS (2004-2014) was released almost a full year before the GameBoy Micro (2005-2006).
falcolas 10y ago
Yes, this is the most telling part of this story, imo.

StreamBright 10y ago

The real problem with iPhone 7 is the lack of lossless wireless capabilities, bluetooth does not have enough bandwidth.

threeseed 10y ago
This could be fixed in the iPhone 7s with the introduction of Bluetooth 5.
- StreamBright 10y ago
  Indeed, after having that we just need headphones with reasonable battery life.
  - striking 10y ago
    Or you could just buy two pairs instead.
wodenokoto 10y ago
What does? WiFi? Also, as far as I understand they use a "wireless lightning" proprietary thing with the new wireless headphones.
- StreamBright 10y ago
  I do not know what does, I am just pointing out that I cannot move over to BT as it is right now. I have all my music in ALAC and I am using a great headphone that has no alternative in post iPhone 7 Apple land.

JusticeJuice 10y ago

The gameboy advanced SP was the first gaming device, and in fact the first piece of technology I owned. I still remember my excitement of going to the mall with my dad on my birthday to get it + pokemon leaf green. In my eyes, it was perfect. I never felt like it needed a headphone jack, and my friends at school who had the previous generation which had a headphone jack never used it either.

AJRF 10y ago

I didn't use a GameBoy Advance to listen to music daily.

spdegabrielle 10y ago

It's worth remembering these devices are primarily used by children. Children who are both at risk of permanent ear damage and lacking in judgement as to what is too loud. I call this an unintended benefit.

Netcob 10y ago

I rarely used headphones on any handheld console (except for the PSP, on which I watched movies sometimes). I remember being annoyed though because whenever I actually did want to use headphones on my GBA SP, I had to look for that stupid adaptor.

sarreph 10y ago

Very interesting reminder of the parallel that exists in the GBSP... However, since Apple's focus is unequivocally (and technologically and commercially viably) on wireless headphones, the author does this fact a disservice by burying Apple's counter argument in the middle of the article: > On the other hand, the GBA SP existed before Bluetooth headphones were a relatively cheap and widespread alternative to the wired standard. And Apple includes both Lightning headphones and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter in the box with the iPhone, which ought to ease the transition for many.

pmoleri 10y ago

Many mobile phone manufacturers did the same at some point. Sony used to cell phones with their own propietary sound output and their propietary memory sticks. LG did the same for sound. Then the industry matured with standarized chargers, memory and sound output. But Apple somehow got their own way, sound is just one more thing.

nolok 10y ago
Mobile phone companies didn't "mature" into using the same micro USB charger. The European Union sat them all down at a table and said "you standardize on something you like, or we make a law to force a standard". They agreed, and renewed the agreement yearly. Few years down the line and Samsung says "I'm not signing this year, because Apple doesn't play ball and use their own cable", and the EU moved on their threat and started process on a law. Don't know if it's finally passed or not. (the EU original intent was to limit waste, and was triggered by seemingly every single Nokia phone needing its own specific charger)
- pmoleri 10y ago
  Yes, it's true, they needed some help. Although memory and sound was product of maturity, I always thought that Samsung has been a big pusher in this matter.