6 ms·

For me the issue is with ports. I have exactly zero devices that I can plug into the new fancy USB ports. None of my monitors will connect. I know, they are bet

by jwr 10y ago

For me the issue is with ports. I have exactly zero devices that I can plug into the new fancy USB ports. None of my monitors will connect. I know, they are better, yadda yadda, but I am tired of being held hostage until the "industry" understands how the new ports are better. Right now I use a MacBook Pro to do my work ("pro", remember?). I need a faster machine, so I will have to upgrade. And I will have to deal with all the dongles, carrying them, remembering about them, losing them, etc. I expect I will eventually make an idiot of myself in front of a client, once they hand me a flash drive with their data and I'll have to admit red-faced that I forgot the dongle thingy. MacBook Pro used to have the "pro" philosophy: stick every port in there, so that the only thing you have to carry is your macbook and you're ready for everything. Then it started: ethernet disappeared, DVI went away, and successively all ports went away until now we are stuck with 4 ports of the same kind, that are useless (but hey, they show great promise!). I don't want a thinner machine. I don't need a lighter machine. I need a machine so that I can do my work. Pro, remember? Price is largely not an issue if you actually use it for work, so I have no complaints there.

NEDM64 10y ago
In sum, you want to sacrifice choice with convenience. USB-C works with all the monitor you have and also with all the monitors you'll have. You can use any port on the laptop and crucially charge the laptop and connect to a display with the same cable, and can be even used to connect to other peripherals using the same cable. Your argument is that you don't want to spend $10 in adapters, you'll end up spending more in the future and be limited in terms of compatibility with newer hardware. "Stick every Port in it" is ridiculous also. What laptop does have Ethernet, infiniband, USB-A/B/C, thunderbolt 2.0, miniDisplayPort, MiniUSB, MicroUSB, RS232, Centronics, PS/2, VGA, EGA, PCMCIA, SCSI, eSATA, S-video, etc?
- rosser 10y ago
  "$10 in adapters"? This is Apple we're talking about. The only thing they've ever sold at a $10 price point is the MagSafe 1 to MagSafe 2 adapter. And, frankly, even that was overpriced.
  - NEDM64 10y ago
    Good thing is that you don't have to buy from Apple with UsB-C. Meanwhile, all those craptastic laptops that are "better than the MacBook Pro", you'll have to buy a specific adapter from the OEM.
    - rosser 10y ago
      If you want to try to run, e.g., graphics and power between your $2000+ MBP and your $700+ 4k monitor (like the LG panel) on a $10 cable ... uh, have fun with that. I hope it works out for you.
      - NEDM64 10y ago
        what's your problem? it works, end of line.
        yannovitch 10y ago
        Yes, it _should_ work, but there has been lots of stories already about fried computers because of faulty cables
  - jdminhbg 10y ago
    They're selling the 3.5mm-lightning adapter for $9: http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-...
- jwr 10y ago
  No, my argument was not about spending money. I specifically noted that I don't much care about the pricing. My point was that adapters are something that I have to think about, carry separately, and sometimes forget or lose. I don't know why people keep repeating "USB-C works with X" (replace X with whatever). It might work if I get all the dongles. For the moment, as I said, out of ~40 devices around me there are exactly ZERO that I can plug into the new machine. Also, let's not get into extremes here: I would not complain if they at least kept at least one or two USB 3 ports.
- khedoros1 10y ago
  > What laptop does have Ethernet, infiniband, USB-A/B/C, thunderbolt 2.0, miniDisplayPort, MiniUSB, MicroUSB, RS232, Centronics, PS/2, VGA, EGA, PCMCIA, SCSI, eSATA, S-video, etc? Yes, "every" port is ridiculous. In particular, I think most people would happily do away with anything that hasn't been in wide use in new hardware over the last decade. I like machines with a port for wired network, a port or two for wired video, an SD slot, and 3-4 USB ports in a mix of USB-A and USB-C. For a Mac, I'd argue that some Thunderbolt ports would make good sense, too. I'd rather have my laptop be a self-contained system than have my bag filled with the half-dozen converter dongles that I'd need to provide the connectivity that I use with my current machine.
  - vladimir-y 10y ago
    Thunderbolt 3 is aimed to replace all currently existing ports, even a charging port, and that's great.
    - khedoros1 10y ago
      When my current machine dies, hopefully >5 years from now, I'll have the opportunity to evaluate new machines based on my current needs and where the market's at then. The company that gets my money will be the one that matches closest to what I want, not necessarily what's being marketed as the Next Big Thing at that time. Between now and then, Thunderbolt will either become dominant, or fall by the wayside like Firewire did.
      - vladimir-y 10y ago
        > or fall by the wayside like Firewire did. There are reasons for this no happening. TB3 is compatible with USB Type-C port format, it has a very high bandwidth and it's supported by Intel.
        khedoros1 10y ago
        Meh. It'll happen, or it won't. The market's volatile and fickle.
initram 10y ago
So this seems to be the problem. You're definition of Pro includes "all the ports". The author's definition of Pro includes "avoid HDMI, SD slot, Display Port". It can't both have and not have all the ports. The author's definition of Pro also includes 16GB RAM, but most posts I've seen complain about not being able to order 32GB RAM. It seems that Apple can't win no matter what they do.
- michaelmior 10y ago
  The RAM issue is a different one. Someone who wants 16GB RAM isn't likely to complain if 32GB is an option.
- ant6n 10y ago
  Well, given how many millions of devices they sell, maybe they can allow a couple more options. We don't all need the exact same device. (tbh, avoiding sd and hdmi doesn't make sense to me. What do you have to lose?)
basch 10y ago
>For me the issue is with ports. I have exactly zero devices that I can plug into the new fancy USB ports. None of my monitors will connect. I know, they are better, yadda yadda, but I am tired of being held hostage until the "industry" understands how the new ports are better. Then Apple is not the company for you. They have always been first to obsolete things. Remember the hoopla when they canned the DVD drive? Firewire? Literally every other port that isnt USBC
- TazeTSchnitzel 10y ago
  They also dropped the floppy drive and went all-USB with the iMac, abandoning all their previous Mac peripherals which used ADB.
manicdee 10y ago
For me, ports are not an issue. I am rarely using any plug-in devices when away from a desk, and there are numerous USB-C hubs that provide charging, USB 3.0 A-type sockets, SD card readers, ethernet ports, HDMI and DVI connectors, yadda yadda. You do not need to buy a dozen Apple dongles, just one USB-C dock/hub/whatever, with the ports that you regularly use. Have one on your desk with monitor, drives, keyboard, mouse, network all connected so you only plug in one cable. When you go on the road you might want a dock with HDMI so you can plug in to various displays. But you won't need a dozen dongles. Just a hub. It is just a slightly different way of working rather than plugging all the cables into the laptop and having a huge clumsy mess.

by jwr 10y ago

NEDM64 10y ago

In sum, you want to sacrifice choice with convenience. USB-C works with all the monitor you have and also with all the monitors you'll have. You can use any port on the laptop and crucially charge the laptop and connect to a display with the same cable, and can be even used to connect to other peripherals using the same cable. Your argument is that you don't want to spend $10 in adapters, you'll end up spending more in the future and be limited in terms of compatibility with newer hardware. "Stick every Port in it" is ridiculous also. What laptop does have Ethernet, infiniband, USB-A/B/C, thunderbolt 2.0, miniDisplayPort, MiniUSB, MicroUSB, RS232, Centronics, PS/2, VGA, EGA, PCMCIA, SCSI, eSATA, S-video, etc?

rosser 10y ago
"$10 in adapters"? This is Apple we're talking about. The only thing they've ever sold at a $10 price point is the MagSafe 1 to MagSafe 2 adapter. And, frankly, even that was overpriced.
- NEDM64 10y ago
  Good thing is that you don't have to buy from Apple with UsB-C. Meanwhile, all those craptastic laptops that are "better than the MacBook Pro", you'll have to buy a specific adapter from the OEM.
  - rosser 10y ago
    If you want to try to run, e.g., graphics and power between your $2000+ MBP and your $700+ 4k monitor (like the LG panel) on a $10 cable ... uh, have fun with that. I hope it works out for you.
    - NEDM64 10y ago
      what's your problem? it works, end of line.
      - yannovitch 10y ago
        Yes, it _should_ work, but there has been lots of stories already about fried computers because of faulty cables
- jdminhbg 10y ago
  They're selling the 3.5mm-lightning adapter for $9: http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-mm-headphone-jack-adapter http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMX62AM/A/lightning-to-35-...
jwr 10y ago
No, my argument was not about spending money. I specifically noted that I don't much care about the pricing. My point was that adapters are something that I have to think about, carry separately, and sometimes forget or lose. I don't know why people keep repeating "USB-C works with X" (replace X with whatever). It might work if I get all the dongles. For the moment, as I said, out of ~40 devices around me there are exactly ZERO that I can plug into the new machine. Also, let's not get into extremes here: I would not complain if they at least kept at least one or two USB 3 ports.
khedoros1 10y ago
> What laptop does have Ethernet, infiniband, USB-A/B/C, thunderbolt 2.0, miniDisplayPort, MiniUSB, MicroUSB, RS232, Centronics, PS/2, VGA, EGA, PCMCIA, SCSI, eSATA, S-video, etc? Yes, "every" port is ridiculous. In particular, I think most people would happily do away with anything that hasn't been in wide use in new hardware over the last decade. I like machines with a port for wired network, a port or two for wired video, an SD slot, and 3-4 USB ports in a mix of USB-A and USB-C. For a Mac, I'd argue that some Thunderbolt ports would make good sense, too. I'd rather have my laptop be a self-contained system than have my bag filled with the half-dozen converter dongles that I'd need to provide the connectivity that I use with my current machine.
- vladimir-y 10y ago
  Thunderbolt 3 is aimed to replace all currently existing ports, even a charging port, and that's great.
  - khedoros1 10y ago
    When my current machine dies, hopefully >5 years from now, I'll have the opportunity to evaluate new machines based on my current needs and where the market's at then. The company that gets my money will be the one that matches closest to what I want, not necessarily what's being marketed as the Next Big Thing at that time. Between now and then, Thunderbolt will either become dominant, or fall by the wayside like Firewire did.
    - vladimir-y 10y ago
      > or fall by the wayside like Firewire did. There are reasons for this no happening. TB3 is compatible with USB Type-C port format, it has a very high bandwidth and it's supported by Intel.
      - khedoros1 10y ago
        Meh. It'll happen, or it won't. The market's volatile and fickle.

initram 10y ago

So this seems to be the problem. You're definition of Pro includes "all the ports". The author's definition of Pro includes "avoid HDMI, SD slot, Display Port". It can't both have and not have all the ports. The author's definition of Pro also includes 16GB RAM, but most posts I've seen complain about not being able to order 32GB RAM. It seems that Apple can't win no matter what they do.

michaelmior 10y ago
The RAM issue is a different one. Someone who wants 16GB RAM isn't likely to complain if 32GB is an option.
ant6n 10y ago
Well, given how many millions of devices they sell, maybe they can allow a couple more options. We don't all need the exact same device. (tbh, avoiding sd and hdmi doesn't make sense to me. What do you have to lose?)

basch 10y ago

>For me the issue is with ports. I have exactly zero devices that I can plug into the new fancy USB ports. None of my monitors will connect. I know, they are better, yadda yadda, but I am tired of being held hostage until the "industry" understands how the new ports are better. Then Apple is not the company for you. They have always been first to obsolete things. Remember the hoopla when they canned the DVD drive? Firewire? Literally every other port that isnt USBC

TazeTSchnitzel 10y ago
They also dropped the floppy drive and went all-USB with the iMac, abandoning all their previous Mac peripherals which used ADB.

manicdee 10y ago

For me, ports are not an issue. I am rarely using any plug-in devices when away from a desk, and there are numerous USB-C hubs that provide charging, USB 3.0 A-type sockets, SD card readers, ethernet ports, HDMI and DVI connectors, yadda yadda. You do not need to buy a dozen Apple dongles, just one USB-C dock/hub/whatever, with the ports that you regularly use. Have one on your desk with monitor, drives, keyboard, mouse, network all connected so you only plug in one cable. When you go on the road you might want a dock with HDMI so you can plug in to various displays. But you won't need a dozen dongles. Just a hub. It is just a slightly different way of working rather than plugging all the cables into the laptop and having a huge clumsy mess.