3 ms·

I'm not bitching about USB-C. I'm actually kinda with you on that one, so please try not to put words in my mouth. But the headphone jack? No, that one is Appl

by rosser 10y ago

I'm not bitching about USB-C. I'm actually kinda with you on that one, so please try not to put words in my mouth. But the headphone jack? No, that one is Apple pushing people around. It's not to make the phone "thinner" because that fugly lens protrusion is hideous, and the 7 is exactly as thick as the 6S, anyway. It's not to make the phone "waterproof"; $.00000002/phone worth of silicone around the jack could have done that. As Schiller himself said, it "comes down to one word — courage." It's purely about seeing if they can dictate to their customers, and people are lining up, all, "Shut up and take my money!" EDIT: vulgarity.

kstenerud 10y ago
There have been usb audio adapters on the market for over a decade now. They're available dirt cheap on Amazon, with the newer ones plugging into usb-c. And soon, we'll start seeing headphones that plug directly into the usb port. Once again, problem solved.
- rosser 10y ago
  You're talking about the MBP, which still has a 3.5mm audio jack. I'm talking about the iPhone 7, and pretty unambiguously have been all along (if, granted, by no other measure than the sheer fact that the computer still has the port in question). Can we please at least have the same conversation? Or are you more interested in down-shouting anyone who has this objection with "quit your bitching" and "problem solved"?
  - kstenerud 10y ago
    I'm talking about ALL electronic devices. Phones, tablets, computers, smoke detectors, you name it. One connector. Not one connector except for this one I particularly like. And that's why I say I like a company with the balls to bring in the future, even if it pisses off the minority that clings tenaciously to its old tech.
    - rosser 10y ago
      Oh, this is an "ideological purity" argument, not a practical one. Nevermind. Sorry for the noise.
      - kstenerud 10y ago
        It's very practical: Until usb-c headsets become more mainstream, use a dongle.
    - c0smic 10y ago
      You don't think USB-C will too, one day be obsolete? Because trust me, it's going to be, and we'll all be having this argument x years down the line again. Manufacturers are going to want to make everyone buy new hardware to use new ports.
    - brokenmachine 10y ago
      Headphones are analog devices. Analog devices need an analog input. Most of the best headphone companies are not experts in digital-analog conversion. Nor should they need to be, because having a separate usb audio interface built into every set of headphones is a stupid idea. It's fine if all you want to use is the absolute crap Apple earbuds, but for people like me who have spent a lot of money on nice headphones, it's ridiculous. If you want to use quality headphones or IEMs, they don't come with USB connectors, and I pray they never need to because that's a stupid idea. I don't care either way because I hate Apple's business practices and would never purchase their products, but I think Apple will have to backflip on their "courage" on this one. Even people drinking the Apple kool-aid seem to be angry about this headscratcher. Maybe the base of people who care about what headphones they use won't be large enough to change their "courageous" minds though. Apple doesn't care about professionals and they don't care about audiophiles. I think especially antagonizing the professional market will hurt them in the medium term.

by rosser 10y ago

kstenerud 10y ago

There have been usb audio adapters on the market for over a decade now. They're available dirt cheap on Amazon, with the newer ones plugging into usb-c. And soon, we'll start seeing headphones that plug directly into the usb port. Once again, problem solved.

rosser 10y ago
You're talking about the MBP, which still has a 3.5mm audio jack. I'm talking about the iPhone 7, and pretty unambiguously have been all along (if, granted, by no other measure than the sheer fact that the computer still has the port in question). Can we please at least have the same conversation? Or are you more interested in down-shouting anyone who has this objection with "quit your bitching" and "problem solved"?
- kstenerud 10y ago
  I'm talking about ALL electronic devices. Phones, tablets, computers, smoke detectors, you name it. One connector. Not one connector except for this one I particularly like. And that's why I say I like a company with the balls to bring in the future, even if it pisses off the minority that clings tenaciously to its old tech.
  - rosser 10y ago
    Oh, this is an "ideological purity" argument, not a practical one. Nevermind. Sorry for the noise.
    - kstenerud 10y ago
      It's very practical: Until usb-c headsets become more mainstream, use a dongle.
  - c0smic 10y ago
    You don't think USB-C will too, one day be obsolete? Because trust me, it's going to be, and we'll all be having this argument x years down the line again. Manufacturers are going to want to make everyone buy new hardware to use new ports.
  - brokenmachine 10y ago
    Headphones are analog devices. Analog devices need an analog input. Most of the best headphone companies are not experts in digital-analog conversion. Nor should they need to be, because having a separate usb audio interface built into every set of headphones is a stupid idea. It's fine if all you want to use is the absolute crap Apple earbuds, but for people like me who have spent a lot of money on nice headphones, it's ridiculous. If you want to use quality headphones or IEMs, they don't come with USB connectors, and I pray they never need to because that's a stupid idea. I don't care either way because I hate Apple's business practices and would never purchase their products, but I think Apple will have to backflip on their "courage" on this one. Even people drinking the Apple kool-aid seem to be angry about this headscratcher. Maybe the base of people who care about what headphones they use won't be large enough to change their "courageous" minds though. Apple doesn't care about professionals and they don't care about audiophiles. I think especially antagonizing the professional market will hurt them in the medium term.