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Apple is lauded for making confusing technology simple. It's not Apple's fault, it's Apple's missed opportunity and it's our high expectations of Apple that are

Apple is lauded for making confusing technology simple. It's not Apple's fault, it's Apple's missed opportunity and it's our high expectations of Apple that are being eroded.

Philipp__ 10y ago
This! Thing is that situation with ports and adapters has never been worse, but Apple came there, wanted to be first again that will pull the plug on old technology and embrace the new one! But their execution was a miss. But anyway, my predictions are that from 2017. every Apple machine, wether it's computer or iPhone or iPad, will go down the USB-C route. Most probably next iPhone would use USB-C. And I just hope 2016. will be the year that was bad, and won't happen again. Since some Apple's small decisions were completely off, and we as costumers (or fans), are not used to it.
- jellicle 10y ago
  Apple has never gone with an open standard when a proprietary closed standard would do. More likely than using any sort of standard port would be Apple inventing yet another new proprietary port.
  - stcredzero 10y ago
    Apple has never gone with an open standard when a proprietary closed standard would do. False. USB 1.
    - eropple 10y ago
      Yup. Or...y'know...FireWire. Also known as IEEE 1394.
      - macintux 10y ago
        I remember overhearing a Best Buy employee describe the FireWire port on the back of an iMac as a Sony proprietary camera connector. Not sure why I didn't correct him. Apple rarely goes proprietary with their ports. The original 30-pin iPod port. Lightning. ADB in the mists of time. All of which were I believe better than what was available.
        labster 10y ago
        MagSafe 1 and 2. They are better, but we also have a situation where the only port on an Apple device is proprietary with the latest iPhone.
        eropple 10y ago
        Lightning was better-ish, but we also knew USB-C was on the horizon. I don't think that one is defensible.
        solaceb 10y ago
        If my memory serves, lightning was introduced in late 2012 with the iPhone 5. I'm not sure we can really say that lightning was "on the horizon" that long ago. I would say lightning was "on the horizon" in late 2014, when in early 2015 we saw USB-C come to notable devices such as the Chromebook Pixel and 12" MacBook.
        mbreese 10y ago
        USB-C was on the horizon, but it was still years away when Lightning came out. I really think that Lightning forced the USB-IF's hand a bit and made sure that USB-C was a reality. Without a working example of how a reversible connection worked in the field, the USB-IF might still be waiting to push out USB-C.
        guitarbill 10y ago
        Judging from the fact that people on this page are complaining about USB-C cables/adapters not working, and the non-compliant USB-C cable fiasco (e.g. OnePlus), I'd say it isn't that clear. For better or worse, you know exactly what you'll be getting with Lightning. The Lightning connectors are also mechanically very robust. Of course, the one huge flaw is that now their phones and laptops use different connectors.
- visakanv 10y ago
  > Apple came there, wanted to be first again Interesting point. Got me thinking about how the iPod was not the first MP3 player, and how the iPhone was not the first smartphone. I believe the philosophy was "don't be the first; be the first to get it right." It's a little disappointing that they haven't been so magical lately.
  - Philipp__ 10y ago
    It is, but you know, magic couldn't last forever, and we all knew it, since Jobds left us. It was just the matter of year. But I believe that these new MBP will be amazing and beautiful machines in next iteration. Some bad decision and bad timing led to disappointments but as long as they learn something from it, it's all good.
amckinlay 10y ago
Yup. And they could have started by shipping a more compatible USB-C cable, instead of shipping a USB 2.0 one.
jshevek 10y ago
Well, it is partly Apple's fault in that they chose to go completely type c only, and that they chose not to provide the right sets of clearly marked and explained adapters that would be guaranteed to work with their hardware.
Twisell 10y ago
I'm pretty sure if you stick to apple hardware, things just work. So in a sense their technology is simple for those who stay in the ecosystem. But don't dare buy a low-cost adapter from eBay or be damned for 10 generation. So yeah it's a closed environment but is it so far worst than the jungle outside?

Apple is lauded for making confusing technology simple. It's not Apple's fault, it's Apple's missed opportunity and it's our high expectations of Apple that are being eroded.

Philipp__ 10y ago

This! Thing is that situation with ports and adapters has never been worse, but Apple came there, wanted to be first again that will pull the plug on old technology and embrace the new one! But their execution was a miss. But anyway, my predictions are that from 2017. every Apple machine, wether it's computer or iPhone or iPad, will go down the USB-C route. Most probably next iPhone would use USB-C. And I just hope 2016. will be the year that was bad, and won't happen again. Since some Apple's small decisions were completely off, and we as costumers (or fans), are not used to it.

jellicle 10y ago
Apple has never gone with an open standard when a proprietary closed standard would do. More likely than using any sort of standard port would be Apple inventing yet another new proprietary port.
- stcredzero 10y ago
  Apple has never gone with an open standard when a proprietary closed standard would do. False. USB 1.
  - eropple 10y ago
    Yup. Or...y'know...FireWire. Also known as IEEE 1394.
    - macintux 10y ago
      I remember overhearing a Best Buy employee describe the FireWire port on the back of an iMac as a Sony proprietary camera connector. Not sure why I didn't correct him. Apple rarely goes proprietary with their ports. The original 30-pin iPod port. Lightning. ADB in the mists of time. All of which were I believe better than what was available.
      - labster 10y ago
        MagSafe 1 and 2. They are better, but we also have a situation where the only port on an Apple device is proprietary with the latest iPhone.
      - eropple 10y ago
        Lightning was better-ish, but we also knew USB-C was on the horizon. I don't think that one is defensible.
        solaceb 10y ago
        If my memory serves, lightning was introduced in late 2012 with the iPhone 5. I'm not sure we can really say that lightning was "on the horizon" that long ago. I would say lightning was "on the horizon" in late 2014, when in early 2015 we saw USB-C come to notable devices such as the Chromebook Pixel and 12" MacBook.
        mbreese 10y ago
        USB-C was on the horizon, but it was still years away when Lightning came out. I really think that Lightning forced the USB-IF's hand a bit and made sure that USB-C was a reality. Without a working example of how a reversible connection worked in the field, the USB-IF might still be waiting to push out USB-C.
        guitarbill 10y ago
        Judging from the fact that people on this page are complaining about USB-C cables/adapters not working, and the non-compliant USB-C cable fiasco (e.g. OnePlus), I'd say it isn't that clear. For better or worse, you know exactly what you'll be getting with Lightning. The Lightning connectors are also mechanically very robust. Of course, the one huge flaw is that now their phones and laptops use different connectors.
visakanv 10y ago
> Apple came there, wanted to be first again Interesting point. Got me thinking about how the iPod was not the first MP3 player, and how the iPhone was not the first smartphone. I believe the philosophy was "don't be the first; be the first to get it right." It's a little disappointing that they haven't been so magical lately.
- Philipp__ 10y ago
  It is, but you know, magic couldn't last forever, and we all knew it, since Jobds left us. It was just the matter of year. But I believe that these new MBP will be amazing and beautiful machines in next iteration. Some bad decision and bad timing led to disappointments but as long as they learn something from it, it's all good.

amckinlay 10y ago

Yup. And they could have started by shipping a more compatible USB-C cable, instead of shipping a USB 2.0 one.

jshevek 10y ago

Well, it is partly Apple's fault in that they chose to go completely type c only, and that they chose not to provide the right sets of clearly marked and explained adapters that would be guaranteed to work with their hardware.

Twisell 10y ago

I'm pretty sure if you stick to apple hardware, things just work. So in a sense their technology is simple for those who stay in the ecosystem. But don't dare buy a low-cost adapter from eBay or be damned for 10 generation. So yeah it's a closed environment but is it so far worst than the jungle outside?