7 ms·

> No USB ports No USB-A ports. There are still 2 USB ports, but they are Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports.

by ihuman 8y ago

atlasunshrugged 8y ago
Gah, just what I need, another adapter. I guess in this day and age pretty much everything is in the cloud but still, I like having at least one USB port. A little surprised they kept the mic jack
- reustle 8y ago
  My phone, Sony camera, battery bank, and now laptop are all usb-c. I welcome this with open arms.
  - izacus 8y ago
    What, the annoyance every time you need to plug in a USB stick or a mouse you down own? Even now, after two years of USB-C macbook, it's still incredible how annoying having to look for those damn dongles is. You do understand that you can have BOTH ports on the laptop right - see for example how Lenovo Thinkpad Carbon engineers manage to stuff usable ports on the same chasis size.
    - Latteland 8y ago
      The google pixel 2015 was the top of the heap for ports. 2 usb-c ports, headphones!, 2 usb-a, sd card. All laptops should have this. It's just endless pain. Certainly 2 usb-c ports are better than 1. But why not put 4? Even better usb-c + usb-a.
      - masklinn 8y ago
        > Certainly 2 usb-c ports are better than 1. But why not put 4? Even better usb-c + usb-a. Because they're not just Type C ports, they're TB3 ports, Intel's stinginess with respect to PCIe lanes & TB3 controller integration means it's hard to put many of those in a machine especially on low-end CPUs, and I guess Apple prefers uniformising capabilities to an extent (even if performances can differ see e.g. the 13" MBP) to having multiple ports with the exact same connector but completely divergent capabilities.
  - falcolas 8y ago
    In contrast - my USB hubs, external USB drives, and CD reader are all USB A. My phone is Lightning. My spare chargers are two flavors of magsafe. The cords I've begun to accumulate to work with a USB C computer have varying capabilities, to the point where I can't safely interchange them for fear of blowing past their tolerances accidentally. I'm not so keen on this change.
    - notatoad 8y ago
      >for fear of blowing past their tolerances accidentally this is not how USB-C works. you might end up with a cable that doesn't support high voltage, but it simply won't upgrade to a higher voltage and your device will charge slower or not at all. I agree that it's frustrating that all USB-C cables aren't interchangeable, but to imply they're potentially unsafe is wrong. There was a bunch of out-of-spec cables on the market shortly after USB-C came into use with the nexus phones and the macbook pro, but that problem has almost entirely been solved, and is still a much smaller problem than cheap aftermarket USB-A charging bricks sold by the same sketchy vendors.
      - rspeer 8y ago
        I got an out-of-spec USB-C cable three weeks ago. While driving a long distance, I noticed that I had failed to bring any way to charge my phone in the car, so I bought a USB-A to USB-C cable at a rest stop convenience store. It served its immediate purpose of not leaving me lost with a dead battery. But it doesn't charge many other devices, and it only works when plugged in with the USB logo facing down. I don't consider the problem of fake USB-C cables solved. (I have no idea what brand it is, and the convenience store themselves probably bought whatever the cheapest counterfeit thing on Amazon was)
      - jazzyjackson 8y ago
        yeah my nexus 5x melted thanks to a USB-C cable that I didn't strike me as off-brand or fake. So I'm skittish about USB C now. oh well.
    - cbhl 8y ago
      > The cords I've begun to accumulate to work with a USB C computer have varying capabilities USB-A had these problems back in 1998. It's early days for USB-C, but I think a few more hardware iterations and hopefully things will start settling down. Right now USB-C controllers are too complex and expensive to fit in low-end devices (think $49 TV dongles).
  - lathiat 8y ago
    I mean I've got 2 AT keyboards and 3 PS/2 mice in my drawer. Why can't I plug these into the latest MacBook pro? It's a travesty.
    - 51lver 8y ago
      I gotchu fam! AT > PS/2 > usb A > usb C If I were you, I'd stick all that crap inside the massive schoolbus sized AT keyboard where you can't see it. There is probably plenty of room. Hell, go ahead an integrate a USB hub too, then you can use the keyboard itself to adapt other legacy devices to usb C.
      - dwighttk 8y ago
        why didn't they include an ADB port?
        51lver 8y ago
        Because svideo is a terrible serial protocol.
      - tinus_hn 8y ago
        You can’t use a ps/2 keyboard using an adapter on the Mac, it doesn’t work. I’ve tried.
- ummonk 8y ago
  It's getting better every year, as peripherals and other devices switch over to USB-C. Apple's imposition of USB-C as the one cable has been very frustrating, but we're starting to see the fruits of it.
  - notatoad 8y ago
    if apple were truly imposing USB-C as the "one cable" it would be less frustrating. it's crazy that still, three years after the macbook pro switched to all usb-c, if you go to the apple store and buy a brand new iPhone and a brand new mac, you need an aftermarket cable to connect the two.
    - gumby 8y ago
      No you don't -- apple sells a cable with lighting on one end and type c on the other end. I have one. Given that the new iPad has type C I assume that's the future for iPhones as well.
      - notatoad 8y ago
        maybe i used the wrong word, does aftermarket not mean you have to buy it separately from the actual product?
        toyg 8y ago
        I think it's often used to indicate third-party products.
    - 51lver 8y ago
      Aftermarket means it was supplied by an accessory manufacturer and not the original equipment manufacturer, generally without the OEM's blessing. It's really more of a car term than a computer term.
    - intopieces 8y ago
      >you need an aftermarket cable to connect the two. You don't need a cable at all, because they connect over AirDrop.
- zapnuk 8y ago
  To be fair I already have to carry a ethernet and a display adapter with me. Switching to an USB-C means I don't need other adapters anymore. At least one USB-A port should be the minimum though. Between no USB-A with Apple notebooks and no USB-C on the Surface Laptop I don't know whats worse...
- MR4D 8y ago
  I'm probably going to get crucified for this, but I wish they would have dropped the mic jack in return to a third TB3 port (so they would be accessible form either side of the computer).
  - rjplatte 8y ago
    God, no. The TRRS port is the last thing I want to see go.
  - FiveSquared 8y ago
    Let's go to Reddit, 'tis a silly place.
nkkollaw 8y ago
No USB ports.
- lostgame 8y ago
  Upvoting this because it was ridiculously down-voted, and I'm not sure why. No, USB-C ports are not 'USB' ports. Not as 'USB' ports have been for at least a decade and a half. Almost two. USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 managed to all use the same connector, and not charge us out the ass for adapters to use the same hardware. If you're not pissed about USB-C, or you somehow think that having a port you can no longer plug any of your previous devices into without a costly and non-bundled adapter is equivalent to having an actual, standard USB port, you probably simply haven't had to deal with dongle life. We have an inside joke at my work where we literally call these ports 'not-USB'. The fact that Apple's flagship phone and flagship computer can't connect out of the box without paying for an additional cable indicates blatantly how horrible this situation is. That they had the audacity to release phones only a month ago that were still incompatible after all this time almost makes me feel that they are intentionally messing with us.
  - Karunamon 8y ago
    It was probably ridiculously downvoted for being worthless snark that adds nothing to the conversation. As to "costly", a USB -> USBC hub can be had for around the same price as a regular hub on Amazon, starting around $4.99 and going up from there.
    - FiveSquared 8y ago
      A good one costs 60-80 ish. https://www.amazon.com/Satechi-Aluminum-Multi-Port-Ethernet-Pass-Through/dp/B075FW7H5J/ https://www.amazon.com/Satechi-Aluminum-Multi-Port-Ethernet-...
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 managed to all use the same connector, No, they didn't. USB 1.0 used A and B connectors USB 2.0 added Mini A and Mini B USB 2.0 Revised added the Micro A and Micro B connectors USB 3.0 modified the A and B connectors, and the Micro A and Micro B connectors, and deprecated the Mini A and Mini B connectors. USB 3.1 added the C connector. USB 3.2 didn't mess with connectors, for once. (And it's even a little more complicated if you talk about sockets, because then you need to talk about the Mini and Micro AB sockets, as well as sockets corresponding directly to each of the connectors.)

> No USB ports No USB-A ports. There are still 2 USB ports, but they are Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports.

by ihuman 8y ago

> No USB ports No USB-A ports. There are still 2 USB ports, but they are Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports.

Gah, just what I need, another adapter. I guess in this day and age pretty much everything is in the cloud but still, I like having at least one USB port. A little surprised they kept the mic jack

reustle 8y ago
My phone, Sony camera, battery bank, and now laptop are all usb-c. I welcome this with open arms.
- izacus 8y ago
  What, the annoyance every time you need to plug in a USB stick or a mouse you down own? Even now, after two years of USB-C macbook, it's still incredible how annoying having to look for those damn dongles is. You do understand that you can have BOTH ports on the laptop right - see for example how Lenovo Thinkpad Carbon engineers manage to stuff usable ports on the same chasis size.
  - Latteland 8y ago
    The google pixel 2015 was the top of the heap for ports. 2 usb-c ports, headphones!, 2 usb-a, sd card. All laptops should have this. It's just endless pain. Certainly 2 usb-c ports are better than 1. But why not put 4? Even better usb-c + usb-a.
    - masklinn 8y ago
      > Certainly 2 usb-c ports are better than 1. But why not put 4? Even better usb-c + usb-a. Because they're not just Type C ports, they're TB3 ports, Intel's stinginess with respect to PCIe lanes & TB3 controller integration means it's hard to put many of those in a machine especially on low-end CPUs, and I guess Apple prefers uniformising capabilities to an extent (even if performances can differ see e.g. the 13" MBP) to having multiple ports with the exact same connector but completely divergent capabilities.
- falcolas 8y ago
  In contrast - my USB hubs, external USB drives, and CD reader are all USB A. My phone is Lightning. My spare chargers are two flavors of magsafe. The cords I've begun to accumulate to work with a USB C computer have varying capabilities, to the point where I can't safely interchange them for fear of blowing past their tolerances accidentally. I'm not so keen on this change.
  - notatoad 8y ago
    >for fear of blowing past their tolerances accidentally this is not how USB-C works. you might end up with a cable that doesn't support high voltage, but it simply won't upgrade to a higher voltage and your device will charge slower or not at all. I agree that it's frustrating that all USB-C cables aren't interchangeable, but to imply they're potentially unsafe is wrong. There was a bunch of out-of-spec cables on the market shortly after USB-C came into use with the nexus phones and the macbook pro, but that problem has almost entirely been solved, and is still a much smaller problem than cheap aftermarket USB-A charging bricks sold by the same sketchy vendors.
    - rspeer 8y ago
      I got an out-of-spec USB-C cable three weeks ago. While driving a long distance, I noticed that I had failed to bring any way to charge my phone in the car, so I bought a USB-A to USB-C cable at a rest stop convenience store. It served its immediate purpose of not leaving me lost with a dead battery. But it doesn't charge many other devices, and it only works when plugged in with the USB logo facing down. I don't consider the problem of fake USB-C cables solved. (I have no idea what brand it is, and the convenience store themselves probably bought whatever the cheapest counterfeit thing on Amazon was)
    - jazzyjackson 8y ago
      yeah my nexus 5x melted thanks to a USB-C cable that I didn't strike me as off-brand or fake. So I'm skittish about USB C now. oh well.
  - cbhl 8y ago
    > The cords I've begun to accumulate to work with a USB C computer have varying capabilities USB-A had these problems back in 1998. It's early days for USB-C, but I think a few more hardware iterations and hopefully things will start settling down. Right now USB-C controllers are too complex and expensive to fit in low-end devices (think $49 TV dongles).
- lathiat 8y ago
  I mean I've got 2 AT keyboards and 3 PS/2 mice in my drawer. Why can't I plug these into the latest MacBook pro? It's a travesty.
  - 51lver 8y ago
    I gotchu fam! AT > PS/2 > usb A > usb C If I were you, I'd stick all that crap inside the massive schoolbus sized AT keyboard where you can't see it. There is probably plenty of room. Hell, go ahead an integrate a USB hub too, then you can use the keyboard itself to adapt other legacy devices to usb C.
    - dwighttk 8y ago
      why didn't they include an ADB port?
      - 51lver 8y ago
        Because svideo is a terrible serial protocol.
    - tinus_hn 8y ago
      You can’t use a ps/2 keyboard using an adapter on the Mac, it doesn’t work. I’ve tried.
ummonk 8y ago
It's getting better every year, as peripherals and other devices switch over to USB-C. Apple's imposition of USB-C as the one cable has been very frustrating, but we're starting to see the fruits of it.
- notatoad 8y ago
  if apple were truly imposing USB-C as the "one cable" it would be less frustrating. it's crazy that still, three years after the macbook pro switched to all usb-c, if you go to the apple store and buy a brand new iPhone and a brand new mac, you need an aftermarket cable to connect the two.
  - gumby 8y ago
    No you don't -- apple sells a cable with lighting on one end and type c on the other end. I have one. Given that the new iPad has type C I assume that's the future for iPhones as well.
    - notatoad 8y ago
      maybe i used the wrong word, does aftermarket not mean you have to buy it separately from the actual product?
      - toyg 8y ago
        I think it's often used to indicate third-party products.
  - 51lver 8y ago
    Aftermarket means it was supplied by an accessory manufacturer and not the original equipment manufacturer, generally without the OEM's blessing. It's really more of a car term than a computer term.
  - intopieces 8y ago
    >you need an aftermarket cable to connect the two. You don't need a cable at all, because they connect over AirDrop.
zapnuk 8y ago
To be fair I already have to carry a ethernet and a display adapter with me. Switching to an USB-C means I don't need other adapters anymore. At least one USB-A port should be the minimum though. Between no USB-A with Apple notebooks and no USB-C on the Surface Laptop I don't know whats worse...
MR4D 8y ago
I'm probably going to get crucified for this, but I wish they would have dropped the mic jack in return to a third TB3 port (so they would be accessible form either side of the computer).
- rjplatte 8y ago
  God, no. The TRRS port is the last thing I want to see go.
- FiveSquared 8y ago
  Let's go to Reddit, 'tis a silly place.

nkkollaw 8y ago

No USB ports.

lostgame 8y ago
Upvoting this because it was ridiculously down-voted, and I'm not sure why. No, USB-C ports are not 'USB' ports. Not as 'USB' ports have been for at least a decade and a half. Almost two. USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 managed to all use the same connector, and not charge us out the ass for adapters to use the same hardware. If you're not pissed about USB-C, or you somehow think that having a port you can no longer plug any of your previous devices into without a costly and non-bundled adapter is equivalent to having an actual, standard USB port, you probably simply haven't had to deal with dongle life. We have an inside joke at my work where we literally call these ports 'not-USB'. The fact that Apple's flagship phone and flagship computer can't connect out of the box without paying for an additional cable indicates blatantly how horrible this situation is. That they had the audacity to release phones only a month ago that were still incompatible after all this time almost makes me feel that they are intentionally messing with us.
- Karunamon 8y ago
  It was probably ridiculously downvoted for being worthless snark that adds nothing to the conversation. As to "costly", a USB -> USBC hub can be had for around the same price as a regular hub on Amazon, starting around $4.99 and going up from there.
  - FiveSquared 8y ago
    A good one costs 60-80 ish. https://www.amazon.com/Satechi-Aluminum-Multi-Port-Ethernet-Pass-Through/dp/B075FW7H5J/ https://www.amazon.com/Satechi-Aluminum-Multi-Port-Ethernet-...
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 managed to all use the same connector, No, they didn't. USB 1.0 used A and B connectors USB 2.0 added Mini A and Mini B USB 2.0 Revised added the Micro A and Micro B connectors USB 3.0 modified the A and B connectors, and the Micro A and Micro B connectors, and deprecated the Mini A and Mini B connectors. USB 3.1 added the C connector. USB 3.2 didn't mess with connectors, for once. (And it's even a little more complicated if you talk about sockets, because then you need to talk about the Mini and Micro AB sockets, as well as sockets corresponding directly to each of the connectors.)