3 ms·

We’re in the same boat. USB-C mandatory going forward. I kinda hate that the new MacBook Air went back to a MagSafe charger for this reason.

skunkworker 3y ago
Having the MagSafe and the Thunderbolt 3/4 ports is a great combination. it's a welcome change on the road to have magsafe but I use TB3 at home with a dock.
newhouseb 3y ago
You still charge through the USB-C / Thunderbolt ports (and use a USB-C to USB-C cable with the provided power brick to do so). The MagSafe plug is just for convenience (and perhaps slightly higher wattage than is normally specced for USB-C on the beefier MBPs).
- theogravity 3y ago
  Also if you happen to trip over the magsafe cord, the possibility of snapping the connector is non-existent compared to the risk of using a USB-C cable.
  - gumby 3y ago
    It's of course a possibility but the Type C connection was designed to sacrifice the cable part first, both on the "repeated insertion" metric and for cases like this.
    - theogravity 3y ago
      It's more about the computer flying off a table and into a hard surface in the USC-C trip case.
theogravity 3y ago
Are you not able use the USB-C port to charge on the Air (or is it more that there's less ports available if you do that)? I'm able to for my M2 Macbook Pro and it has a magsafe port.
jdshaffer 3y ago
Something was wrong with their design of the last MacBook Airs with USB-C charging port. I'm very gentle with my electronics and yet the charging port broke two times in a row (fixed under warranty). My daughter's MacBook Air had the same internal break as well (fixed under warranty). I suspect they didn't properly support the internals so the force of inserting a USB-C plug caused a crack or break over time (and a short time!). I went out and bought cheap "MagSafe" like USB-C connectors for my machines and my kids (in college) machines. I personally WELCOME the return to MagSafe!
- ThePowerOfFuet 3y ago
  >I went out and bought cheap "MagSafe" like USB-C connectors for my machines and my kids (in college) machines. I personally WELCOME the return to MagSafe! Be very careful with these; they can misalign as they come apart and put 20V onto pins not capable of handling it, blowing out the electronics for the port (and NOT covered by warranty).
  - jdshaffer 3y ago
    Thanks for the warning. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, I'm kind of up against a wall. I need to use my laptop for work, but I can't keep sending it in for repairs (and I can't afford out-of-warranty repairs). I'm extremely gentle, but my MacBook Air needed the USB-C port replaced TWICE in just one month. So, I went with the "let's not somehow magically break the physical port" route. I certainly hope the unofficial MagSafe connectors don't blow it out...
oslem 3y ago
You can still charge through the USB-C ports, fwiw.
pridkett 3y ago
You can still charge via USB-C and Thunderbolt. I already had a bunch of USB C chargers and see no reason to buy additional USB-C to MagSafe cables when most the time USB-C to USB-C works just fine. At my desk I plug into a thunderbolt 3 dock and it works great. Seamless.

skunkworker 3y ago

Having the MagSafe and the Thunderbolt 3/4 ports is a great combination. it's a welcome change on the road to have magsafe but I use TB3 at home with a dock.

newhouseb 3y ago

You still charge through the USB-C / Thunderbolt ports (and use a USB-C to USB-C cable with the provided power brick to do so). The MagSafe plug is just for convenience (and perhaps slightly higher wattage than is normally specced for USB-C on the beefier MBPs).

theogravity 3y ago
Also if you happen to trip over the magsafe cord, the possibility of snapping the connector is non-existent compared to the risk of using a USB-C cable.
- gumby 3y ago
  It's of course a possibility but the Type C connection was designed to sacrifice the cable part first, both on the "repeated insertion" metric and for cases like this.
  - theogravity 3y ago
    It's more about the computer flying off a table and into a hard surface in the USC-C trip case.

theogravity 3y ago

Are you not able use the USB-C port to charge on the Air (or is it more that there's less ports available if you do that)? I'm able to for my M2 Macbook Pro and it has a magsafe port.

jdshaffer 3y ago

Something was wrong with their design of the last MacBook Airs with USB-C charging port. I'm very gentle with my electronics and yet the charging port broke two times in a row (fixed under warranty). My daughter's MacBook Air had the same internal break as well (fixed under warranty). I suspect they didn't properly support the internals so the force of inserting a USB-C plug caused a crack or break over time (and a short time!). I went out and bought cheap "MagSafe" like USB-C connectors for my machines and my kids (in college) machines. I personally WELCOME the return to MagSafe!

ThePowerOfFuet 3y ago
>I went out and bought cheap "MagSafe" like USB-C connectors for my machines and my kids (in college) machines. I personally WELCOME the return to MagSafe! Be very careful with these; they can misalign as they come apart and put 20V onto pins not capable of handling it, blowing out the electronics for the port (and NOT covered by warranty).
- jdshaffer 3y ago
  Thanks for the warning. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, I'm kind of up against a wall. I need to use my laptop for work, but I can't keep sending it in for repairs (and I can't afford out-of-warranty repairs). I'm extremely gentle, but my MacBook Air needed the USB-C port replaced TWICE in just one month. So, I went with the "let's not somehow magically break the physical port" route. I certainly hope the unofficial MagSafe connectors don't blow it out...

oslem 3y ago

You can still charge through the USB-C ports, fwiw.

pridkett 3y ago

You can still charge via USB-C and Thunderbolt. I already had a bunch of USB C chargers and see no reason to buy additional USB-C to MagSafe cables when most the time USB-C to USB-C works just fine. At my desk I plug into a thunderbolt 3 dock and it works great. Seamless.