7 ms·

Seriously? Couldn't they have put _two_ ports in it so you can plug something in while it's being charged without lugging around a usb hub?

pisarzp 12y ago
I really hope that all the gadget will just be stackable...
Osmium 12y ago
I believe (someone correct me if this is wrong?) that you can in principle daisy chain a USB-C connector for both data and power?
- thedufer 12y ago
  The USB 3.1 spec has separate pinouts for power out and power in, so this should be possible. Anyone who wants to use the USB for peripherals regularly will just need a hub.
acomjean 12y ago
This won't work well when using an air to do presentations and you can't switch between a monitor and power.... The slightly cynical me tends to think the thunderbolt port was great and on every mac. now new adapters...
- look_lookatme 12y ago
  Presumably accessory manufacturers will create peripherals that allow video out + power at the same time?
  - exprL 12y ago
    That's the stopgap solution, I think. Looking at the larger picture, it's silly that a projector only looks for video-in, instead of video-in/power-out, considering it's already plugged to a wall outlet.
    - JshWright 12y ago
      You think the end game is "We'll improve the hardwire connection to the project so it can backfeed power" rather than "We'll just get rid of the wire"?
  - retroencabulato 12y ago
    And a USB rootkit bundled in for free!
    - ghostly_s 12y ago
      Alert! It looks like you connected a device from an untrusted Vendor ID which is enumerating as both a [display|power source|input device] and a [USB Mass Storage device]. Do you want to allow this? [Unmount device] [Allow both]
- wnissen 12y ago
  Well, it never really took off outside the Mac world. This may be an improvement. I look at my Mac Mini that currently has power, Thunderbolt display, 3 disks, USB hub with 30-pin and Lightning, and DVD, though, and wonder WTF they are thinking about 1 port. IF the daisy chaining works and I can still charge my iPad, it could be really nice.
  - settsu 12y ago
    If you require so many peripherals concurrently, why would you consider a notebook?
    - stevenspasbo 12y ago
      Mac minis aren't notebooks.
      - jknightco 12y ago
        I believe that was his point. Why is wnissen comparing his current All-in-One to a notebook?
    - thisjepisje 12y ago
      Probably so that s/he can carry it around with him.
    - EdwardDiego 12y ago
      Yeah, because anyone who wants to use two USB devices at the same time clearly bought the wrong computer. People have different use cases to you. Deal with it.
- toufka 12y ago
  Couldn't you then be using the monitor's power source to charge the laptop? Presumably the monitor is plugged into the wall and can transmit power to the laptop while the laptop transmits data to it.
- shabadoop 12y ago
  It has 10 hours of battery life, so I think the idea is that you don't plug it in as often.
- jjcm 12y ago
  Here at Microsoft all our meeting rooms are supporting wireless display tech - apple air play included. This seems to be in line with apple's history - ditch technology that is approaching its end of life and force the newer tech to take over. There's still the ability to do wired external displays, but it's at the same convenience the usb cd drives were when apple phased them out.
  - qzcx 12y ago
    As someone who likes to have a second monitor when I can, where are my wireless display tech for monitors? It would be awesome if all I had to do was turn on my monitor and not have to deal with cables, but currently that is reality. Seriously though, I'm looking forward to cable-less future when it come to monitors.
- zanny 12y ago
  You should expect USB-C native displays to also power the connected device, and they will easily begin showing up this year.
grecy 12y ago
With that battery life, I don't suspect I'll ever be charging it while using it - I'll only ever charge it while I'm asleep.
- bluedino 12y ago
  Hours less than the current Air.
  - geoelectric 12y ago
    Air 13", yeah. Sounds about on par with the Air 11".
    - JohnnieWalker 12y ago
      Nope, the Air 11 has a 720p camera the new Macbook only 480p for some weird reason (this spec seems out of place)
      - asafira 12y ago
        Not that weird; I'm guessing the 720p camera module just couldn't fit. Lots of emphasis for this laptop went into "thin" engineering, and as should be clear with current smartphones, making thin but high quality cameras is a very difficult endeavor. (The iPhone 6 has the camera module jutting out of the case...)
        JohnnieWalker 12y ago
        You would be right only that the Air is thinner than the new Macbook in the Camera area =) (0.11 vs 0.14)
- IkmoIkmo 12y ago
  It's what, 9 hours? If you want to compile some code, you probably get 8 hours. That's fine, but that's a cycle or more every day, and that has an effect on the battery life. If you want to plug it in to a screen you ideally want to charge it, too, instead of degrading the battery. Your screen is in a socket, your MB should, too. Given it's USB-C there'll be plenty of hubs, docks etc... but it'd have been nice to get it out of the box (charger being a hub), or at least having two ports. 1 port is just ridiculous, it's basically 'we force you to make big tradeoffs, like an external screen or charging, unless you want to buy and carry with you various externals for what is supposed to be the most portable device in our Mac lineup'. Lack of an SD card is another one of those things. Not as big of a problem but would 2 ports have really been that difficult?
digikata 12y ago
Two ports would be nice in case one became unreliable... which seems pretty likely since everything plugs into it and it doesn't have a magsafe-like disconnect if someone trips over a cord...
bryanlarsen 12y ago
Eventual Windows competitors will have more than one port, but they won't be identical. Only a single port will be able to be used for charging, the others will be data-only. That's too inelegant a solution for Apple, they'd rather just have a single port than have two ports that look like they should be identical but aren't.
- aeturnum 12y ago
  Then just have two ports that are identical? Is there something that holds them back from charging from two different locations?
  - bryanlarsen 12y ago
    A port that supports 100W power input requires a significant amount of external components. Switching that between locations is also a significant challenge (IOW, it costs significant money and space). Just switching between the wall and the battery is hard enough, adding a third location will add a significant amount of space and $. It will also add significant protection costs: what if somebody plugs 2 chargers into the laptop? They'll be at almost but not the same voltage, and amperage levels will be high enough that significant damage could result. Obviously the laptop will only do the upgrade voltage & amperage handshake with one of the chargers, but I imagine that redundant hardware protection will also be required.
- WorldWideWayne 12y ago
  My Dell Venue 8 Pro comes with a single micro USB port that is used for both charging and data. I don't really consider it to be a competitor though because Apple doesn't offer anything that can compete with a touchscreen device that can be used as a tablet and also a full general purpose computer.
dntrkv 12y ago
I am assuming the charger will have another port on it that you can use for other devices while it's plugged in.
mtrpcic 12y ago
They'll likely release a series of peripherals that have one intended focus and an additional port, similar to iPad peripherals. The iPad HDMI adapter[1] has two inputs, one for HDMI and one for power, so you can charge and play at the same time [1] http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD098ZM/A/apple-digital-av-adapter http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD098ZM/A/apple-digital-av...
wheels 12y ago
My guess: the power brick will have ports on it. That would solve several problems nicely.
- IkmoIkmo 12y ago
  Doesn't look like it, but of course it's entirely possible. With USB-C not being an Apple thing, I fully expect elegant chargers, hubs and docks to solve this. But it'd have been nice to get it out of the box, as it's an additional $50-150 depending on how fancy/slim/functional you want your new charger to be, at which point choosing it over the MBA with 8gb/256gb with a few hours extra battery life and an extra inch seems even less interesting.
rsync 12y ago
"Seriously? Couldn't they have put _two_ ports in it so you can plug something in while it's being charged without lugging around a usb hub?" I have been a macbook air user since 2008 (6 years with a 13 and 1+ with an 11) and I love them. I will not buy one that has zero ports available while I am charging. No hard feelings - I just can't do it. I am not a feature wizard and I don't need to address every possible use case, but I absolutely need to have the ability to charge my laptop while using a cellular dongle. It's an absolute requirement. The current MBA design with a port on each side is sensible and highly usable, and is vastly superior to a design that limits you to zero ports while you are charging. Let's not even discuss hub use while traveling. It's a clownish suggestion.
- quadrature 12y ago
  You will probably be able to buy a charger with a hub.
_abattoir 12y ago
Apple is primarily a profit-driven company. They front noble reasons for "optimizing" down to 1 port for everything, but the reality is they're mandating that you buy their $79 adapter.
ryaneager 12y ago
The display adaptor has a spot to charge from so you can drive a display charge and use USB, all at the same time. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1L2AM/A/usb-c-vga-multiport-adapter?fnode=51 http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1L2AM/A/usb-c-vga-multip...
WatchDog 12y ago
Apple are obviously very concerned about aesthetics and having as little ports breaking the smooth lines of the design hinder that. However personally I would of thought having an additional type c connector on the opposite side would actually improve the ascetic design by providing more symmetry. If they added another and let you charge the device from either side, it would also improve usability, I know I get annoyed when my wall charger is on one side and I have to stretch the cable around to the other side of the laptop.
Tepix 12y ago
I guess their idea is that you charge it overnight and don't have to charge it during the day.

pisarzp 12y ago

I really hope that all the gadget will just be stackable...

Osmium 12y ago

I believe (someone correct me if this is wrong?) that you can in principle daisy chain a USB-C connector for both data and power?

thedufer 12y ago
The USB 3.1 spec has separate pinouts for power out and power in, so this should be possible. Anyone who wants to use the USB for peripherals regularly will just need a hub.

acomjean 12y ago

This won't work well when using an air to do presentations and you can't switch between a monitor and power.... The slightly cynical me tends to think the thunderbolt port was great and on every mac. now new adapters...

look_lookatme 12y ago
Presumably accessory manufacturers will create peripherals that allow video out + power at the same time?
- exprL 12y ago
  That's the stopgap solution, I think. Looking at the larger picture, it's silly that a projector only looks for video-in, instead of video-in/power-out, considering it's already plugged to a wall outlet.
  - JshWright 12y ago
    You think the end game is "We'll improve the hardwire connection to the project so it can backfeed power" rather than "We'll just get rid of the wire"?
- retroencabulato 12y ago
  And a USB rootkit bundled in for free!
  - ghostly_s 12y ago
    Alert! It looks like you connected a device from an untrusted Vendor ID which is enumerating as both a [display|power source|input device] and a [USB Mass Storage device]. Do you want to allow this? [Unmount device] [Allow both]
wnissen 12y ago
Well, it never really took off outside the Mac world. This may be an improvement. I look at my Mac Mini that currently has power, Thunderbolt display, 3 disks, USB hub with 30-pin and Lightning, and DVD, though, and wonder WTF they are thinking about 1 port. IF the daisy chaining works and I can still charge my iPad, it could be really nice.
- settsu 12y ago
  If you require so many peripherals concurrently, why would you consider a notebook?
  - stevenspasbo 12y ago
    Mac minis aren't notebooks.
    - jknightco 12y ago
      I believe that was his point. Why is wnissen comparing his current All-in-One to a notebook?
  - thisjepisje 12y ago
    Probably so that s/he can carry it around with him.
  - EdwardDiego 12y ago
    Yeah, because anyone who wants to use two USB devices at the same time clearly bought the wrong computer. People have different use cases to you. Deal with it.
toufka 12y ago
Couldn't you then be using the monitor's power source to charge the laptop? Presumably the monitor is plugged into the wall and can transmit power to the laptop while the laptop transmits data to it.
shabadoop 12y ago
It has 10 hours of battery life, so I think the idea is that you don't plug it in as often.
jjcm 12y ago
Here at Microsoft all our meeting rooms are supporting wireless display tech - apple air play included. This seems to be in line with apple's history - ditch technology that is approaching its end of life and force the newer tech to take over. There's still the ability to do wired external displays, but it's at the same convenience the usb cd drives were when apple phased them out.
- qzcx 12y ago
  As someone who likes to have a second monitor when I can, where are my wireless display tech for monitors? It would be awesome if all I had to do was turn on my monitor and not have to deal with cables, but currently that is reality. Seriously though, I'm looking forward to cable-less future when it come to monitors.
zanny 12y ago
You should expect USB-C native displays to also power the connected device, and they will easily begin showing up this year.

grecy 12y ago

With that battery life, I don't suspect I'll ever be charging it while using it - I'll only ever charge it while I'm asleep.

bluedino 12y ago
Hours less than the current Air.
- geoelectric 12y ago
  Air 13", yeah. Sounds about on par with the Air 11".
  - JohnnieWalker 12y ago
    Nope, the Air 11 has a 720p camera the new Macbook only 480p for some weird reason (this spec seems out of place)
    - asafira 12y ago
      Not that weird; I'm guessing the 720p camera module just couldn't fit. Lots of emphasis for this laptop went into "thin" engineering, and as should be clear with current smartphones, making thin but high quality cameras is a very difficult endeavor. (The iPhone 6 has the camera module jutting out of the case...)
      - JohnnieWalker 12y ago
        You would be right only that the Air is thinner than the new Macbook in the Camera area =) (0.11 vs 0.14)
IkmoIkmo 12y ago
It's what, 9 hours? If you want to compile some code, you probably get 8 hours. That's fine, but that's a cycle or more every day, and that has an effect on the battery life. If you want to plug it in to a screen you ideally want to charge it, too, instead of degrading the battery. Your screen is in a socket, your MB should, too. Given it's USB-C there'll be plenty of hubs, docks etc... but it'd have been nice to get it out of the box (charger being a hub), or at least having two ports. 1 port is just ridiculous, it's basically 'we force you to make big tradeoffs, like an external screen or charging, unless you want to buy and carry with you various externals for what is supposed to be the most portable device in our Mac lineup'. Lack of an SD card is another one of those things. Not as big of a problem but would 2 ports have really been that difficult?

digikata 12y ago

Two ports would be nice in case one became unreliable... which seems pretty likely since everything plugs into it and it doesn't have a magsafe-like disconnect if someone trips over a cord...

bryanlarsen 12y ago

Eventual Windows competitors will have more than one port, but they won't be identical. Only a single port will be able to be used for charging, the others will be data-only. That's too inelegant a solution for Apple, they'd rather just have a single port than have two ports that look like they should be identical but aren't.

aeturnum 12y ago
Then just have two ports that are identical? Is there something that holds them back from charging from two different locations?
- bryanlarsen 12y ago
  A port that supports 100W power input requires a significant amount of external components. Switching that between locations is also a significant challenge (IOW, it costs significant money and space). Just switching between the wall and the battery is hard enough, adding a third location will add a significant amount of space and $. It will also add significant protection costs: what if somebody plugs 2 chargers into the laptop? They'll be at almost but not the same voltage, and amperage levels will be high enough that significant damage could result. Obviously the laptop will only do the upgrade voltage & amperage handshake with one of the chargers, but I imagine that redundant hardware protection will also be required.
WorldWideWayne 12y ago
My Dell Venue 8 Pro comes with a single micro USB port that is used for both charging and data. I don't really consider it to be a competitor though because Apple doesn't offer anything that can compete with a touchscreen device that can be used as a tablet and also a full general purpose computer.

dntrkv 12y ago

I am assuming the charger will have another port on it that you can use for other devices while it's plugged in.

mtrpcic 12y ago

They'll likely release a series of peripherals that have one intended focus and an additional port, similar to iPad peripherals. The iPad HDMI adapter[1] has two inputs, one for HDMI and one for power, so you can charge and play at the same time [1] http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD098ZM/A/apple-digital-av-adapter http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD098ZM/A/apple-digital-av...

wheels 12y ago

My guess: the power brick will have ports on it. That would solve several problems nicely.

IkmoIkmo 12y ago
Doesn't look like it, but of course it's entirely possible. With USB-C not being an Apple thing, I fully expect elegant chargers, hubs and docks to solve this. But it'd have been nice to get it out of the box, as it's an additional $50-150 depending on how fancy/slim/functional you want your new charger to be, at which point choosing it over the MBA with 8gb/256gb with a few hours extra battery life and an extra inch seems even less interesting.

rsync 12y ago

"Seriously? Couldn't they have put _two_ ports in it so you can plug something in while it's being charged without lugging around a usb hub?" I have been a macbook air user since 2008 (6 years with a 13 and 1+ with an 11) and I love them. I will not buy one that has zero ports available while I am charging. No hard feelings - I just can't do it. I am not a feature wizard and I don't need to address every possible use case, but I absolutely need to have the ability to charge my laptop while using a cellular dongle. It's an absolute requirement. The current MBA design with a port on each side is sensible and highly usable, and is vastly superior to a design that limits you to zero ports while you are charging. Let's not even discuss hub use while traveling. It's a clownish suggestion.

quadrature 12y ago
You will probably be able to buy a charger with a hub.

_abattoir 12y ago

Apple is primarily a profit-driven company. They front noble reasons for "optimizing" down to 1 port for everything, but the reality is they're mandating that you buy their $79 adapter.

ryaneager 12y ago

The display adaptor has a spot to charge from so you can drive a display charge and use USB, all at the same time. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1L2AM/A/usb-c-vga-multiport-adapter?fnode=51 http://store.apple.com/us/product/MJ1L2AM/A/usb-c-vga-multip...

WatchDog 12y ago

Apple are obviously very concerned about aesthetics and having as little ports breaking the smooth lines of the design hinder that. However personally I would of thought having an additional type c connector on the opposite side would actually improve the ascetic design by providing more symmetry. If they added another and let you charge the device from either side, it would also improve usability, I know I get annoyed when my wall charger is on one side and I have to stretch the cable around to the other side of the laptop.

Tepix 12y ago

I guess their idea is that you charge it overnight and don't have to charge it during the day.