USB ports are gone on new Macs. What to do?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by hesson11, Feb 15, 2017.

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  1. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    Currently, when I dock my 2014 Macbook Pro at my desk, I plug in a usb hub and an HDMI monitor on one side of the laptop where these ports live, and then snake the power cable around to the other side, where that plug goes. With the new MBP, I'll connect one cable to an out of sight hub that will handle power, video, and USB all in one. Not a huge deal, but a welcome advantage.

    The way I see it, the dongle-for-everything approach offers unlimited flexibility. Do you need your laptop to have usb, dvi, hdmi, displayport, VGA, firewire, gigabit ethernet, 9 pin serial ports, or new connections that haven't been invented yet? Would you like to orient these ports on the side of the laptop that makes the most sense for the situation? The new design offers all of this.
     
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  2. I am not happy with Apple making some new computers with the RAM soldered to motherboard, not up gradable. So, I purchased at late 2012 MacBook Pro from Apple's Refurbished site. It came with a new product standard warranty. I've upped the RAM and put in a Solid State Hard Drive. Plus it has two USB ports!
     
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  3. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    Well, right off the bat, the killer feature on USB-C is the power management. A single connector can be I/O and charging, enabling much better docks. It's also a much better physical connector. The combo TB3 also enables super peripherals like external video cards. These are already coming out and can allow your laptop to wield a desktop video card.

    These best thing though is that it has the potential to be a truly universal connector. My biggest gripe with Apple is that they haven't moved to it everywhere. Lightning really needs to go away. They are only keeping it alive to enable the tight grip on the ecosystem.

    I have multiple Macs and iOS devices, but my work PC is a Surface Pro4. The only thing MS has screwed up in the lack of C on their devices.
     
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  4. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    I've been wondering who would be looking to buy one of these ;)

    Even if you max out the 2012 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM, and drop a SSD in there, I figure you've got about $1400 invested ($1099 + tax, + RAM + SSD). A 2016 model with 16GB RAM is $1799, no tax at many places. So, a $400 difference. Certainly no small amount! But, that $400 extra gets you:
    • 2X the resolution screen
    • 3X fast SSD (yes, even with the very best SATA III SSD, the new PCIe drive in the 2016 model is 3X as fast)
    • 50% less weight
    • bigger/better trackpad
    • macOS support for 5+ years (I would imagine Apple will drop support for the 2012 MacBook Pro with 10.13 later this year)

    Agreed on USB-C/TB3 for power and docking solution. I have the CalDigit USB-C dock, and needing one cable to dock/power is quite enjoyable.

    But, I don't mind Lightning at all! It's smaller than USB-C, and provides enough power for the portable devices. It also seems a bit more robust (vs. USB-C) to me. Which is helpful when my Lightning cables get tossed in bags, drawers, pockets, etc. I don't worry about getting lint in it, pinching the connector, etc.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2017
  5. uofmtiger

    uofmtiger Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    Here is an article explaining what Thunderbolt 3 and some the benefits:

    Thunderbolt 3: What It Is & Why You Need to Start Using It

    [​IMG]


    Admittedly, I am not getting a lot of benefit out of it yet, other than charging and connecting anything I want from either side of my laptop. That being said, over time, I will get more use as more products come along that take advantage of it.
     
    SamS likes this.
  6. Standingstones

    Standingstones Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Central PA
    This guy has exactly the right idea. You get an improved quality sound from the Dragonfly dac as well.
     
  7. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    I have a feeling its going to go away. The only possible way to defend it against claims its a closed-ecosystem money grab was that it was reversible/multi-directional. Now that USB-C is officially part of what they do, they seem to be moving more towards one I/O port. Its one thing when all Apple products either charged with a proprietary magsafe or a proprietary lightning port, I'd assume a company run by a former supply chain guy would prefer making one charger for everything.
     
    Hendertuckie likes this.
  8. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    There is the exact same video but with different wording to suit that discussion, I can't mention what it is, so Google it.

    JG
     
  9. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    I doubt they will moved from Lightning to USB-C, ever. Soon, there will be 1 billion devices with Lightning connectors on the market. Given that the only real advantage that USB-C has is the (eventual) ubiquity with laptops/desktops, I think the strategy of Lightning "for all things Apple mobile" is still viable.

    Also keep in mind, in a couple of years, or maybe even 7 months, Apple will move to a wireless charging system for iPhones (already there for Apple Watch). Since Apple devices can sync via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, the need for an actual port/cord to charge or sync data is about to diminish quickly.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2017
  10. noname74

    noname74 Allegedly Canadian

    Location:
    .
    This place isn't great at adapting.
     
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  11. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    How often do you go to a hotel and find a clock radio with an old-school 30 pin ipod/iphone dock? For me, its "usually". There were a tremendous number of those devices in play. There were a tremendous number of ps2 keyboard and mice in circulation. Some companies care about installed user base and legacy support more then others. Historically, Apple doesn't seem to care much - they like to rip the band-aid off quickly. Especially when them not caring requires you to replace your old parts with new parts that they sell. Think about it, we're in a thread which laments Apple's lack of legacy support.

    Mag-safe was their baby, they used it for a decade, went through two iterations of it, etc. When a better concept presented itself, they dropped it immediately and never looked back.
     
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  12. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Not only is it a way to gouge Mac fans out of more money, but it's never too late to buy a Windows 10 computer. :)

    Now, i'm not a Mac fan, but Steve Jobs would never have approved of this. He would have said that it's ridiculous. He liked to keep things simple and intuitive.
     
    McLover likes this.
  13. Vinyl Addict

    Vinyl Addict Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA

    Yes, I have this on my phone. USB-C
    Faster charging for sure, and supposed to be improved data transfer etc.
     
  14. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    Actually, I stayed at a hotel just this week... lots of USB-A power ports on the alarm clock, desk, etc.

    Given Apple's success with wireless Apple Watch charging and reliable data syncing for iPhones, AirPlay et al, the opportunity for using a relatively fragile connector like USB-C has passed.
     
  15. uofmtiger

    uofmtiger Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    I will let Steve Jobs answer this post:



    Apple says it has set "all-time revenue records for iPhone, Services, Mac and Apple Watch" in their last quarter, so they must be getting it right most of the time.
     
    SamS likes this.
  16. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    Required viewing, at least once a year.

    I have bought 2 W10 machines with my own hard-earned dollars. Only for use with legacy hardware and software. When I have a choice, I grab the Macs, every single time. Sorry didn't mean to be Mac vs. Windows. But since I have purchased both in the past year (not many of you have ;) ) I feel I'm a bit qualified to have an opinion.

    Finally had a need to use a dongle on my MacBook. Updated firmware to a device with USB-A stick. It was painless. And a $10 dongle that is used a few times a month doesn't bother me in the least.
     
    uofmtiger likes this.
  17. uofmtiger

    uofmtiger Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    This morning I received a USB-C to USB A cable. I used it to connect my MBP to a battery charger I got for my iPhone and the thing charged my MBP. Very nice feature to have, though it probably just makes the MBP lose its charge at a slower rate if you use the Mac while charging.

    As a side note, I got a new Toshiba convertible laptop running Win10 last year and a few of my Macs run Win10. My preference is also for MacOS.
     
  18. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    I'm a graphic arts professional working in the entertainment industry, for the past 7 years I've been using a 27" iMac with these specs: 2.93 ghz Quad Core i7 / 16gb RAM/ with Qty:1-256gb SSD and Qty:1-2TB HD inside. I will likely purchase the new MacBook Pro in it's most maxed out form soon, it will be my first pro Mac laptop. Now that I commonly work on both the east an west coasts, shipping my iMac has become tiresome and there's always the risk factor.

    I do find it interesting though that only now, 7 years after getting my top of the line iMac, can I purchase a laptop from Apple with essentially the same specs. Knowing how nicely my iMac works for Photoshop and vector graphics with these specs has me comfortable that the new MacBook Pro will work well for me. And yes, I realize that thought the specs on paper are essentially the same, the newer tech will very likely exceed the performance of my desktop iMac. While I lament some of what Apple does I am quite ready for some new tech, and as I posted earlier will simply buy one of the OWC docks to insure I can connect any of my older gear.
     
  19. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    More so now than ever, similar specs are not going to give you a good indicator or relative performance. Owning a 2016 MacBook Pro, I can attest it is blazing fast. I attribute that to PCIe SSD enhancements, and CPU architecture changes that Intel makes with every generation. If you're looking for a dock, my personal experience has been very good with CalDigit. They're not cheap, but they are very reliable and the performance will meet your expectations.
     
  20. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    Thanks for the CalDigit referral, I've never heard of them but will check out their products.
     
  21. uofmtiger

    uofmtiger Forum Resident

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    I have an Elgato Thunderbolt 2 dock that I have been using with my iMac for years. I simply bought a thunderbolt 3 to thunderbolt adapter and I was up and running. Since it has two lighting ports, I can also use it with target mode on my 2011 iMac. It has HDMI, as well. However, the port is assigned to the first computer hooked up to it, so I have to reboot my iMac if I want to see the MBP screen on my HDMI monitors.

    I am curious to see the new thunderbolt 3 docks that come along.
     
  22. kippy

    kippy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    I just ordered a refurbished 2015 MacBook Pro from Apple because of the port situation. The 2017 MacBook Pros no longer have a digital out port! I have a mobile DJ setup that wants a fiberoptic Toslink connection. I wanted an HDMI port, a digital out port, and a USB port. All are gone now! I understand where Apple is going, but it is a high-cost solution with bad backwards compatibility.

    Apple's biggest crimes against their power users:

    1. No update to Mac Pro for years...
    2. No update to Mac Mini for years...
    3. Digital out port removed from new Laptops
    4. No more upgradability to computer hardware
    5. The all-in-one IMacs will always suck IMO! I demand separates!

    I have a Mac Pro, 2 Mac Minis, MacBook Pro (arriving Wed.) and two gaming PCs. The older MacBook Pro I ordered is fine for my needs, but Apple has really left the door open for Windows. Apple has lost ground to the competition over the past two years in computer hardware. If I was starting from scratch, I might go with Windows. Apple needs to correct this.
     
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  23. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Apple has become incredibly out of touch with the public lately. I'm a huge Apple fan, but I've had to migrate to other platforms because they have made it too difficult to stay in their ecosystem with my video and photography business. It's a shame really. What's the point of removing ports, which are pretty unnoticeable, only to make your customers buy dongles which look far worse? It makes no sense. I listen to an Apple podcastevery week, they all loved Apple, and they all feel the same. Apply has really come down; the pros hate their new laptops with the silly bar at the top, which compels you to make a lot of mistakes as you accidentally push those buttons. I hope they get it together. I do love all of our iMacs in the office, but nothing is newer than 2009. I would love to update the hardware, but they abandoned me as far as I'm concerened.
     
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  24. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    How I wish I could argue with you. But you're correct on all counts. It's like they have completely forgotten why we buy these in the first place. For guys like us, it ain't to simply browse the web! We depend on this stuff to make a living, so they do have a responsiblity to us imo and they have really blown the higher end users completely off. I like my iPhone, but I think computers are not their priority at this point and I wish another company had come up with an iPhone like device so that Apple would have stayed focused on their old core business.
     
  25. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Sorry, I don't mean to totally hijack the thread with three posts in a row, but you bring up a good point. I'm glad you are enthusiastic that they are trying to really push things forward. The problem for me, and probably for Apple who wants to sell their computers to guys like me, is I'm really happy where I am. I do a ton of video and photography editing. It's fast enough for me. Getting all of this to work together takes time. I don't have the time to start over by buying new hardware that won't run software that I am perfectly happy with. I totally get it that this is not a good business model for Apple or anyone else, but it's the reality they face now. Of course, the other side of the story is if they listened to guys like me 15 years ago we wouldn't be where we are now as far as the beautiful tools we work with that are far better than those of 2005. But, I think you get my point. Sometimes good enough really is. I'm glad you see the future and feel in time they are making good moves, as I'm probably being too cynical about Apple as a company lately.

    Every time I buy new hardware I end up "breaking" our old hardware. We have a whole rack of printers here. I can't just throw them away when I find out they won't run on a new Mac. We have 30 dvd burners here. I can't just toss them when I find out that whatever chip set they are using won't run them, etc etc. They have not done a good enough job making sure equipment that works perfectly fine will run on their new platforms. Again, great business model for the industry but it isn't good for me. I've been burned far too many times. So, my mindset is now this: if we upgrade at some point, I will be upgrading everything to current products. I'll be sure it will probably work together, and won't waste so much time chasing drivers, etc. But we do HD across the board and everything is working quite well. Just no reason for us to do that. I think a lot of companies are thinking the same.
     
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