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To be fair, USB-C, especially with Thunderbolt, is much more universal. There are adapters for pretty much every “legacy” port out there so if you really need FireWire you can have it, but it’s clear why FireWire isn’t built into the laptop itself anymore.
The top MacBook Pro is also the 2016+ pre Apple Silicon chassis (that was also used with M chips, but sort of as a leftover), while the newer MacBook Pro chassis at least brought back HDMI and an SD card reader (and MagSafe as a dedicated charging port, although USB-C still works fine for that).
Considering modern “docking” solutions only need a single USB-C/Thunderbolt cable for everything, these additional ports only matter when on the go. HDMI comes in handy for presentations for example.
I’d love to see at least a single USB-A port on the MacBook Pro, but that’s likely never coming back. USB-C to A adapters exist though, so it’s not a huge deal. Ethernet can be handy as well, but most use cases for that are docked anyway.
I like the Framework concept the most, also “only” 4 ports (on the 13" at least, plus a built-in combo jack), but using adapter cards you can configure it to whatever you need at that point in time and the cards slide into the chassis instead of sticking out like dongles would. I usually go for one USB-C/Thunderbolt on either side (so charging works on either side), a single USB-A and video out in the form of DisplayPort or HDMI. Sometimes I swap the video out (that also works via USB-C obviously) for Ethernet, even though the Ethernet card sticks out. For a (retro) LAN party, I used 1 USB-C, USB-A (with a 4-port hub for wired peripherals), DisplayPort and Ethernet.
The pursuit of the “perfect body.”
Yes, they should totally bring back the firewire port!
I actually prefer the standardization here. Sick of having 2 boxes of different cords.
I miss having a thousand different cables to keep track of /s
really, all we need is the companies to start packing those laptops with thunderbolt3 or equivalent USB-C (USB 4). I love the old ports, but they were unnecessary. I’d rather the industry finally takes on the open thunderbolt standard and we’re all good to go. With 10 thunderbolt ports you have 10 HDMI, or 10 USB, or 10 Ethernet, or 10 headphone jacks, or 10 RJ45 or whatever you need + PCIe tunneling.
USB-C is awesome though. I carry one charger amd dongle for HDMI and ethernet. It serves my many devices including Steam Deck, phone and laptop.
Is this rage bait? Those are different macbooks. I think the bottom ones are pros. My current Pro M2 has HDMI and magsafe. My M1 (Air?) is like the top one, but is not in fact a pro and therefore does not provide as many ports.
Asus G16 2023 has 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C (one of them supports Thunderbolt), Ethernet, HDMI, 3.5 mm jack, and a micro-SD slot.
I never use the ports on my laptop. It never bothered me that they removed them all. Granted I know that’s just my use case I can t speak for everyone.
I dont know why this is controversial. I’m way more happy with 4x USB-C, than 5 unique ports, that will likely never be used on a regular basis, even when they were relevant
How about this:
- 4x USB-C (can’t see why I’d need 4 though, 3 is plenty)
- 2x USB-A
- HDMI
- RJ-45
- headphone jack
- microsd
That should still fit just fine on the chassis if they didn’t do the stupid curve thing, and it certainly wouldn’t make it thicker.
There is still a headphone jack, it’s on the other side.
Yup, I have a 2019 Macbook Pro, so I’m well aware. But it doesn’t have any of the other stuff I mentioned. The new Macbook Pros has most of it, but still no RJ-45.
I honestly wish every company would just stop using USB A. So many companies still including it are preventing device manufacturers from going all in on C.
What’s wrong with having the option?
The more its held onto on devices, the more things will just keep using it. If we had ditched USB A on new devices (desktop motherboards included) companies would start actually releasing USB C peripherals and other devices. Think mouse dongles, keyboards, speakers, etc.
I honestly don’t really see that as a problem. If customers really want USB-C, they’ll buy USB-C peripherals and USB-A will drop off naturally. But if USB-A peripherals are more attractive (i.e. cheaper), then I see no problem with both continuing to exist. Let the people decide, don’t force USB-C down their throats…
If customers really want USB-C, they’ll buy USB-C peripherals and USB-A will drop off naturally.
How? If there are basically no USB-C peripherals, how are people going to buy them to show their support? One side needs to start first so the other will get on board, otherwise people will just stick to USB-A because there is no other real option. Apple is trying, and they are usually the trendsetters in the tech space, but it doesn’t seem like the rest of the market is jumping on board like the usually do.
The people can’t decide if there isn’t anything to decide on.
There are USB-C peripherals though. I just did a quick check for “USB-C <thing>” (tried mouse, keyboard, and drive) and found plenty of options. The USB-A devices are frequently cheaper, probably because USB-A compliance is a lot easier than USB-C compliance, which translates to cheaper products.
If the market doesn’t jump to support USB-C, it’s probably because it’s either too expensive or customers don’t care. If neither is the case, the companies that make USB-C devices would make a killing and everyone else would rush to catch up.
I personally slightly prefer USB-C, but I don’t need everything to be USB-C. USB-A still works fine, and they work especially well w/ my older devices. What benefits do I get by switching to USB-C? Having everything the same is nice, but how much is that actually worth when it comes to extra costs?
Going forward, this is the way. However, there is a massive amount of usba legacy hardware like mouse/keyboard dangles, headsets, hubs, chargers, and other less universally available products. Just think about how long PS2 and VGA ports existed on montherboards.
I would prefer 10x USB C than that shit, lol
Especially the HDMI and jack are just silly to drop.
They already come with what you ask, minus usb-a and honestly fuck usb-a
2024 16" macbook pro: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/121554
- Charging and Expansion
- SDXC card slot
- HDMI port
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- MagSafe 3 port
- Three Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports with support for:
- Charging
- DisplayPort
- Thunderbolt 5 (up to 120Gb/s)
- Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
- USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
- I like USB-A
- RJ45 is important to me
- the only USB-C I use are my hub, work monitor, and power adapter
USB-A and RJ45 have far more value to me than a third USB-C. I’ve only ever used 2x USB-C at the same time, whereas my USB-C hub is crammed with non-USB-C ports.
RJ45 and HMDI in particular are way thicker than usb-c
True, yet they would totally fit, and do fit on the newer Macbook Pros. And many professional class laptops have RJ45 w/o making it any thicker (port flips down, so it doesn’t need to be full-height always).
RJ45 connectors are commonly a folding down connector. HDMI can be replaced with a micro HDMI and is often replaced with additional USBC to utilize display port alt mode.
You like a little baggy of dongles and adapters?
I’ve got an external screen that connects with a USB-C-to-C cable to that thunderbolt port.
Finding a cable supporting that is harder though, it needs both Power Delivery(PD) as DisplayPort(DP), and most cables don’t support the bandwidth for DP.
All you need is a travel dongle with hdmi displayport some USB-A and ethernet (If you really need that, tho) for me laptop screen on the go is good enough, have no usb-A devices (and those who have are upgraded to C using permanent usb legacy adapter mounted on the cable) and on the go, wifi/hotspot is good enough.
At home, ethernet and USB A are connected through the usb C 4k monitor.
4 USBC would be cool. Most of these devices only have 2 or 3, minus 1 required for power delivery. If you have peripherals a hub is almost required.
I do have 4, but except for extremely rare circumstances I only ever use one. A single USBC cable handles an external display, power, plus extra accessories like a keyboard via a built-in hub in the monitor. If you wanted to that monitor also supports daisy chaining another monitor without having to plug it into the laptop.
Obviously it’s quite a subjective thing, but if you happen to use tools from after USBC was a thing and your laptop routine is pretty established, I think you can get a ton of simplicity and function out of those ports.
That’s great for a docking station setup. But if all you need is docking stations at home and the office, just get a mini PC/ mac mini.
Laptops are supposed to be useful without a docking station, and if all you have is USB-C you can’t even read most thumb drives.
Well I also use my laptop in isolation away from those docked environments, so it is useful.
To be honest I’m not sure I’ve plugged in a USB drive in the last year, likely much longer. But I do keep a tiny A to C adapter in my bag, so if need be I can easily plug a traditional A connector in. If I were to buy a usb drive today I’d get a USB C or hybrid one.
Having to carry dongles and hubs to connect to devices severely impacts the convenience of a laptop.
I agree, but I really don’t do that. What I do remember 10 years back is carrying around a bunch of different cables for each of the ports I had, which is practically the same issue.
I only carried cables if I was carrying the device that required the cable. If I needed to plug into something where I was going, whatever device I was using had a USB-A cable already.
With .ost modern laptops, you have to carry a hub so you can use that cable.
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Content note: shilling
Just had a look at the prices, I can get 128 GB of RAM for the price that Apple charge for 16 GB of RAM.
I’m tempted to get 128 GB of RAM just because, I definitely don’t need it.
It’s nuts. Framework marks up their RAM, and it’s still way cheaper through them than through Apple, and you can buy aftermarket RAM too.
My next personal laptop will probably be Framework, especially since nearly everything else is going soldered RAM.
The new (not that new anymore) macbook PROs do have separate DC input, HDMI, SD card slot and HDMI. And to be honest, for an average computer user those ports are pretty useless, however if you do need them it comes at a rather steep premium.
That’s what happens when designers boss engineers around. Form over function is pure cancer and it’s becoming pervasive in our civilization due to the overwhelming ubiquity of propaganda(marketing). I have nothing but contempt for these trends.
And there’s the soldered RAM and storage, and glued-in or screwed-in battery…
ThinkPad gang laughing in redundant tf ports
