Ben Lovejoy, writing for 9to5mac:
Apple was an early adopter of the Thunderbolt standard, which allowed a single port to be used for both high-speed data transfer and DisplayPort monitor connections. Intel’s integration of the two standards would allow Apple to replace the Thunderbolt port in the MacBook Pro range while still maintaining full compatibility with existing peripherals.
Full compatibility, with the purchase of an adapter. Not a fan of port changeover, though the market clearly is. Money out of our pockets to buy adapters, money that drives the accessory/adapter market.
That said, I am a fan of standards, especially when it reduces the total number of cables I need to worry about. The move towards USB as a standard for cell phone chargers broke the cycle of waste, reducing the replacement charger options from a river of models to a handful, all of them with a USB plug on one end of the cable.
The move to USB-C is a short term pain, a long term gain.
This means that my beautiful Thunderbolt Display probably won’t work on my next Mac, since I’ve no intention of buying a new Mac this year.
That’s a bitter pill. Sure, I’ll get over it. But it’s still bitter.
Great move. Might cause a bit of cable confusion, but oh well.
I’m going to miss Lightning.
I can’t stand ‘standards’! Because they always suck compared to what Apple comes up with. Give me lightning over micro-USB ANYDAY!
Oh, that’s wonderful. I’m a bit skeptical it’ll handle the full display + everything, but we’ll see. At least there’s hope! Thanks. 🙂
One day there will be no ports and we’ll have wireless dongles on our peripherals until they die and we replace them.
Well, Apple “basically” created USB-C. Or at least had a huge part in it. And also played a role in creating Thunderbolt. Both are awesome, like you would expect from Apple. Its unlikely that USB-C will replace the lightning port on iOS devices due to how much thinner lightning is, but on Macs this is great. Especially combining TB3 and USB-C functionality into a single connector, big deal in my book. It will help Thunderbolt remain more than a niche in a world where USB speeds are getting faster and faster.