Marco Arment on the new MacBook Pro’s four USB-C ports

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Marco Arment:

Having four USB-C ports is awesome.

Having only four USB-C ports is going to hurt the versatility requirement of pro gear, because there’s a very real chance that you won’t have the right dongle when you need it.

This is going to happen a lot, because even though USB-C is the future, it’s definitely not the present. We’ve had the standard USB plug (USB-A) in widespread use for 18 years, and it’s going to take a few more years for USB-C to become so ubiquitous that we can get away without USB-A ports most of the time.

A pro laptop released today should definitely have USB-C ports — mostly USB-C ports, even — but it should also have at least one USB-A port.

I currently have dongles to plug in my existing Time Machine drive (USB-C to USB-B, picture here) and another to plug my Cinema Display into my new MacBook Pro (USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 to Mini Display Port/Thunderbolt 2, picture here). Tap both pics to embiggen.

Will I need more dongles? Undoubtedly. Marco is arguing that the MacBook Pro is too forward thinking and should have been designed for the present. My machine will arrive in a few weeks. I’ll stew in the soup, have a better sense of things once I live in the brave new dongular world for a while.



2,192 thoughts on “Marco Arment on the new MacBook Pro’s four USB-C ports”

  1. “another to plug my Cinema Display into my new MacBook Pro (USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 to Mini Display Port/Thunderbolt 2, picture here).”

    The MBPro can drive the Cinema with that adapter, but that’s not the case for the 12-inch MacBook, correct?

  3. I would hope part of being a pro is having the right dongles. The amount of gear pros in most fields have to deal with is high enough that an adapter or cable shouldn’t be onerous.

  4. Excellent question, don’t know. Ask me on Twitter (@davemark) and I will retweet. Someone will know.

  5. either he’s trolling, or he simply doesnt get Apple and never will. apple is forward-thinking, and they skate to where the puck is going. always. this is old news.

    but i get it, Marco makes his money by staying in the lime light, which means being a contrarian. tool.

  6. yeah it’s absurd. it makes no sense for apple to build in legacy ports when adapters do the job for the decreasing number of people who need them. it makes no sense to build it into the layout, which by its nature means compromises elsewhere, power consumption, etc..

    most people dont ever need dongles. I’ve never used one. as legacy USB use cases shrink fewer people will need them. if one is the exception to the norm, then use an adapter, done.

  7. Approximately 100% of MacBook Pro buyers today will need a USB A dongle. 2 years from now, that number will probably shrink down to 99%.

  8. Shame on them for removing MagSafe. That has seriously saved my butt on more than one occasion.

  10. Marco is correct. And, there’s a lot of comments on this page that anecdotally tell us that we won’t need this flexibility and that we should just get over it.

    Well, they’re correct. I’m going to get over it by buying something else.

    It’s my budget, my funds, my work and most importantly, my workflows.

    Apple can stop telling me how to run my business now.

  14. 😀 Buy you get the point….Decent docking station for your desk, and nothing else really need on the road, right?

  15. Marco is incorrect. I don’t want to carry legacy ports , that I’ll never use, around with me wherever I go.

    BTW I don’t believe one bit that you’ve ever used an Apple product. Looking over your comment history you are an obvious anti-Apple troll and probably paid by Samsung or Microsoft. Go away troll.

  16. Marco is incorrect. USB-C is (becoming) the standard and USB-C connections are (becoming) cheap, universal and widely available.

    Revisit this in Spring 2017 and you will see the issue will have gone away.

    The past is past. The future is NOW.

  17. I wonder why everyone is talking about dongles and not just getting replacement cables. I would think that having USB-C to USB-whatever cables would be preferable to dongles, and less expensive.

  19. There is no chance that 20 years of USB A is going away that quickly. This 100x as big as the dock->lightning transition. Maybe 1000x as big.

  20. Fair point. But a lot of devices (e.g. sticks and a lot of hard drives) don’t have separate cables.

  22. I think people are forgetting that the replacement cycles for laptops/desktops are quite long now, something like 6 years. Having a USB-A port might be convenient in the near term, but 4 years from now you would probably curse that wasteful port and wish it was another USB-C port.

    Given that USB-A to USB-C adapters are dumb, cheap, and small, I don’t really understand what everyone is complaining about with when they talk about saving a pound of laptop weight in exchange for a pound of dongles. And I don’t think it’s crazy to ask professional photographers to carry around an external SD card reader so that the rest of us can get a better laptop.

  23. Behold, the unicorn that owns one of the 3 shipping USB C monitors, and never needs to use a memory stick, external hard drive, printer, scanner, wired keyboard or mouse, camera, or any other external device away from his desk.

    Are you from the future?

  24. nay, rj

    You must look outside of your small scope. USB-C is THE standard for all devices going forward. The non-apple device marketplace will make this transition quick and cheap.

    To all the complainers: did you notice there is no more 30 pin vs lighting squawking and every user can say the lightning connectors ‘just work’?

  26. I’ve been around long enough to have seen many transitions. None have happened nearly as quickly as you suggest, and none have been nearly as big as this one. Dock->lightning was inconsequential compared to this.

    As one example, there are probably hundreds of millions of USB A memory sticks in circulation. Those aren’t going to disappear in a few years, let alone a few months.

  28. I’ve never seen a hard drive that didn’t have a detachable cable. Sticks, sure. But then again, sometimes it’s better to have short adapter cable for a stick just so it isn’t sticking out the side so much – e.g. cramped airplane seats.

  29. Relax, dude. Its a joke.

    The point is this: USB A is by far the most ubiquitous standard in the history of computing. There are more things in existence that plug into USB A than anything else – possibly including power outlets, which vary from country to country.

    I cannot think of a single user I know who, beginning in late 2016, can reasonably expect to not ever need USB A again. Even my retired father was concerned about his printer when he heard the new MacBook Pro he was planning to buy didn’t have any USB ports (he was fine after I explained the situation to him).

    For many the usage will be infrequent enough that the dongle is fine. I expect to be among those. But virtually everybody is going to need at least one dongle at some point. In the case of USB A, the OP’s statement that “most people don’t ever need dongles” just isn’t correct.

  30. When the original iMac came out it got rid of serial ports and went with USB only. There were only a handful of USB printers, hard disks, scanners, etc. on the market – not much to choose from. Soon after, they were everywhere. Apple pushed the industry toward USB much faster than would have happened otherwise.

    Apple is trying to do the same again. If you are a peripheral maker and you know that your customers only have built-in USB-C – you’re going to offer USB-C.

    Apple is pushing the industry forward. But this time, they’re not just replacing a single port, they’re replacing all of the ports with one. USB for power, display, low and high bandwidth peripherals. It’s a good goal, if not a lofty one. But you can’t achieve that goal if peripheral vendors know there’s that one legacy port on customers’ computers.

  31. Marco’s tl/dr; is (1) not even one USB-A port and (2) no SD card slot.

    USB-A argument:

    Some folks heavily use memory sticks and other adapters (e.g., cellular adapter, wireless input device adapter) that plug directly into USB-A port. Dongle would make it much less convenient to plug them in. But the problem could be solved, albeit at some expense, by replacing them with a USB-C version.

    As for other USB-A devices, again, you can avoid dongles by replacing them with legacy USB to USB-C cable. And these cables, while not free, aren’t expensive.

    SD card slot argument:

    SD card is more controversial. Many folks don’t use SD card slot often. I am one of them. But I know many photographers that use SD slot heavily while on assignment. So I can understand how it would be cumbersome to carry and plugin an external card reader.

    Having said that, there are multiple SD card readers that plug-in directly to USB-C port like memory stick. Some even have USB-A and other ports (e.g., HyperDrive). Yes, it’s another thing to carry an they will stick out a bit. But they are getting smaller and more stylish.

    So I can’t help but feel that Marco and other folks decrying over legacy ports would soon feel out of date within a couple of years.

  32. Typical Marco. “I see so many sides of the argument that I am paralyzed with conflicting sympathies.”

  33. Okay. It’s tough to convey tone, I’ll accept that you meant it as a joke. Apologies. 🙂

    As for my setup: My keyboard, mouse, hard drives, printer and scanner are all wireless. My current monitor would take a Thunderbolt dongle, and that’d likely be enough of me.

    I do think there’s a problem here, though. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the USB-C ports on the laptop itself, but I do think the LG display Apple’s suggesting is too forward-looking. It should have at least a couple “standard” USB ports on it.

    You’re absolutely right I might need a portable SD reader, though I’d have to buy that anyway. So I would probably wait for a while and get a USB-C one. That’s assuming my wife gets my current Retina MacBook Pro. I could use it for a once-every-few-weeks photo download from my Nikon.

    Btw, did you know that Apple makes Thunderbolt 3/USB-C to Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 3/USB-C to Lightning cables? I didn’t. You’d think from some of the panic I’ve been reading online that product didn’t exist. I’d probably buy those right away. I wonder if I could run the Thunderbolt display off the LG monitor? That would still give me a single connection for everything.

    But for the moment I’m sticking with my Retina MacBook Pro. Not because the new MacBook Pro wouldn’t be an upgrade, but because I don’t need that much power quite yet. But god, I’d love to have that Touch Bar. Function keys have become such a mess in OS X.

  34. They definitely exist… I’ve owned more than one portable drive without a detachable cable over the years.

    I think the replacement cable idea has merit for lots of cases, but ultimately I expect a lot of users will have to carry “just in case” USB A adapter for the foreseeable future as well.

  36. I don’t consider him a troll. He seems more confused to me than anything else. Very talented, but often torn between opposing impulses.

  37. Right. This is actually more appropriate time to use the word “courage.”

    Some folks had to purchase dongles when iMac was unveiled. But iMac quickly drove USB adoption (which was out for several years but not widely adopted), which is all the more remarkable given Apple had very low market share at the time.

    Within few years, just about every devices (e.g., input devices, printers, external disks, card readers) switched to USB, many sporting a translucent iMac look.

    USB-C is a superior connector in every way.

    I sympathize with those that heavily use SD slot, however, since that could not easily be replaced with USB-C or WiFi.

  38. wtf are you talking about? where has anyone from Apple told you what to do? they haven’t, and your perspective is warped. Apple is a toolmaker, like Black & Decker. if you like their tools, you add them to your toolbox. if you dont, you find tools you do like.

    it’s really that simple. no one is bossing you around so the Nerd Rage is unwarranted. and quite bizarre, really.

  39. I originally included a smiley in my post, but I guess I inadvertently deleted it. Sorry for the confusion.

    I didn’t realize it until you pointed it out that the LG doesn’t have legacy ports. That’s disappointing. I really like the elegance of one cable for power and everything else; that’s a bit diminished if I need to hang USB A and SD card dongles off it. I’ve mostly used Dell monitors over the years- maybe they will make one that has the legacy stuff included.

    You’d need a new 15″ for LG->Thunderbolt. And could you stomach looking at the non-Retina, non-wide gamut Thunderbolt after the LG?

  40. yeah thats just crap you made up, I’m afraid.

    i have a desktop, an iPad, and my notebook. i use my notebook when I’m (wait for it…) mobile. it connects to my dev environment, my code, git, etc. i do my work. my work doesnt require adapters or memory cards. never has.

    you’re stuck in a common techie fallacy — the notion that YOUR needs match EVERYONE’s needs. or even MOST. in actuality they very often dont. thus Apple makes decisions it feels are best for the majority of their users and for the company. Nerd Rage is irrelevant.

  41. Agree. He absolutely needs everyone to like him. And that’s why he can’t take a strong stand on anything. Because he might irritate some faction of his readers.

  42. I would say that Apple skates to where they hit the puck.

    “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
    – Alan Kay

  43. Here’s the “common techie fallacy”:
    “most people dont ever need dongles (or memory card slots). I’ve never used one.”

    There is no chance this will be true for USB C -> USB A. None.

  44. he OP’s statement that “most people don’t ever need dongles” just isn’t correct.

    again, opinion, not fact. citing your dad is what we call an “anecdote”.

    the reality is, even if it had an A port you’d be complaining it didn’t have two. etc etc… we’ve played this game before.

  49. So you’ve never needed to transfer files with a USB stick? Ever? That strikes me as pretty implausible.

  50. I didn’t say everybody needs what I need.

    There are literally billions of USB A devices in circulation… who do you think is using them?

  51. Considering the fact that I still occasionally (albeit very rarely) run into situations where I need a VGA adapter, you are vastly overstating the rate of turnover.

  52. Of course, left unstated is that they immediately added Firewire in the 1999 iMac, which would indicate that they realized USB only was a mistake.

  53. Meaux, I occasionally (albeit very rarely) run into situations where I need a Whitworth Spanner. Not really seeing how your comment about a VGA adapter adds to this convo as no Mac laptop in recent history has had a VGA port.

  54. I’m with those who think Apple should have thought this through better.

    At least for the purposes of Apple devices themselves, this is a problem. An iPhone can no longer be plugged into the new MBP natively. Likewise the earphones that come with the iPhone can’t be used with a new MBP – and the headphones you use with your Mac probably won’t work with your iPhone.

    The Apple hardware ecosystem used to be seamless, which added uncountable value for users over the years. It seems to me these transitions could have been much better accomplished without destroying a big part of that value for the foreseeable future.

    (It’s worth noting that a lot of people just won’t bother to buy these various dongles. They don’t want to go to the trouble; realize they may lose them anyway or not have them with them when needed – oops, that’s plugged into my other computer at home, etc – or will simply be too lazy. They’ll just put up with reduced function. The whole deal makes for a significant frictional cost for users.)

  55. The fact that you still see an ancient I/O ports despite the existence of USB for two decades and HDMI for a decade and a half shows the stickiness of legacy ports. VGA was the dominant video I/O port for less time than USB and HDMI have been around. Judging by that, expecting a quick flushing out of these legacy ports will take a while. And that ignores a lot of more durable, non-PC items that will still have USB-A (electrical outlets, TVs, cars, etc.). The sheer ubiquity of USB-A will mean that the transition will take a bit.

  56. Also, the backs of commercial airplane seats. Those aren’t changing any time soon.

    USB C looks great, but I’d wager USB A will be more common worldwide than USB C for at least 5 more years, and still pretty common in 10. We’ll be carrying adapters of one sort or another for years to come.

  57. That falls under etc. There’s no way I could list every random thing out there with a USB-A port in them.

  58. Sooo, USB-C to USB-B, USB-C to mini display port, USB-C to ethernet…

    By the time I’m done i’m carrying more weight in dongles than I am in computer.

  2185. SE/30, Quadra 700, Power Mac 8100, Power Mac 9100, Umax 3000 clone, G3 tower, G3 Bondi Tower, G4 Sawtooth, G4 Mirror Door, Power Mac G5, iMac 2009, Cheese Grater Mac (early 2009),
    PowerBook 240, Powerbook Lombard, PowerBook g4 Titanium, MacPro 2006, Macc Mini 2006… where do you want me to stop?

  2187. USB conversion is easy. Look around. It’s been growing all year, thanks to the MacBook, phones, and even some Windows netbooks. I’ll need a hub anyway, since I have so many USB 2.0 and 3.0 devices. Monoprice has a USB-C to 7 port USB-A 3.0 hub for $27, done.

    The problem this “pro” is having is Thunderbolt 2 devices, from audio interfaces to drives. Apple’s $49 giant white adapter is ugly (when put next to a sleek, new, space gray MBP). Other adapters are $80+. These damn TB2 cables were already $50 as it is.

    Without a TB2 port on the MBP, where is the black USB-C TB3 to TB2 replacement cable that I need?

  2189. so, usually Apple’s systems (until a few years ago), could be upgraded. Often when the products ships, Apple (or any other OEM) could only test so far – as only that amount/type of RAM was available…

    … so while power or whatever criteria limit the new Mac Book Pro to 16GB, IF Apple had made the laptop RAM ‘upgradeable’, this would not have been an issue … even better, some users could choose to upgrade more RAM and have less battery life… sometimes choices matter.

    I hope Apple gets back to computers, in the more conventional sense (hardware wise) soon.

    I think the port/cable issue is much less of an issue than the fixed RAM, FWIW.

  2190. They should have kept the same form factor as 2012 and put the 4 USB-C and a Lightning on the other side of the device and sold it as “old” on one side and “new” on the other and said that the next model will drop all the old ports. Then device makers get a fire under them to become compatible with the new side, and yet users can still show up to a studio and plug in to what is there.

    iMac did not have USB and that was it. There was still other ports, even though within about 3 years you could get USB versions of those ports.

    The whole MacBook Pro is supposed to be a dongle. The side ports are a Swiss Army knife.

  2191. I bought the 24-inch Cinema along with my Late-2011 MBP13. No issues there.

    That’s not the case with the MB12, which, AFAIK, will not drive it.

  2192. My 2013 MBA will drive the 30″ Cinema display at 2550×1600 with no issues.

    The specs for the 12″ MacBook say it’ll drive a 4K display; I can’t see it not supporting the 24″ cinema…

    (per apple’s specs:

    Intel HD Graphics 515

    Dual display and video mirroring: simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels at 30Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors)

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