Apple's new MacBook Pro might ditch regular USB ports

Is anyone else getting serious connector fatigue?

For so long, USB 2.0 with a Type-A connector was the standard. You saw Type-B connectors on printer cables, but the other end always had the reassuring Type-A connector.

Then along came USB 3.0, and USB 3.1, which have the same receptacle as 2.0, but aren't necessarily interchangeable. USB 3.x adoption is still lacklustre, so you now have a bunch of devices with different versions, and new systems come with a mixture of 2.0 and 3.0 ports. Why? Isn't 3.0 backwards compatible, and better?

Now we have USB Type-C, which doesn't bear any resemblance to anything which came before.

USB Type-C makes sense because it's smaller, but we already have a mind-boggling array of smaller USB connectors for mobile devices, like USB Mini-A and Mini-B (What's the difference? Did they elope to create Mini-AB?). Then Micro-A and Micro-B, which sound a lot like the Mini variants, but aren't. What the hell is Micro-B SuperSpeed, and why is it actually two ports?

While all this has been going on, three versions of Thunderbolt have emerged. Thunderbolt v1 and v2 inexplicably use a Mini DisplayPort connector. Thunderbolt v3 uses a USB Type-C connector, but isn't the same as USB Type-C. Or is it?

Meanwhile, the general population are still furious that Lightning came along and rendered half their iPod/iPhone/iPad accessories redundant.

I wouldn't mind Apple dropping USB Type-A ports in favor of Type-C for the new MacBook Pro, but I'd like some kind of reassurance that USB Type-C is going to last more than a couple of years...

Finally. I have been waiting for this. I'm not being sarcastic.

I have a MBP at work and at home. When they are on the desk, both have a 7 things plugged into them. When I lift it up, I have to unplug 7 things. When I put it down, I have to plug all 7 things back in. Being able to plug those all into a single dongle which I can then plug into the computer. Besides convenience, it would also make cable management easier.

That said, I hope the pro model has a least two and that it keeps an HDMI port.

FINALLY. I have been waiting for this. Once they lock down all of the hardware ports they should take a hard look at the keyboard. Do users even need to be able to enter in text input or control their own computers? The evolution of the mac seems to confirm the persistent rumor apple is working on a tv. If they strip out virtually any ability for a user to interact with the device, it becomes a one-way broadcast medium, e.g. a TV. I know I can't wait, I just picked up $300.00 headphones that ensure I can listen to the apple certified audio for at least two hours at a time. what a time to be alive.

<sarcasm>

Slowly making laptops less useful.

Why not discontinue macbooks altogether and just sell iPads?

Oh wait, the same people buy both.

If you are still paying retail for macbooks you are an idiot.