Apple is killing off MagSafe, one of the MacBook’s best features | Hacker News Reader

Apple is killing off MagSafe, one of the MacBook’s best features

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63 pointsrashkov55 comments

It's the only thing that makes me hesitate replacing my current MBP. Seriously, I can live with whatever ports the put on it, remove a headphone jack, I don't care, but don't take my MagSafe. It's not often that the MagSafe earns it's keep, but when you've got 70kg of dogs wrestling in the living room, sometimes MagSafe alone is worth the price of admission.

https://griffintechnology.com/us/breaksafe-magnetic-usb-c-po...

Because sometimes an upvote isn't enough: thanks for the pointer, that would be an acceptable compromise for me.

Well... if you have the new MBP and the new LG display then this won't do (assuming you charge the MBP from the display as intended)

That Griffin adapter is "power only, no data"

We need the equivalent but as a full-featured TB3 connector

In such a situation, both your computer and your monitor are likely to be on a desktop, relatively near one another, so the chance of sudden accidental separation is much lower.

Why wouldn't Apple make this their default offerings? Then they'd rather be applauded for keeping sanity over changes. This is getting typical of Apple.

Imagine you were going the opposite direction: From a set of standard all-in-one ports that could bring power, data, etc., but where a magnetic power cord option were available, to a bespoke and dedicated but very expensive power adapter and cord that only worked with Apple products.

How would that make you feel?

If that was the case Apple should've released the new iPhone with USB type C port instead of lightning but they don't want to do it.

Tough call on that one. Enough people were upset about the iPod connector going away, and now that the world is just becoming awash in Lightning connectors, another change was probably deemed too risky right now.

I can see them moving to a USB-C connector in 5 years or so, maybe as early as next year (but I doubt it).

This + 6 (vs 4) total ports and it will be pretty good.

I agree yet I've found over the last couple years that my use scenario has become 'unplug from this week's laptop spot and work/watch/surf until battery is empty - be slightly annoyed until i remember that this is the only prompt that forces me to put it and myself to bed, future-self more happy than otherwise would have been'. In the past I would have _needed_ to be plugged in or else not able to do anything for more than a couple hours, now the battery isn't my limiting factor. BTW I'm still using a slightly janky 2011 MBP so my definition of acceptable is probably different from the average around here.

The MS Surface Book has a MagSafe look-alike.

Speaking of which, I recall reading somewhere that Apple owns a patent on MagSafe like connectors for laptops/small electronics, is this still the case? Does MS have some kind of licensing deal with Apple for their magnetic connector or did they get around this patent somehow?

It's not quite the same. The Apple magsafe feels more firmly attached. The differences could come down to avoiding Apple's patents.

Apple and MS have a patent cross-licensing agreement, or so I've heard.

Apple patented something that is widely used in Asia most small house appliances come with a magnetic plug.

Apple, as a laptop manufacturer, is done.

The company is continuing to regress, having lost its edge (SJ).

They're completely on the process bandwagon of requiring more accessories, having lost the beauty and functionality of clever, practical simplicity which advances the user experience, instead of making it crappier and inconvenient for change's sake.

Tim Cook's gotta go, they need a more forceful visionary than a bean-counter. MacBook Pro's need to consider detachable displays, alternatives to keyboards, other modes of interaction, so on.

> detachable displays, alternatives to keyboards, other modes of interaction

Add built-in always-connected internet and you have an iPad Pro. The software isn't there quite yet, but it's really damn close.

Tim Cook is fine. Ive need to quit.

I haven't seen "Ive" at the beginning of a sentence before and it's surprisingly hard to parse.

Agreed

he's beautifully designing a load of nonsense

Apple is what - the biggest single laptop manufacturer? It seems hyperbolic to describe them as "done".

Apple isn't the biggest laptop manufacturer. http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-2015-notebook-m...

It's irrelevant if they get eaten alive by Microsoft.

MacBook Pro's don't even have a touchscreen, which would be the least innovation necessary to keep their heads above water.

Right now, Apple is a sinking titanic like Woolworths.

By profits they are for sure.

Three straight quarters of sales in free-fall.

No significant new products.

Done.

Completely agree. I need to replace my macbook air, but am seriously stumped: no more 12 hr battery, no more magsafe, a much higher price, and can't even stay on the MBA because the 16GB I was hoping for did not appear on the MBA.

Really. Don't know what to do now. I can't switch to Windows, don't want to go back to Linux. I feel like Apple has left me.

I'm buying 1-2 refurbished current gen Macbook Pros, and just hoping those and my current one will last me the next decade or so (its all solid state, so hopefully it will).

I usually regret stockpiling hardware. When the time arrives to crack out a spare, the market/situation has likely changed again and that golden SKU is no longer the worldbeater it once seemed.

I think Steve Gibson (SpinRite guy) mentioned that he has a freezer drawer full of Palm Pilot PDAs, that seemed a good idea at the time.

Just buy an old one after your current one breaks if you love Magsafe so much. I'm sure many will be willing to sell their old 2015 Macbook pros when one with wireless charging comes out in 2023.

* MagSafe

* USB

* Not needing a $25 adapter just to charge my iPhone

* Thunderbolt for my two Thunderbolt displays

Hopefully the used supply of MBP will stay deep for years.

You don't need a $25 adaptor, just a $25 cable!

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0X2AM/A/usb-c-to-lightni...

Seriously though the next iPhone/iPad will surely going to use USB-C also and ditch Lightning, which will dramatically simplify the connector situation going on at Apple.

If they were going to do that, then iphone 7 would have released with USB-C. At the moment I guess they don't want to break compatibility with every iPhone accessory on the market - but then again, they were never a company that cared about breaking standards, so I have no idea why the hesitation now.

try the dell xps 13 with fedora 24. you will be amazed!

The big advantage with Magsafe was when battery life was ~2 hours and it was a necessity to haul a power cord around all day and the laptop was primarily plugged in. Now? My power cord lives permanently at my desk -- I can't think of the last time my power cord was in a trippable location.

Yeah but unplugging for meetings is annoying enough with a magsafe. The real problem there that needs fixing is the meeting obsessed culture but in the meantime I have to do what I can to make things easier on myself.

Working in a laptop that is constantly in "power saving mode" is a painful experience. Even in a mac.

There are many third party solutions, like the Griffin Breaksafe. It eats a port, but that's better than the MacBook flying onto the ground. :-\

This is good for people who want to use one simple docking connector.

Still, every buyer who breaks his LCD screen after tripping over the power cord is going to resent Apple for this. It seems to me a poor choice.

Many users share one charger between devices (for example, a study group in a dorm lounge).

On the bright side, USB-C is a good standard and it deserves this kind of major love.

We just got over the huge uproar when Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone. Once this sinks in I think the dissent will be even louder.

Not everyone uses headphones, but everyone eventually has to charge their laptop. When I think of the times I've been saved by MagSafe I shudder.

Speak for yourself ;)

I haven't gotten over Apple crippling their devices (no standard audio output from an "audio" device, inability to charge while listening to music (on headphones), replacing bulletproof technology with much more complex, battery-operated tech, something I can only explain with the intention to monetize on what used to be a patent-free audio standard.

I'm not over it and I'm no longer excited about supporting their vision with my money.

Yes, I will likely move away from the iPhone which would be much easier if I could transfer the licenses for the apps I purchased.

Same for the MacBooks. All I can say is that they look cheaper to produce, are impossible to service and upgrade and are actively eliminating useful features.

Maybe I am no longer their demographic, I imagine these are the result of marketing research and so will sell better than I expect them to.

Just not to me.

The lack of HDMI will be worse.

I can count on there being an HDMI cable that works being within reach. I may have to yank one from a functioning display somewhere, but it is available IMMEDIATELY.

That is not the case for Thunderbolt. Even IF something has a port, I can't guarantee the presence of a cable.

So, I'm stuck with a Thunderbolt to HDMI dongle. And if that goes missing, I can't talk to a display.

(But "Airplay" I hear you cry. I have tried to use Airplay at presentations almost a dozen times. Only ONCE did it actually work. The other times I had to plug in to HDMI.)

I'm still sad about the second MagSafe - the first one was much better imho.

I really don't understand how companies go about making these decisions sometimes. MagSafe seems like such a simple and elegant solution to me. I understand that USB-C is the future and that with much better battery life I'm sure people aren't leaving their MacBooks plugged in as much as they were in the past, negating some of it's usefulness. I can also accept that on something like the 12" MacBook it might not work well since those are so light weight and thinness/compactness seems to be a selling point, so I get why it was removed.

I would have loved to see Apple include MagSafe charging in addition to USB charging in these new rMBP's. I can't imagine it would have been much of an engineering feat to include both methods of charging and I doubt including a MagSafe charger would have added much cost. Personally I would be willing to lose a USB port in favor of keeping MagSafe.

For people not stuck in Apple lock-in, USB-C charging is definitely a positive thing.

Have you laptop charge using you phone adapter, or the other way around. Currently on my desk I have 2 laptops and one phone, all of them are USB-C capable.

Was the magsafe connector ever anything more than a marketing gimmick? Do you fall over your laptop power chord daily? Weekly? Has is ever occurred?

Other people have walked into my power cord repeatedly. Every time I was thrilled at mag safe and praised it.

The problem with USB-C for everything is that your phone charger will not provide enough power to charge your laptop quickly, or even allow it to work. 10W phone charger is not going to sustain a MacBook Pro, and charging its battery would probably take 20 hours or more. I've got a small tablet(Asus Transformer) that has a regular Micro-USB charging port, but charging it with my phone charger takes ~15 hours from zero. It's cool that you can do that, but it's bad experience for the customer.

As for the magsafe connector - absolutely! if you have kids/pets around, magsafe connector will save your laptop almost daily.

Yes, because my phone charger is going to supply 90W.....

MacBook Pro only needs 61W - https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/

Admittedly, your phone charger is probably going to struggle with that too.

I don't see a reason not to have it thus asking how frequently MBs get tripped is moot.

Hypothetically speaking, if Apple had a patent on the 'magnetic power adaptor' and discontinued it in their own products, would this mean that nobody could produce such a thing. That seems like it would be a ludicrous situation.

Yes - they can do exactly what you have described.

Maybe the MacBook is too light for MagSafe to work safely. Also the adapters tend to fray after a while.

If apple stops using MagSafe currently, will their patent on it expire eventually?

Someone will create a magsafe adapter that lies relatively flat against the port.

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