Apple Deprecated All My Stuff | Hacker News Reader

Apple Deprecated All My Stuff

leejo.github.io

23 pointsleejo20 comments

I feel like this transition would go way way smoother if Apple released a single Apple TV-sized USB-C to everything else hub, with USB-A, DVI, HDMI, thunderbolt ports, instead of 5 different adapters.

Even better, they could have added all of these to the MacBook charger brick. In fact, why hasn't anyone released such a product yet?

That's a good idea, but people don't always place the brick part of the charger on their desk. I usually use the direct connector (not the long one) and plug it into the wall. I would need extension cables to connect everything to it.

You mean like this?

https://www.bourgedesign.com/

Wow, this looks great. Hopefully it actually materializes and works. Would be great to just throw this in my backpack, definitely solve s the bag-of-dongles issue.

So like a laptop dock, except its not underneath but besides/behind your laptop?

Imagine how it feels when it's software you've spent many years crafting. I've been developing on the Mac since the late 80s and pretty much the entirety of what we think of as the "Mac" has been deprecated on multiple occasions. There used to be this thing called the Toolbox which contained all the windowing GUI methods stored in ROM, then it was pretty much the entirety of the classic to NeXTSTEP transition we called Carbon, then it was most of Mac OS when they downsized it for iOS.

Nowadays I wouldn't advise using native calls. It's probably better to get into something like Cordova or Ionic since if you are going to have any online capability, things like Core Data are going to feel antiquated compared to something like Firebase or RethinkDB. Not to mention the basic pain of rewriting your app to be cross platform with something like MinGW or The Cocotron.

I still love Apple but from what I can tell, they are running out of options in both the hardware and software space because everything is about to go to VR and nobody is going to care what's running behind the scenes. Maybe Google is the new Apple, but to be blunt, no company has had the UX vision that Apple has. People are worried about a lack of ports on the new MacBook Pros but what we should really be worried about is a world without the simplicity and elegance of Apple in all things.

Well, they make lots of USB-C to micro-b superspeed, so that's not really an issue:

https://www.amazon.com/Axxbiz-CableBiz-C016B-USB-Type-Cable/...

As for needs X number of adapters... or just buy a hub? Or are you actually carting around an external keyboard everywhere you go...? In which case why are you using a macbook in the first place?

https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Adapter-Including-ChromeBook...

I can get hating on Apple when they introduce new PROPRIETARY ports. But for the love of god, USB-C was the best decision they ever made. Is it going to take some time for devices in the rest of the ecosystem to make the switch? Sure... but the short-term pain is worth dragging the industry along.

Also... you can replace the battery pretty easily in a macbook.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Disp...

> Well, they make lots of USB-C to micro-b superspeed, so that's not really an issue:

Excellent! Do you know if there's anything available to simplify USB-C to Mini Toslink?

> I can get hating on Apple when they introduce new PROPRIETARY ports. But for the love of god, USB-C was the best decision they ever made. Is it going to take some time for devices in the rest of the ecosystem to make the switch? Sure... but the short-term pain is worth dragging the industry along.

This is pretty much my conclusion in the post. "Same as it ever was".

Did you hear about Apple's latest marketing initiative? They are renaming all the Apple Stores. From now on, they will be known as "Dongle City".

1999: Apple deprecated all my stuff. My LaserWriter and CD player don't work with my iMac; this USB port thing is never gonna work

Worst thing about USB-c is that it seems like they have taken a dozen unique cables and replaced then with a dozen usb-c cables, that all look the same, but aren't.

Stories of cables not meeting spec, fried devices, daisy chain widgets that don't, the new TB3 chip not being compatible with the older TB chip, etc.

90% of the "unique cables" weren't unique. Is that HDMI cable 1.1 or 1.2 spec? What, you can't tell? Is that USB cable 3.0 compatible, or just 2.0? What about the port, is it 3.0 or 2.0?

The "this cable looks the same but doesn't work" has been an issue since the beginning of computers. As for "fried devices" - those are, in every case I've seen, an issue that had nothing to do with USB-C and everything to do with cheap Chinese knock-offs.

If anyone has recommendations for adapting to the new USB-C based hardware, I'd be interested in hearing it. I haven't had time to do the research myself but will if nothing shows up in this thread (the new machine arrive late this month).

The only hardware that I regularly use on my current machine, a 7 year old MacBook Air, is a mouse, keyboard, headphones, monitor and external hard drive. All of which connect using what I'd call a "USB" cable, though it seem to me that there may be multiple types of those.

I really don't understand why there is such a complaint about Apple finally moving to an open standard.

I mean this is an age old cycle. People consistently complain about the changes in technology. Without these changes there would be no innovation. No updates. Do people want status quo for the rest of their lives!? What's the deal?

Also if you have the money to spend $2000+ on a new computer, is it not safe to assume that you can afford a couple dongles until the industries move to that standard?

> What's the deal?

I guess i need to take more pictures, because clearly no one reads the articles. Here's the relevant quote from the final section for you:

"Here’s the thing - USB is a mess, and pretty much has been for at least 10 years. At least Apple have now standardised on one messy connectivity option rather than three (or four, or five)."

Slightly OT, but what version of the HHKB is that? I've never seen one with that layout (the JIS version has arrow keys but it's quite different...)

Edit: also, be aware that the Apple USB-C to TB2 adapter doesn't support DisplayPort! So you'll need a different cable for your monitor - or, better, a dock where to plug everything in.

> Slightly OT, but what version of the HHKB is that? I've never seen one with that layout (the JIS version has arrow keys but it's quite different...)

HHKB Lite 2 (Model No: KUH0010).

> Edit: also, be aware that the Apple USB-C to TB2 adapter doesn't support DisplayPort!

Thanks for the heads up on that.

Oh, it's the Lite model, that explains it! The layout is really cool, a pity it doesn't use Topre switches.

The funny part is currently it seems that there are tons of issues with the native USB-c ports on the macs.

First problem is the speed difference is seems that the left side is considerably faster than the right, then you have issues with the keyboard, trackpad or wifi stop working when you plug in native USB-c accessories.

The things you own end up owning you.

But seriously, this is so whiny. Yes! Standards change. At least you can still use ‘em. I have a shelf of SCSI gizmos that are donezo.

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