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Comment by ropiku | Hacker News Reader

You can get the same from other kinds of USB-C docks, not just proprietary Microsoft. Griffin makes magnetic USB-C cable if that's what you are looking for and possibly other producers will start.

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The Griffin magnetic USB C cables are just USB C -> proprietary magnetic connector -> USB C.

See https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61M0YzqUbOL...

I have a proprietary magnetic connector now and I don't have a dongle sticking out of the laptop.

That's a function of the cable and not the laptop. With MagSafe any MagSafe charger will work. With that you only get protection when you bring your Griffin Magnetic dongle with you and remember to use it.

I'm not quite sure what you're saying there, or what you think I said. Both the laptop and the cable are required to support the surface connector, which is better than USB C (it's magnetic) MagSafe (it's data as well as power) and the griffin thing (it's data as well as power and it doesn't stick out)

Sorry I miss read your comment. I thought you were referring to the Griffin connector as not sticking out.

From the Griffin website:

>Please note that BreakSafe is for charging power only; data and video are not supported.

So you're paying $40 for a non-standard USB cable that'll confuse the hell out of less-technically-inclined users.

Also, non-Thunderbolt "USB-C" docks won't do anything that USB 3.0 A docks don't. I've seen people run Gbit Ethernet + HDMI out + HDD from a single USB 3.0 port with no problems.

USB 3.0 docks do not have the bandwidth necessary to run an external graphics card. USB 3.1 / Thunderbolt 3 does.

Why are the default cables that come with laptops not magnetic cables?

Are the Griffin-style magnetic cables just crap?

It seems like a usability regression for no great reason.

I'd say signal loss is a sigificant factor in magnetic solutions given the speed of the protocol. USB-C and Thunderbolt provide metal "envelopes" over the connector when they are inserted. Magnetic connectors cannot do this to facilitate quick removal.

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