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Comment by danso | Hacker News Reader

> When Apple first launched MagSafe, the company loudly proclaimed they did so because customers kept breaking the connectors that plugged into the laptop. You know, like what’s in the current MacBook.

I have a new MBP and I don't miss the MagSafe, to be honest. Mostly because I have the USB-C power cable connect through a USB-C hub -- what I lose in the usability of MagSafe, is mostly made up in flexibility. And with Apple using the USB-C standard, I can buy any USB-C cable I want, including ones much cheaper and more durable than the Apple-branded cords. I have 3 MagSafe adapters from previous MBPs and they are all worn out at where the wire connects to the adapter block, with no cheap way to replace them.

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I don't see how Magsafe and USB-C are mutually exclusive. Also, if Apple wanted to, they could have given their Magsafe adapters pluggable cords, so you don't have to buy a new adapter when the cord frays.

There are USB-C magnetic adapters available.

eg. https://www.amazon.com/usb-c-magnetic-adapter/s?page=1&rh=i%...

That'll be the way I'm going moving forward.

See my other comment about my dislike of MagSafe, especially MageSafe 2 here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18258495

The hatred of strain protectors is the issue here - MagSafe with strain protectors would make me happy. Bare wires, cellotape and dubious safety is what the clean design has actually achieved.

Same here. Actually I like the fact that I can now plug it in to power from either sides.

I do miss the Escape key though..

control [ is the escape character, if useful...I use it in vi that way all the time.

Or just map Caps-lock to Esc..

Or buy a ThinkPad X1 Extreme, it comes with a functioning keyboard including a dedicated escape key! Upgradeable RAM to 64GB and plenty of ports are a bonus.

But the OS? Ubuntu & Elemetary font rendering feel like thorns in my eyes.

Windows is OK, but then you have to have a VM for any dev work.

Let's see how the USB-C female connector fares after the same amount of use. Something tells me it'll be busted long before the cable part wears out.

All Apple cables seem to have a weakness where the cable joins to the connector. A short PVC tube is no match for a gradually tapered part found on some Ethernet cables. And the fact that the user usually just yanks the cable instead of pulling on a tiny connector part...

There's an art to designing strain relief. Apple doesn't bother with it.

I have a new electric kettle with a plug that incorporates a ring into the strain relief -- your fingers will always grab the ring to pull it out of the outlet, and that's where the cable-to-plug connection is strongest.

strain relief, did not know that term. thank you.

USB-C has been designed so that the male part is less resistant than the female part. This way, the connector on the device will see less stress and should last longer.

Obviously they won't be last indefinitely, especially for a connector used as much as a power input. And I have no idea if all the connectors follow properly the standard regarding materials.

But given the built quality of Apple cables, I doubt we will see the device connector wear before the cable is ripped apart by natural degradation, after 1 or 2 years.

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