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Comment by ericpauley | Hacker News Reader

> What I want to criticize is that Apple would rather re-add Magsafe than add another USB-C port, making one wonder if they are really clearing out old inventory.

This is so minor, but clearly MagSafe isn’t about clearing out old inventory because it’s a different connector than old MagSafe.

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Also, MagSafe is way better for charging than USB-C, since you can’t damage it if the cable is pulled.

In 20 years of having laptops, I have never ever damaged the laptop or power cable by accidentally pulling on it or tripping over it, despite pulling or tripping on it fairly frequently. For some number of years during that time when I had a Mac laptop with MagSafe, I very often accidentally knocked the power cable out, which was always super annoying.

I've been using USB-C for charging on three different laptops over the past 8 years or so, and I've been perfectly happy with it.

I'm sure some people have damaged laptops with non-MagSafe charging, but I've been more annoyed with MagSafe than I think it's worth.

Good for you. I know someone who tripped on a power cable and broke their toe, leading to years of complications. Events with odds lower than 1/20yr can still be worth considering. For what it’s worth I have never used MagSafe on my MacBook but don’t mind that it’s there.

Have you ever had that be a problem though? In my experience USB (any type) pulls out anyway.

I do find MagSafe appealing, but not enough, not if it's not what everyone's using. If it were a feature of USB-C it'd be great; as a separate thing, no, I'd rather have a non-magnetic USB-C.

(Haven't used the MagSafe port or cable on mine yet, and don't expect to.)

Pulling away has generally been fine but I've had USB C cables break due to shearing (laptop at the edge of the table and someone swings their hand while walking past). It doesn't seem break the port thankfully but I do carry a MagSafe cable with me if I remember. The nice thing is if I forget I can still just use USB C again.

To be honest the most appealing thing isn't even the accident prevention, it's one of those "slight interaction improvements for something you do hundreds of times over the year" type things in that you bring the cable near and it just clips in, you pull the laptop away or push a little in any direction and it just pops out. Is it a big deal compared to tugging out for a type C cable? No. Is it nice? Yeah.

I've ruined one laptop usb-c port and almost ruined a second from tripping over the cable or the laptop falling off a table and yanking the cord out at a bad angle. The magnetic connectors are awesome! I use them in every laptop. You can buy magnetic adapters super cheap on Amazon.

USB-C pulls out cleanly only if you pull the cable in a direction roughly parallel to the insertion axis. MagSafe can be pulled from any direction and disconnects cleanly without damage.

:raises-hand: Yes, I have bent the charging portion of my USB-C on a Mac before but have had zero trouble with the MagSafe versions

I probably haven't, but that's far from the point for me.

The big thing is I don't have to have the discipline to always be careful where the charging cable is and adjust my movements to keep it untouched.

Cables are cheap. One less thing to worry about is priceless.

MagSafe saved my butt a few times in the past.

Full disclosure that was pre-USB-C. I haven’t “tested” USB-C in that way.

But it’s a really great feature. And frees up a USB-C port for other use.

I agree it's a great feature, it just doesn't trump 'universal' for me. At my desk I want one cable to plug in, and MagSafe can't be it. Travelling if I take USB-C it can charge my phone and earphones too, transfer data if I needed to even.

It's just never going to be such a great feature for me to bother finding/carrying the different & extra cable, personally.

Yes. MagSafe should never have been removed. I can literally just ignore where the power cable is.

Do the new magsafe pins burn out after a year or two like the old ones? Or the cable insulation sloughs off? And then of course you had to buy an entire new proprietary charger from Apple, not just a 3rd party cable. Or even take the laptop to Apple to replace the laptop's magsafe connector.

The burning problem was a SNAFU on the first-gen “T-shaped” connectors. They redesigned gen 1 into an “L-shape”, which fixed it.

The cable rubber was always remarkably shit, even with really delicate handling. Lucky now it’s a braided cable, and holding up well so far. Time will tell

Lastly, they thankfully made the cable modular, with a USB connection to the brick. Sometimes I use it with a USB-C to C cable, so I can use it with my phone.

Try this:

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EyK6Rjh

I use them in phones, laptops, Flipper Zero, anything which takes USB C.

I'm rather reading this as a reaction to EU law making standardized usb c mandatory on phones.

How so? MagSafe 3 was first available in 2021 (so probably developed in 2019-2020 timeframe, if not a bit earlier). The mandate didn't come out until 2022, and takes full effect this year. Besides, you can still charge the laptops with USB-C, the MagSafe option is just that, an option.

The phones never used this type of MagSafe, MagSafe only phones would still be allowed under the current mandate, and the laptops already supported USB C charging prior to the mandate.

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