Technically, yes, data must transmit to negotiate, but it doesn’t require high throughput. So you’ll get USB 2.0 transfer speeds (480 Mb/s) with most “charging only” USB-C cables. That’s only really useful for a keyboard or mouse these days.
Empty PCB? You can’t see the other side of the logic board in this video. All reputable computer manufacturers use circus design on PCBs.
The cost of the dock is high because the tech is new. I don’t believe I need to explain the cost curve of advancing technology to you.
Tell me where there’s room to add another bus and ports without expanding the footprint.
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/22/ifixit-shares-m4-macbook-pro-teardown/
Thunderbolt 4 still has twice the bandwidth of the fastest USB-C standard currently available at 40 Gb/s. Thunderbolt 5 tops out at 120 Gb/s. That means you could have six USB-C devices, running max throughput of 20 Gb/s through a dock, connected to the Mac using Thunderbolt 5, without limiting the bandwidth. It also daisy chains more 4K displays at a higher refresh rate than USB-C. It’s a far superior connection.
There’s nothing simple about adding more ports on a portable computer. It means additional buses, I/O boards, and a larger device size.
Most manufacturers that offer USB-A ports don’t have three Thunderbolt 5 ports. It would either be modular or a trade if you’re making a true comparison.
MacBook Pro comes with three Thunderbolt 5/USB-C ports (120 Gb/s), HDMI 2.1b, MagSafe 3, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Trading a USB-C port for USB-A means potentially downgrading a USB-C capable device to USB-A with an adapter. The opposite results in better performance, and the adapters will continue to be useful as long as you own USB-A devices. When computers only have USB-C ports, your other adapters will be useless.
As for cables, I replace them rather than using adapters. Monoprice.com sells quality cables relatively inexpensively.
No problem! Oh, and use a charger/power supply for the input. It’ll work on a computer port, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Correct. The other commenter is giving bad advice.
Both power delivery and bandwidth are backwards compatible, but they are independent specifications on USB-C cables. You can even get PD capable USB-C cables that don’t transmit data at all.
Also, that’s not true for Thunderbolt cables. Each of the 5 versions have specific data and power delivery minimum and maximum specifications.
That’s the reason Apple released the Lightning connector. They pushed for several features for USB around 2010, including a reversible connector, but the USB-IF refused. Apple wanted USB-C, but couldn’t wait for the USB-IF to come to an agreement so they could replace the dated 20-pin connector.
Agreed. They should be labeled with the rating.
This little guy works wonders for me.
The countless remaining docks support Thunderbolt 4, which at 40 Gb/s is still twice as fast as USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2.
They range from $49-$299, depending on the features and number of ports needed. If you’re using the native HDMI port on your MacBook Pro, it’ll be on the low end of the price range.
The only cable that comes with a MacBook Pro is a USB-C charging cable.
All high quality peripheral docks support Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt 5 docks began to release last month. You can connect the devices to the dock using USB-C, then just use one Thunderbolt cable to connect the dock to your Mac to prevent a bottleneck.
Yes, and it’s better to be downgrading USB-C ports with adapters than to be stuck adapting a USB-A port to USB-C or ethernet.
That picture is from the tech specs page of the base 14-inch
It’s like punishment for caring. Ignorance is bliss. Well, until we all starve, drown, or freeze.
I only found Minnesota and Illinois as consistently Democratic voting states. What’s the third?
Edit: I just saw Delaware.
Yup, and Michigan and Wisconsin are swing states. It’s still the vast majority.
TIL most US corn is Republican
My mistake. I’ve seen you frequently comment on US government posts and assumed incorrectly.
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Great Britain will get more than chilly. Arable land was expected to drop from 32% of the region down to 22% by 2080, slashing their economy by a third. If the AMOC is already showing signs of breakdown, that timeline will need to be shortened.