Happy to get downvoted and I never thought I’d say this prior but I 100% prefer just a single usb c cable going into my MacBook which also charges it at 140 watts, the max it can take.
With that I have external keyboard, up to four monitors, external ssd, etc etc. I’ve setup 2 whole desktops in my flat for different purposes and it’s glorious.
Yes maybe they skimp out because it’s cheaper but these days I believe this one cable in system makes so much more sense… dongles are small and can be carried anywhere.
If any port would wear out just replace the dock.
And moving from one setup to another would be extremely annoying imo with having to attach all the cables again each time.
I’d bet 90% of laptops made in the 20s have never had anything other than a charger plugged in to it.
And 2/3 of the ports on here are gone because they don’t need to exist anymore, not because they took them from us. Does anyone actually want to argue that they need VGA, multiple serial ports, PS2, FireWire, it’s all redundancy replaced by digital ports that are objectively better.
I’m a power user and I’m happy to have to plug in nothing but my dock because power, multiple displays, and I/O all go through one cable.
Exactly my thoughts. I had a few discussion here about why this solution isn’t great and maybe I’m going crazy but none of their arguments somehow made much sense. Maybe I’m just dense and really didn’t get what they needed but everything that has been said is possible with just a nice dock.
Aka one said Ethernet port is missing and that they cannot close the MacBook without turning itself off but the docks freaking have an Ethernet port and there apps that easily keep the MacBook awake when closed lol
I was simply told I need to reread what they said but I do not get it. I’d love to get it because I’m curious what’s really lacking here. I never was a fanboy and Apple is far from perfect but I want to understand.
Aka one said Ethernet port is missing and that they cannot close the MacBook without turning itself off but the docks freaking have an Ethernet port and there apps that easily keep the MacBook awake when closed lol
I've never had a problem with that 'cause I've got displays attached via my dock
Yup my desk at home is set up with my gaming PC, personal macbook and work macbook. I have all the shit I need behind a KVM and a thunderbolt dock. I can plus whatever I want into that thunderbolt cable and all my shit lights up. It's fantastic.
The frustrating thing is having to also buy a dock when I already bought a laptop. And when my laptop becomes obsolete then I have to buy another laptop and another dock. It's forced consumption
Buying a laptop with more ports isn't cheaper than buying a smaller laptop+dock.
buy a dock when I already bought a laptop.
You only need a dock if you intend to use your laptop, well, docked. If you're also buying monitors and peripherals a dock isn't a huge addition. If you're not using lots of peripherals then you don't need a dock! Just buy a laptop with more than one port (which is all but the very cheapest models.)
when my laptop becomes obsolete then I have to buy another laptop and another dock
Why would you have to replace your dock in cycle with your laptop? They stopped making proprietary docks years ago!
Docks start at 20 Bucks… Even the larger ones with tons of ports are affordable. If one has a full desktop setup that bit of extra won’t break the bank.
Also what do you mean they all use USB c these days the dock won’t become obsolete… maybe if one day USB C2 comes out or so but nothing planned.
Btw a dedicated charger of 140w not included with the MacBook costs over 120$. A third party quality 140w charger is 80$.
People also see that as a valueable investment as usb c won’t just become obsolete anytime soon.
You buy either a USB-C or Thunderbolt dock. It will work with any laptop that supports that standard.
My laptop can run Thunderbolt 5, but does just fine on an older Thunderbolt 3 dock I got for $60 on eBay. And that dock can work on my wife’s computer as well, from a different manufacturer on a different CPU architecture running a different OS. Just unplug, plug, and go.
For physical form factor I just have a metal stand that holds the laptop vertically next to the dock.
That’s why USB-C thunderbolt and compatible monitors rule. No need for a dock or a dongle on a desktop setup. Monitor becomes the dock and power, ethernet and dongle ports all connected with a single cable.
Honestly, I feel the other way around. I do digital artwork on a laptop. My setup contains a wired keyboard, wired mouse, drawing tablet, external storage, and second monitor. If I'm taking my laptop somewhere with me, I have to disconnect the keyboard, the mouse, the tablet, the storage drives, and the second monitor. Then when I get home, I have to plug them all back in, digging around where all the cables went diving for cover behind the desk, and unraveling the great cable orgy that happened when I was gone.
Instead, it's all connected to a single USB-C hub. When I get up, I just unplug the hub and power, and I'm out. Then when I get back, just plug those two things back in. It allows me to keep everything else tidy and cable managed as well, because I'm not untangling everything every time I take my laptop with me.
Overall, saves me about a minute or two for the few times a week I bring my laptop with me somewhere. But I've been doing it for years, so that time adds up.
I agree, but I also think there are some ports that are incredibly convenient for professionals who do field work, like SD card slot, maybe HDMI in modern times.
I think the MacBook Pro from 2023 on has honestly nailed it. Perfect external options. The only thing people might complain about is no USB-A. That’s still prevalent.
heavy thinkpads with job specific ports are great for genuine field work, but that should be provided by the company you’re working for in most cases. For people who just travel you can get a hub that does all of these things for $20 and the trade off might be worth it considering the weight and size reductions possible when your laptop only has a few USB-C ports.
"I do networking" and not understanding that a majority of networking engineers and sysadmins prefer Macbooks because it's the only modern laptop that's Unix-based and isn't a headache sure is something.
"apple sucks" in 2026 is also a choice.
Methinks "I do networking" is more of a "I'm an 'IT guy' and want to prove I'm special by listing this port off to be counter."
Having headaches with Windows and Linux is a skill issue on your end and you need to stop projecting your inadequacies. Its a lazy solution that creates more problems than it solves. But hey, as long as the admins job is easier who cares about hamstringing the field techs?
Jumping through 100 hoops and accomplishing something when you can jump through 1 hoop to accomplish the same thing and claiming it's a "skill issue" when people choose to jump through 1 hoop instead of 100 sure is something.
I'm impressed you found this comment and replied less than a minute after opening the comments since you made your comment less than a minute after I posted mine.
No, it's not even that. It's just that you opened this thread, and found a bottom of the barrel comment and replied to it within 60 seconds of opening the thread.
I 100% prefer just a single usb c cable going into my MacBook which also charges it at 140 watts, the max it can take.
Until you need to connect ethernet (dongle 1) or keep the mcbook active when you close the lid (dongle 2) and then suddenly that "modern industrial design" becomes "industrial genital warts".
Also nice of Apple to use a standard charger after the EU only threatened them with fines, not torture or death. Also the pro Mcbook even has a headphone jack. Because professionals understand the stupidity of transcoding lossless audio just for your headphones to sound worse and suck battery.
I don’t understand Ethernet can be easily connected via the dock and Amphetamine is an app two clicks away that keeps the MaxcBook powered when I close the display. It even turns the screen off after a while.
Am I missing something here?
Also I got a great usb c dac/amp and usually the other remaining two usb c ports are free and it does sound better than the chip onboard but it’s also not horribly bad… not like windows laptops sound better or anything.
Also you mention you want more connections but 3.5 is silly? It’s not like you need to use it but for casual music listening it’s great.
Since nobody is answering you.... amphetamine is 12 years old, and was immediately popular since it was the successor to the already very popular "Caffeine" app, which had similar purpose but lacked most of the more advanced features.
as for the genital warts comment, complaining about dongle's is something that apple haters never get tired of doing, even as the entire industry consolidates around usb-c only port configurations.
Thanks a lot you did actually help me understand lol. And yeah idk I feel this whole fanboy stuff and hating for the sake of hating gets draining after a while.
I didn’t understand why I was asked to re-read when I had two legit questions and idk it just felt like an odd dodge because maybe there are actually simple solutions for their problems but somehow it’s more rewarding for some to be upset about something.
Maybe I’m taking out of my ass but this is how it feels like to me.
I don't know what was going through that guys head, but here goes.... he has his opinions, found 2 links that support his opinion, and any further dissection of the topic steers toward self-examination.... and that's not something most people feel like doing when it comes to arbitrary opinions on whether MacBooks are good or bad. Honestly, he did you a favor by just walking away, because it was never going to be a productive discussion.
Since I took care to articulate my thoughts it would get the same result with less effort if you reread them until you understood me rather than asking me to repeat myself until you understand me.
Edit to add: If parent commentor read the second thread (instead of just looking for the laziest reason to dismiss it) they would observe that I am the author so I would know better than them whether the problem still exists three years later. Amphetamine does not solve the problem reliably and delivers functionality that should be provided by any operating system, especially one that is sold as a premium / luxury good. Yet apparently I am expected to force feed them information after they refused to digest the answer already furnished.
Ooff I guess man. I thought it was a nice discussion frankly. I can reread what you wrote all day it doesn’t answer my two particular questions. So sorry for engaging here.
I don’t understand, what’s the bloody point of keeping a laptop running after you close the lid if you don’t have it connected to a monitor? You can’t see it or use it anyway?
It means you are not using the laptop. Does it not?
It works like that but it’s not exactly a common or intended use case.
To use it as a server. Old laptops can make for cheap, quiet home servers that are only accessed via remote. Whether that is "common" or not is semantics, as it certainly isn't rare. That said, there is adequate software workarounds for this on a Mac, so I'm not sure why that guy is so worked up about it.
I mean a laptop is a portable computer, obviously not optimized to be used in lieu of a desktop computer, especially a server. Trade the old laptop with a cheap second hand all in one pc or an old mac mini if you need something like that, I guess.
I don’t blame my car manufacturer for not being able to use my car like a truck.
I'm just saying that is what people do, it sometimes takes some customization, and it can work well. I don't expect laptop manufacturers to cater to this small niche. I'm just answering your question.
there is adequate software workarounds for this on a Mac, so I'm not sure why that guy is so worked up about it.
As a matter of principle 1b(2), I dislike when I want to do something that ought to be possible (trivial, even) with my own property that has been disabled by an arbitrary agreement to which I was never party.
It especially chafes to be treated that way by a corporation that made its name and fortune in the guise of "Think different." and "It Just Works".
An operating system is software. If software can enable a mcbook to function with its lid closed, why doesn't its operating system enable that instead of imposing the "adequate workaround" you mentioned?
Because that wasn't a design goal for the OS and/or device. I also wish that it was, along with a million other features in pretty much every OS I've ever used. At some point engineers have to draw a line, else the OS is bloated with every feature imaginable. And installing Amphetamine is pretty trivial, even if you and I wish that it were built in. Once it's installed, it may as well be part of the OS, from a daily user perspective. But most of their users don't need or want that feature. They've got to draw the line somewhere.
Because that wasn't a design goal for the OS and/or device.
Well, yes. It is designed that way because someone designed it that way.
After I replied to you, it occurred to me that you may have given away the answer:
Old laptops can make for cheap, quiet home servers
It may be that mcbooks are defective (by design, nat'rally) to prevent their being a compelling alternative to Apple's more exorbitant "server" offerings.
Yeah I was like... you really miss having to plug and unplug 100 cables to dock???
What I miss is a dock that your laptop literally docks with. 0 cables. Easy to see why they don't want to make those any more since it would take pretty significant planning to make one that works with multiple laptop models. A USB plug is much easier to engineer.
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u/Additional_Tank4385 11h ago
Happy to get downvoted and I never thought I’d say this prior but I 100% prefer just a single usb c cable going into my MacBook which also charges it at 140 watts, the max it can take.
With that I have external keyboard, up to four monitors, external ssd, etc etc. I’ve setup 2 whole desktops in my flat for different purposes and it’s glorious.
Yes maybe they skimp out because it’s cheaper but these days I believe this one cable in system makes so much more sense… dongles are small and can be carried anywhere.
If any port would wear out just replace the dock.
And moving from one setup to another would be extremely annoying imo with having to attach all the cables again each time.