My work provided Dell USB C dock works with the M1 - even for 4k 60hz HDMI/Display out but I use an Anker one most of the time. Yes, the lack of 4 ports drives me nuts but didn't stop me from getting the laptop. When a performance MBP 13' comes out later this year, I'll be seriously looking at it.
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M1: iMac lack of ports
- Thread starter Bill Av
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Sucks for anyone that has to go between systems....especially in places like universites/schools where the computing fleet is many years behind the consumer curve. The last place I worked still had computers around that had floppy drives believe it or not! The issue with removing ports is you are removing backwards compatibility with other systems. Heck even my recently purchased iPhone SE came with a USBA cable.....so its not even compatible with that directly
I guess my point is I shouldnt be forced to have to buy something else to make existing tech work on a new computer that could easily have kept USBA ports....Id get over it on a laptop, but not on a desktop. At this point I wouldn't buy one on principle. Mac mini will suit my needs for now
Well there ya go! You made your choice and they didn't "force" you. You are good to go! Nothing is good for EVERYONE!I guess my point is I shouldnt be forced to have to buy something else to make existing tech work on a new computer that could easily have kept USBA ports....Id get over it on a laptop, but not on a desktop. At this point I wouldn't buy one on principle. Mac mini will suit my needs for now
Way to skip over the point that having a couple of USBA ports would be a massive convenience for most people.....but hey, lets be a few mm thinner instead - cos that makes such a big difference on a desktop.
Not skipping over at all. Life has choices. You can still wear bell bottoms and crocs if you want to.
I can understand updating the maps, but can you not charge it via a wall outlet instead? I’d assume updating is not something that happens often and a simple $3 small adaptor would suffice. Seems like a very niche thing.
Average consumers don’t typically have stacks of drives, GPS, or other peripherals, and more and more external drives are coming with usb c cables too. All my Samsung drives have usb c cables. My camera has usb c cables. Again a cheap adaptor is like $3-20 if you absolutely need it.
The story for years is that Apple doesn't need to make a computer that you can expand on… because USB! Why not give you six, eight or ten USB C ports? For those who want to keep the back of their computer neat (OK…) you can just plug in your one USB cable to your dock or hub. Will adding more ports affect that? I have a hub, and I have a bunch of crap plugged into it that I don't need on a daily basis. I keep them plugged in so that they're ready when I need them. On top of that, a few things that I prefer to plug directly into my computer because they work better this way.
As Apple knows, people aren't upgrading their computers as often anymore. If I upgrade from my 2013 iMac there are things that I'll have to replace. I have speakers that plug in with a Toslink connector; Apple had to get rid of that port because "thin", so I'll have to get a USB adapter for my speakers. I get why they got rid of the SD card slot, but wouldn't a USB port on the side be nice for the times that you have to temporarily plug something in like a flash drive or an external hard drive?
It wouldn't be so bad if there was a Thunderbolt 4 dock made for an iMac. On the back; ten USB A ports, a combo headphone jack/Toslink connector, HDMI port. On the front; USB A and USB C ports, SD card slot, headphone jack. Have an internal bay (or two) for SSD drive expansion. Ditch the laptop specific stuff like the ethernet and VGA ports that many docks have. In fact, forget the extra ports on the iMac- somebody make this dock for me!
As Apple knows, people aren't upgrading their computers as often anymore. If I upgrade from my 2013 iMac there are things that I'll have to replace. I have speakers that plug in with a Toslink connector; Apple had to get rid of that port because "thin", so I'll have to get a USB adapter for my speakers. I get why they got rid of the SD card slot, but wouldn't a USB port on the side be nice for the times that you have to temporarily plug something in like a flash drive or an external hard drive?
It wouldn't be so bad if there was a Thunderbolt 4 dock made for an iMac. On the back; ten USB A ports, a combo headphone jack/Toslink connector, HDMI port. On the front; USB A and USB C ports, SD card slot, headphone jack. Have an internal bay (or two) for SSD drive expansion. Ditch the laptop specific stuff like the ethernet and VGA ports that many docks have. In fact, forget the extra ports on the iMac- somebody make this dock for me!
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Check out Other World Computing, they have a wide selection of expansion docks and hubs.
A computer isnt a fashion item. Its a functional piece of equipment - made less functional by design choices. Most of the early comments relating to the release were along the lines of 'oh well, the pro version will be here soon with more ports, dark colours etc' - completely ignoring the fact that it will also probably be double the price if the 13 and 16 inch laptops are anything to go by. USBA is still a very widely used technology. We dont all update to new hardrives regularly - mine are several years old now and still work fine. We accepted losing things from laptops which as it made sense to make them lighter. That argument is non existent for a desktop.
I think you missed my point, but that's ok. I'll move along.
The original iMac ironically ushered in the golden age of USB. How? Because Apple completely ditched several legacy ports and went only with USB. Within months, there were suddenly lots of USB accessories and adapters for people to use their older peripherals with the iMac. If Apple had continued to provide the older ports, there would have been little incentive for device makers to adapt.
Ditto for USB-C. This isn't cutting edge tech, and it solves many of the issues from USB-A - notably not having to continually flip the plug around. I picked up an adapter, and it wasn't very expensive, and I can use my older devices easily. When I buy new stuff, it's either wireless, or now that there's incentive, USB-C.
When Apple decides to support a new technology, they usually go all-in. It's been this way for over two decades now. I'm not really sure why people are still surprised when it happens.
Yes it would, and this is precisely what makes Apple products so polarising. They have a vision. They have an attitude. They take sides, rather than simply try to have their products be as generic and agnostic as possible.
When I use an Apple product, I am not just looking for features. I am buying into an approach and Apple’s vision of personal computing, which I so happen to share. Go wireless (and usb-c) or go home.
To Apple, it matters.
I can see replacing the USB A ports with USB-C ports, but why cut them down to two instead of four? I hope that the 27" M1 iMac will have (at least) a total of six USB-C and Thunderbolt ports.
Maybe I missed it but you’ve not mentioned any actual peripherals?
Which specific peripherals are you finding problematic?
All of those sound easily solved with a couple microB to USBC cables to replace the microB to USBA cables the devices shipped with.
Maybe a $9 USBA-F to USBC-M adapter to stay on your OldSkool keyboard cable.
Charge your phone? Qi pads are so simple to put around the house I rarely plug in my phone, but if you must use your computer then all that’s in your way is a simple USBC to Lightning cable
Seems like nothings holding you back in the 20th century but inertia and a few bucks to bite the bullet and move forward.
Lower tier mac seem to have fewer ports. Higher tier will likely have more.
But if you choose a two port 24” iMac instead of the four port version that’s on you.
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So we should never move forward? Still using your centronics printer cable and db9 serial mouse with your Thick-Ethernet connected computer?I guess my point is I shouldnt be forced to have to buy something else to make existing tech work on a new computer that could easily have kept USBA ports....Id get over it on a laptop, but not on a desktop. At this point I wouldn't buy one on principle. Mac mini will suit my needs for now
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When I travel, I usually carry two kinds of cables: USB-A to Micro-USB and USB-A to USB-C. I use them, for example, for connecting phones / cameras / storage drives to computers and for charging phones / cameras / camera batteries / battery banks / UV water purifiers from USB chargers / computers / battery banks / solar chargers. Because most USB ports I encounter are still USB-A, I can't replace these cables. Instead, I have to carry additional cables or adapters for connecting to devices that only support USB-C.
Apple assumed that USB-C would replace USB-A, but it guessed wrong. The rest of the world decided that USB-C will mostly be used for high-speed ports, while low-speed ports will remain USB-A. I guess users would find it confusing if some USB-C ports would only support USB 2.0 speeds while other ports in the same device would support higher speeds.
You can get pretty cheap USB-C hubs that will supply all of the additional ports needed. I see them on Amazon for less than $10 including ethernet or a card reader. Not really a problem.