MACBOOK USB C MEMORY STICK PRO
MACBOOK USB C MEMORY STICK PC

That leaves Apple's Lightning connector for mobile devices as a big fat question mark. Who needs Lightning when the new USB connector is just as good? I suspect we'll see USB-C embraced widely and quickly, with it serving to replace Micro USB cables for phones and simplifying many people's lives. Coincidentally, it was Thunderbolt that stepped into FireWire's place as the solution for high-speed connection needs.įat Thunderbolt connectors will never be used to connect or charge your phone, but that's what the new USB cable can do, and mobile devices like the Nokia N1 tablet are already adopting it.

MACBOOK USB C MEMORY STICK PRO

FireWire was first phased out in 2008 in Apple's consumer laptops - which is exactly what the new MacBook is - and then disappeared from the Pro lineup within four years. The ubiquity of USB has already assisted in the demise of one Apple-led interconnect, FireWire, whose downfall began in similar fashion to today. The established high-end connector isn't going away immediately, as Apple used yesterday's event to also announce Thunderbolt 2 upgrades for the MacBook Air and Pro, but it will be swimming upstream to remain relevant in the face of an oncoming deluge of Type-C peripherals and devices. The future, at least for mainstream consumers, is easy and convenient like USB instead of superpowered but expensive like Thunderbolt. Simple, less expensive, and still fast.Īpple is stridently asserting the new MacBook as its best MacBook ever, and its choice of interconnect is telling. Type-C is easier to use than Thunderbolt and appears to be cheaper to implement, making it a no-brainer upgrade. It lets you plug in your external hard drives - which make up the vast majority of the 50 Thunderbolt products on Apple's online store - and pushes video out to external displays. USB 3.1 with the smaller, reversible USB Type-C usurps the entire purpose of Thunderbolt cables for regular consumers. The future is easy and convenient like USB, not superpowered like Thunderbolt

MACBOOK USB C MEMORY STICK PC

Some four years after its introduction, however, Thunderbolt is still narrowly focused on high-end applications and hasn't been adopted or aggressively promoted by many PC makers beyond Apple. In simple terms, Thunderbolt is a much fatter and faster pipe for data transfers than USB, and it makes it possible to connect big storage arrays and high-resolution displays to your MacBook. But the company's pursuit of a completely wireless laptop now bodes poorly for the future of Thunderbolt and even casts some doubt over the long-term prospects of Lightning.Ĭo-developed by Intel and Apple and introduced in the 2011 MacBook Pro, Thunderbolt promised to be the thing that made us leave USB behind. There was once a time when Apple saw the connected future built around a pair of boldly titled interconnects: Thunderbolt for laptops and desktop computers, and Lightning for its mobile iOS devices. 'As long as we were going to include a port for charging the new MacBook, we wanted to make sure it was the most advanced and versatile one available.' Here's how Apple explains its choice of connector: Other than the mandatory headphone jack, there's just one port available on the MacBook: a USB Type-C connection that takes care of power, data transfers, and display output.

The new MacBook represents Apple's vision for ' the future of the notebook.' That future is defined by thinness, lightness, and an almost total abandonment of external connectivity ports.

Macbook usb c memory stick