Apple Explores the Idea Of Killing Headphone Jack On the MacBook Pro (thenextweb.com) 495
Less than two weeks after Apple unveiled its headphone jack-less iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the company is already exploring the idea of doing the same on its flagship computing lineup. An anonymous reader shares a report on The Next Web: Apple might be going all-in with the wireless revolution as the company is now allegedly considering killing the headphone jack on the MacBook Pro. Users are reporting that as of recently Apple has been asking them to fill in a survey about the way they use their MacBook Pro and one of the questions pertains particularly to the headphone jack. Shared by Blake A. via Twitter, the question reads "Do you ever use the headphone port on your MacBook Pro with Retina display?", suggesting Apple is exploring going jackless with its laptops in the future. Given the Cupertino company just ditched the audio jack on the iPhone 7, the change is likely to eventually come to other Apple products too -- the real question is when.Several Slashdot readers have also confirmed that they have participated in a similar survey with some noting that Apple also asked them about the removable of headphone jack on some of its other computing lineup including the iMac.
Jesus, Apple (Score:5, Funny)
Please don't... (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm supposed to fscking do THAT wireless too now?!?!
WFT....?
Re:Please don't... (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm sure for $59.99 they'll have something that you can use to bridge the technology gap.
(Not trolling... I'm a Macbook Pro user myself and in the same boat as you)
But what would the adapter connect to? (Score:5, Informative)
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Do they really expect these users to hook up an adapter to use Bluetooth, USB, or thunderbolt for audio out to professional equipment?
If they want to keep using Apple equipment, then yes.
Who do these users think they are anyway? Why do they think Apple gives two shits about their petty concerns? This move by Apple is smart: they can save money by eliminating parts, thus improving profit margins, and then they can make even more money by selling massively overpriced adapters (or Lightning licenses). How i
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Apple owns Beats now. The dots are not especially hard to connect.
Re:But what would the adapter connect to? (Score:5, Informative)
TS is actually the more common 1/4" on a lot of consoles; two lines, one for the left channel and one for the right; TRS usually only exists on consoles as a headphone output. One reason for this is that, quite often, a stereo pair is actually split into two monaural channels to record, for example, two different instruments, two different vocal tracks, or one person's separate vocal and instrument track, none of which typically need to be recorded in stereo (save for a very few instruments, any stereo effect is typically added in mixing). We don't see a bunch of monaural inputs on mixers because there is also often the requirement for a stereo pair, but we do see those stereo inputs split out into two monaural jacks for the above reason.
I've seen a 1/4" TRRS in the wild, commonly used on broadcast headsets. Hell, I've even seen TRRRS connectors, for quadraphonic audio, in both larger sizes.
Every single high-end pair of headphones, as well as most low-end "studio-style" headphones and headsets, includes an adapter from 1/4" TRS to 1/8" TRS; whether the adapter is 1/4" > 1/8" or 1/8" > 1/4" will depend on whether the headphones ship with a 1/4" or 1/8" TRS plug, but the adapter will be there. It is the single most common audio adapter in the world. TS adapters of this type will be somewhat less common in home audio, but you are virtually guaranteed to find a box, bin, basket, or drawer-full of the things sitting on or near any mixing console. TRRS and TRRRS adapters that go from 1/4" to 1/8" are going to be less common, but the need for them is virtually nonexistent, so that's fine; 1/8" to 1/16" TS, TRS, and TRRS adapters are also fairly common, one or more of them typically being included with equipment that utilizes 1/16" jacks. I'm sure there's a 1/16" TRRRS out there somewhere as well, but I've never heard of such a beast.
Here's a breakdown for you:
TS - Tip/Sleeve - Carries one monaural audio signal. Common in 1/4", 1/8", and 1/16". Adapters available between all sizes, commonly found for 1/4" to/from 1/8" and 1/8" to/from 1/16".
TRS - Tip/Ring/Sleeve - Carries one stereo or two monaural audio signals. Common in 1/4", 1/8", and 1/16". Adapters available between all sizes, commonly found for 1/4" to/from 1/8" and 1/8" to/from 1/16".
TRRS - Tip/Ring/Ring/Sleeve - Carries one stereo and one monaural audio signal, or three monaural audio signals. Commonly used in headsets to provide stereo audio and a monaural microphone. Common in 1/8" and 1/16". Adapters available between all sizes, commonly found for 1/8" to/from 1/16".
TRRRS - Tip/Ring/Ring/Ring/Sleeve - Carries one quadraphonic audio signal, two stereo audio signals, one stereo and two monaural audio signals, or four monaural audio signals. Commonly used on quadraphonic headphones and stereo headsets providing a stereo microphone. Uncommon in all sizes, available in 1/4" and 1/8". Adapters available for 1/4" to/from 1/8".
Re:But what would the adapter connect to? (Score:4, Informative)
So, if you're more comfortable with metric, you have 2.5mm, 3.5mm, and 6mm, while everyone else has 1/16", 1/8", and 1/4", and it's all been simplified to the point that both groups can understand each other when asking for a certain size in either system of measurement.
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It's a standard, following standards is a good idea. It's not like the MacBook Pro is too thin for the headphone jack, unlike the Macbook Air. Make it any thinner and the thing will bend under its own weight.
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Options (Score:4, Insightful)
Geez, I actually use my MBP as my desktop for about 98% of the time, and it is hooked to my desktop speakers for listening to.... I'm supposed to fscking do THAT wireless too now?!?!
Only if you want to. You could go USB or thunderbolt pretty easily. I connect my laptops to a USB 3.0 docking station which has a 3.5mm jack built in when I'm using them at my desk. So that's a perfectly viable option when using a laptop as an ersatz desktop PC. Heck you're probably going to hook up a USB hub or peripherals anyway so why not just include the 3.5mm jack there? I could see it being annoying to not have it when you are traveling with a laptop but the arguments against removing it at the desk are pretty weak.
That said on a real desktop PC (Mac) I don't really see a good argument for removing the 3.5mm jack at this time. Neither space, power or cost are constraints and there is no advantage to the user in removing it unless you get something in return. None of those things apply to desktop PCs. I can at least see the argument on a smartphone whether or not I agree with it but those arguments don't apply to desktop machines.
Re:Options (Score:5, Insightful)
Customers are routinely wrong (Score:4, Interesting)
That's right Zippy, one size fits all
Sometimes it does. There are very good reasons why we have standardized interfaces for all sorts of things. The only time to have a specialty single purpose interface is if there are no viable alternative options. Fortunately for hipsters who want to be different just to make a point there are plenty of other options for headphone jacks out there besides the offerings from Apple. If Apple's offerings don't fit your needs, do what I did and buy something else for whatever application you are working on. Trust me, nobody will mind.
Paradigm shift, from consumer is always right, to consumer will accept whatever we fucking give them.
Anyone who thinks the customer is always right has never had to deal with an actual customer. Customers are wrong all the frickin' time. Catering excessively to customers who are wrong is a great way to go bankrupt. Henry Ford put it best when he said "If I asked my customers what they wanted they would have said 'a faster horse'".
Re:Customers are routinely wrong (Score:4, Interesting)
Example:
When I used to work in a convenience store, a guy came in who I'd never seen before, demanding a free soda because "the cups cost a nickle and the soda costs two cents, why do you care? It's good customer service." My response was plainly "And I'd happily do it for a good customer, but you've never spent a cent here and aren't intending to make a purchase, so you're not a customer at all." He, then, decided to walk over and grab a pack of gum; meanwhile, I rang up the customer behind him, one of my regulars, and gave him a free soda just to make a point. The original "customer" comes back with a pack of gum and expects that his one-time purchase will entitle him to a free soda, an expectation which was met with the following: "Once I've seen you in here a few times and you happen to be next in line behind someone looking for a handout, we'll talk."
He got the message. He also became a regular and would hang out when I was on a night shift to keep me company, since they often had me working alone late at night. Yes, that did net him many a free soda, but snacks were always on him.
And this anecdote, which is more relevant to tech:
I had a client insist that a program I developed for them work one way, while their business logic was entirely different. I pointed out the discrepancy once and left the decision to them. They chose to go ahead as originally planned. I warned them that, should their decision prove to be incorrect, they'd still have to pay for my work, as well as any work necessary (which I informed them would likely be more than the original project) to correct it. They agreed, which made them a customer for both the original project and the fix, which made them right.
And right they were. I did want to implement it the way they insisted. And I did want to fix it. The fix cost twice as much as the original work; who would argue with a customer wanting to triple their billable hours?
Now, had they not agreed, up-front, to the potential cost of correcting the issue I brought to their attention should the project go forward as planned, the likelihood of them not paying at all would have shot through the roof and they'd have been neither customers nor right.
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Yeah, one of the nice things about the MacBook Pro series, and PowerBook G4 before them, is that you didn't need a docking station to get around bad design. Starting with FireWire, and continuing with Mini-DisplayPort and Thunderbolt, you had one or two cables to plug in coming off of a display that had FireWire / USB hubs built in that also acted as a "docking station".
Well, Apple is no longer shipping displays that do this (and also conveniently provided the MagSafe power cable too). And now they are pl
Use what fits (Score:2)
Yeah, one of the nice things about the MacBook Pro series, and PowerBook G4 before them, is that you didn't need a docking station to get around bad design.
I don't agree with your assertion that removing ports axiomatically equals bad design. It can but doesn't have to.
Starting with FireWire, and continuing with Mini-DisplayPort and Thunderbolt, you had one or two cables to plug in coming off of a display that had FireWire / USB hubs built in that also acted as a "docking station".
You appear to contradict yourself. You argue that having lots of ports on the laptop is good design and then admit that you plug it into a de-facto docking station anyway. So by your own admission all those excess ports are unnecessary.
Do you really want to carry more cords when you travel? I don't. That's when I make heavy use of wireless stuff when possible. And when you are at a desk do
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Geez, I actually use my MBP as my desktop for about 98% of the time, and it is hooked to my desktop speakers for listening to....
I'm supposed to fscking do THAT wireless too now?!?!
WFT....?
Remember this is them taking what they describe as a brave engineering step. I suspect shafting their own customer base certainly does take some courage. I'd be more impressed if they took the brave step of actually paying their fucking tax bills and building their devices at home rather than in child-labour suicide factories.
Any fans of Asian horror will realise that's one ghost in the machine we can really do without.
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I suspect shafting their own customer base certainly does take some courage.
Not to Apple it doesn't. This comment thread will be full of statements from the Apple customer base with proclamations ranging from "it's not at all inconvenient" to "it's actually a good thing".
One day Apple might actually go to far in shafting their customer base, but today is not that day.
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Re:Please don't... (Score:5, Funny)
Geez, I actually use my MBP as my desktop for about 98% of the time
You're doing it wrong.
You're supposed to have an iMac for your desktop, a Macbook for Starbucks and/or shared startup workspace, an iPhone to order Ubers and Airbnbs, and an iPad to read Salon in the bathroom.
Use the Apple ecosystem as it was designed (which includes not complaining). If you can't afford it, your life priorities are wrong; surrender your iDevice and join the barbarians who don't "get" it.
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They haven't asked me, and I do use it (Score:2)
Re:They haven't asked me, and I do use it (Score:4, Interesting)
I got the survey request in the mail, but for my imac, not for my macbook pro. I guess they're exploring removing the jack on all their products.
And the answer to that question was no, i never use that port. I use a usb headset.
I use it all the time (Score:3)
But I must admit that I am being more and more annoyed with the Apple hardware choices. So much that I have been considering stop using Final Cut Pro and finding an alternative that can run on Windows. I guess it will be Adobe premiere pro even tough I hate their subscribtion based licenses.
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I feel your pain, I really do.
FCPx has pissed me off for years. But almost everyone I've know in media production who ditches their Mac for Windows goes back pretty quickly. No matter how annoying Apple's changes are (one of my pet peeves is the Fireware/Thunderbolt saga), my guess is that your experience in Windows trying to do media will make you break out in hives. This is not just an opinion, this is years of experience working in the field.
Also, I really think we are about to get a big new FCPx. It's b
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That is just a selection bias on your part, and most likely a fabrication. The production houses I work at, as a professional editor, use windows and premiere. Not sure why anyone would "break out in hives". Windows is just as easy to use as OSX and offers much more user control. It's just an operating system. And there has been a mass exodus from apple hardware since the mac pro was announced. It's simply not functional in a production environment, and costs $3,000+ over an equivalent windows machine. You
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As I understand it, the migration away from Apple for post-production is mostly about hardware. Apple refuses to support CUDA in favor of OpenCL. Apple no longer makes a professional desktop, even though they still have a completely useless and completely overpriced "Mac Pro".
Remember when you could buy a Mac Pro that you could stuff 3 or 4 GPUs from Nvidia into? Just like any workstation-class PC you can buy or build yourself?
I don't know why we're all so surprised that Apple is removing yet another por
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Apple refuses to support CUDA in favor of OpenCL.
It's not hard to see why they would do that, OpenCL is the open standard while CUDA is Nvidia's proprietary crap. "Why doesn't Apple support Glide?" you ask, well CUDA is the same thing. (That's almost literally true, Nvidia hired a lot of 3DFx employees when that company went under.)
But, all right, I'm complaining about one little thing, the rest of your point is well made. The real reason is because Apple has abandoned the idea that computers should be functional devices, rather than magic boxes which
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You might consider looking into Davinci Resolve [blackmagicdesign.com] . The NLE capabilities of that are really coming along!! That plus you also have the best color grading tool out there in the same package.
It is free..give it a try and see how you like it.
You do need a pretty "beefy" CPU/GPU combo to run it cleanly and real time, but it is a nice tool.
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Yep. Thing is, I think a lot of people would answer to that survey question "frequently". Go to a coffee shop and 1/2 the people with laptops have headphones plugged in. People also plug their speakers in to their laptops when they are at their desks, which have -- among other things -- speakers. Oh, and people plug their iPhones into their stereos at home as well. Oh wait.
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Remember when it used to be a choice between Final Cut Studio or Avid Media Composer? Then Adobe embraced CUDA, and Apple embraced stupid with Final Cut X. Within 4 years the entire market shifted. And nobody is talking about it.
Sly move, Apple. Real sly. (Score:5, Funny)
Reason? (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh, I thought you wanted the jack removed because it took up too much space in the phone. Not the problem, is it? Is it because you own the perfect shitty overpriced headphones, Beats, and want to squeeze as much money out of your customers at possible?
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Bluetooth pairing (Score:5, Informative)
Most of the Bluetooth headphones that I have used only like to be paired to one device at a time. A lot of Mac Book users also have an iPhone that now does not have a headphone jack. You will get all the adventures of pairing your headphones each time you switch devices.
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Easy, just buy a second set of headphones...
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For $160...
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Can you actually mix multiple inputs on those headphones, so that you obtain audio from two devices at once?
My experience has always been that while a lot of devices support pairing multiple devices, there is always a manual process to switch between devices you want to get audio from, with "manual process" including either manually selecting the desired paired device or worse, disabling bluetooth on one of the paired devices you wanted to disable. I've never seen a device that allowed for simultaneous aud
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Yea, I get that when I "dock" my MBP and want to use the wireless keyboard when it's paired to the iPad. I generally just disable bluetooth on the iPad to break the pairing and then it pairs with the MBP.
[John]
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You are doing it wrong. Just buy two sets of Apple's new $160 headphones, pair each to one of your devices, then switch headsets as needed.
Simple!
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Okay I'll admit, I've heard this before. However, and this just may be me, I've not had a problem with my pair of bluetooth headphones sitting here on my desk. My Moto X and my laptop both are paired to the headphones, but they usually figure out between the two of them who needs to be in control. So I throw my hands up and say, black magic, but apparently I've got some magical setup that avoids this for some reason.
But from what I've heard and seen with co-workers and what not, I'm apparently the 0.0000
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Most of the Bluetooth headphones that I have used only like to be paired to one device at a time. A lot of Mac Book users also have an iPhone that now does not have a headphone jack. You will get all the adventures of pairing your headphones each time you switch devices.
Exactly. We chat on Slack, Skype, Hangouts, and sometimes even the phone. Right now I just move the headset connector between the laptop and the phone, and there's never a pairing issue. Working remotely, I use the headset many hours a day.
I'm not sure which I hate more, removing the jack from the phone or the laptop. Both suck. Right now my plan is to wait until iPhone 8 when hopefully everybody has complained enough so that they put the jack back into the phone.
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I should have added, I have a MBP. I'm still using my 2011 MBP because I was able to install a replacement for the hard drive (1TB SSD) which I can't do with the newer laptops. I would also like to be able to expand the memory (16GB is starting to not be enough). If I wanted a crazy thin laptop I'd get a plain Macbook, but thanks I'll take a little more thickness to be able to have lots of ports and to be able to upgrade disk and memory.
I know they're going in another direction which I really don't understa
Tried GNUstep? (Score:2)
being an Apple developer I can't just switch to some laptop running Linux.
In theory, you could try coding your Mac apps for GNUstep, a free clone of most of Cocoa. (Cocoa is derived from the reference implementation of OpenStep, and GNUstep is a reimplementation of OpenStep.) Then solve incompatibilities with macOS on a separate desktop Mac (Mac mini or iMac) at home or at the office. The bonus is that you get Linux/Mac cross-compatibility for a large percentage of your application's functionality.
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Apple's custom wireless chip gets around this. However, they told Ars Technica that they won't be licencing it to anyone else, so it's Apple or Beats or fuck you.
More interesting is the question of what will replace it. Will they add a Lightning port, or will that one USB C port now need a quad splitter so you can charge, use a flash drive, use ethernet and listen to your headphones at the same time?
Times they are a changin' (Score:2)
Most of the Bluetooth headphones that I have used only like to be paired to one device at a time.
Not universally true and that will change pretty quickly I think. The bluetooth headphones I use can connect up to ten devices. I would expect that to go downmarket pretty fast. Apple's actions have effectively created a market and the void should fill up in short order I expect.
apple laptops are to thin and need more ports (Score:2)
apple laptops are to thin and need more ports.
If they go USB C / TB 3 they may only have 2 ports so they don't endup with a mix of USB-C TB and USB-C non TB ports.
This won't go over well (Score:3)
This might be the beginning of the end of the use of Macs in audio engineering.
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Nobody? Hardly
Personally I'd like my macbook pro laptop (that I use for daily software development and high-end animation and rendering software) to get as thin and light as possible. Every pound saved is a pound I don't have to lug through airports multiple times a year.
Of course I still want all the connectivity and power that I currently have.. but barring changes there I have no issue with making things as thin as physically possible.
I'd be happy to see 4 or 5 USB C ports and nothing else on this thing
Wrong audience (Score:2)
I have a macbook pro, just not with retina display. I opted out of that, because I'm old fashioned when it comes to displays (and I don't use a macbook as a shiny tool for graphic design). So now I guess I'm not cool enough to let our Cupertino overlords know what I do with my headphone jacks (I use them, btw). Bummer.
Analog Hole (Score:3, Insightful)
Got to plug that analog hole.
Re:Analog Hole (Score:4, Insightful)
Problem with that argument is that in order to so, a totally digital audio reproduction path is needed, with digital all the way to the voice coil or peizo plate in the speaker. Video can be replaced since digital LCD panels can use proprietary drivers to switch individual pixels and capturing that requires capturing the light and colour from each pixel element. Until someone can invent a non-electrially driven sound element, capturing that single electrical signal is a simple task, even if it means sacrificing a pair of Beatz (oh the Horror!!!)
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Apple no longer sells DRM'ed music so what is this analog hole you claim Apple is trying to plug by removing the jack?
This wouldn't be a big deal in a different world (Score:2)
Lately, Apple computers have pretty much been Intel reference designs in nice cases, but they do have a history of taking leaps that others haven't -- the iMac was the first computer without a floppy drive in an era when floppies were what USB sticks are now, cheap disposable storage. Same thing with getting rid of the CD-ROM drive and later the DVD in their laptops.
I think the controversy stems from a couple of things:
- Apple has been systematically turning their computers into throwaway appliances by remo
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I'm an Android guy and haven't used iTunes in years but do they really have a LOCK on the media market? Is there really that much exclusive media that's only available in iTunes?
Apple is jumping the shark pretty hard now (Score:5, Insightful)
This isn't edgy, or brave, or futuristic. It's simply the beginning of the end for a once-innovative company who is practically trying to alienate its customer base. I really wonder if the same idiots who were in charge of the Final Cut Pro 10 transition were the same ones involved in these decisions.
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Are you kidding? Microsoft pivoted HARD with Xbox and Windows 10.
Probably not "exploring" (Score:2)
More likely they have already decided to remove it in the new Macbook Pros expected soon, and are just doing this to get the complaints out of the way so they don't overshadow the launch.
I'm fine with that IF (Score:2)
Terrible for iPhone users (Score:2)
Had the iPhone 7 switched from Lightning to USB-C, this would kind of make sense. Put USB-C ports on the laptops and now all accessories (chargers, headphones, displays, Thunderbolt, USB devices, etc.) could use the same port across all devices. But with the iP7 using Lightning, losing the Macbook headphone jack would really suck. You couldn't use Lightning headphones on the Macbook without an additional USB-C to Lightning female dongle (on top of your USB-C to Lightning male for charging your phone, USB-
Interference (Score:2)
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Has Apple solved the problem of wireless interference?
Not perfectly solved, but spread spectrum and multiple-access schemes have made the problem less noticeable. An actual solution would involve beamforming [wikipedia.org] to make the transmission and reception more strongly directional.
Ack, NO!!! (Score:3)
You want a real suggestion? Bring back a 17" model. That'd be great, thanks.
Accessibility implications? (Score:3, Insightful)
Some people require headphones to use a device, and bluetooth may not always be an option. Removing the jack removes any ability to charge it while using headphones that are attached to its single USB-C port.
It's the exact same problem with the iPhone 7 and its single lightning port. Apple clearly doesn't have a fucking clue what it's doing anymore. They are so desperate to try and be industry leaders again that they are trying random shit that nobody seriously wants or will find useful as an effort to "think outside of the box", and it's not a good thing. For them or their customers.
Re:Accessibility implications? (Score:4, Insightful)
It would be awesome if somebody discovered that removing the headphone jack was a violation of the ADA because it placed an undue burden on handicapped people, and Apple was forced to add the jack back in.
I know, they provide a dongle which adds that functionality back in, and nobody is forced to choose an Apple device without a headphone jack, so it would never hold water, but it'd be hilarious if they had to not only pay taxes but also offer a model with a headphone jack.
Every day (Score:2)
Working with people in different offices, we use head phones every day. I've watched Windows users over the years constantly struggling with headphones and Skype and been very happy to be MBP based and just have it work. When you spend a lot of time on Skype and the like you really come to appreciate the value of good and working A/V equipment. The builtin mic is all part of the package with Apple headsets.
I don't really care if they get rid of the headphone socket, so long as they have a solution. Give
DRM EVERYWHERE (Score:5, Insightful)
The 3.5mm jack is nothing but a conduit for your stolen media, so suck it up. And you there with the 5000 CD collection. Don't be a commie and buy all that music again in iTunes, willya?
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That's not strictly true.
You've got to be joking. Why do you think Apple exists? Do you believe they're the fucking United Way? OF COURSE THEY'RE ONLY IN IT TO MAKE A BUCK OFF PEOPLE, YOU GOOFBALL.
So much for being useful for music (Score:2)
Apple doesn't make studio-quality headphones (Beats are anything but neutral) so this is going to piss off anyone using studio-grade monitors/headphones. And BlueTooth doesn't provide any fidelity worth a shit for mastering at half the bitrate of a standard audio CD.
So much for being useful for music. Not like I ever used them, as I have dedicated hardware DAWs.
Re:So much for being useful for music (Score:4, Insightful)
To be honest the headphone jack on those machines is pretty crappy anyway. If you're serious about audio you're already using an offboard USB DAC.
Proves the lie (Score:5, Insightful)
Buried the lead? (Score:2)
Actually, I think the demise of the USB-A ports is a bigger issue for me; I haven't just thrown out all my USB-A stuff, and suddenly I'm doubling up on adapters for every drive, DAC, dock, etc. that I currently own.
I guess as long as it's shiny and silver I'll still buy one...
I use it more than any port except the charger (Score:4, Interesting)
I own a (older) Macbook Air, an Android phone, and a Sandisk mp3 player. I use the same pair of earphones interchangeably between these devices. (Actually, I have a few pairs for different environments.) I've never needed any kind of special dongle (unless you count the charger, though both my phone and mp3 player charge via micro USB). I really like my Macbook, but if they keep pulling crap like this, my next laptop won't be made by Apple.
Idiot Executives (Score:2)
On an anti-roll (Score:2)
Not feeling the love.
Why? (Score:2)
So the 3.5mm jack takes up too much space in a device meant to fit in your pocket. I'm not sure I agree with the decision, but I follow the reasoning. And an RJ-45 port for ethernet would have made Macbooks too thick. Yes, this is true, and I have a thunderbolt-to-ethernet adapter plugged into my Macbook at work. What possible reason could there be to eliminate a 3.5mm port on a laptop? Is it too big? Really? My laptop's screen and keyboard don't have to go completely to the edge of the case - I can deal wi
And by Exploring, we mean it's gonna happen. (Score:2)
Deal with it.
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You greatly overestimate the intelligence of fanboys.
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Getting rid of the headphone jack on all Apple's products will be suicide for them.
Yes, just like when Apple removed the serial port, parallel port, 5.25" floppy drive, 3.5" floppy drive, VGA port, Ethernet port, and when they introduced the lightning connector. After all of that, I'm sure getting rid of the headphone jack will be the straw that broke the camel's back.
Re:Apple's suicide (Score:5, Insightful)
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Sound and fury signifying nothing (Score:2)
Getting rid of the headphone jack on all Apple's products will be suicide for them.
You keep telling yourself that. This is not Apple's first rodeo with removing interfaces that others were reluctant to part with. While no one knows for certain, all indications so far seem to be that all the furor over the headphone jack really won't affect Apple's sales to any significant degree. There are real threats to Apple's business but this is highly unlikely to be among them. Apple has never tried to be all things to all people and if you really need that jack there are options available to yo
wireless networking is not perfectly fine (Score:4, Insightful)
wireless networking is not perfectly fine for.
* High security areas
* Areas where walls block wifi
* Areas With lot's of Congestion
* Areas with overloaded AP's
Re:Apple's suicide (Score:5, Insightful)
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You greatly overestimate their technical competance. I know of a number of "Pro" sound engineers who have blown more than one iphone audio output by plugging in jack-xlr with phantom power on the channel.
And Muso's are far worse than them with tech, especially guitarists, who dont understand cause and effect.
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which is $3 we will be paying to solve a problem that doesn't exist, and deliver less audio quality than what we had before.
Removing the phono jack from a notebook computer is a solution looking for a problem.
Worn headphone jack or cable or connector (Score:5, Insightful)
What? Things wear out? What??? UNPOSSIBLE!
Plus, I have news for you: A middling quality headphone jack is of far higher quality and average lifetime than any USB jack ever manufactured. A truly high quality headphone jack is darned near bulletproof. USB jacks and connectors and cables are connectivity and structural strength fails from word one. Particularly the smaller types. Plus, when the user's USB jack wears out sooner because they've regularly been jamming headphones into it and then putting various stresses on the USB cable, as well as plugging in the charging cord every day or so, they won't just lose the ability to use wired headphones. They'll lose the ability to charge their phone. Because Apple's still far behind the crowd on wireless charging. Me, I just put my phone on the cradle and it charges, no physical connection to the phone required. I've owned my phone for months now and have yet to plug anything into the stinking USB jack. So it isn't broken. Yet. But anyway.
If you don't want wires, bluetooth is already there. Bingo, no connection, no wear and tear. If anything wears out, it'll almost certainly be your relatively less expensive headphones / earbuds. If you do want wires (and frankly, an analog connection via the headphone jack will provide better quality audio), the headphone jack is a far more reliable choice than any USB jack ever conceived. And your phone will almost certainly last longer, too. Say... you don't think Apple might have been tucking a little planned obsolescence in there, do you? No, couldn't be!
Nah, Apple's just being an idiot about this. But hey, they thought a trashcan and a bunch of desk warts was "professional", so at least they're being consistent in their blundering along the path of abject stupidity.
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So to have 4 USB 3 with TB you need at least 2 TB 3 controllers so that means an PCI-E switch and maybe the video card if they have one at a max of pci-e X8
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It's ok every crappy PA comes with BT now.
Smart bomb (Score:2)
every crappy PA comes with BT
BT? We came to drop bombs, calling every man to arms. [youtube.com]
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They can't be serious. What are they going to do, sell a $75 USB - headphone adapter?
Just be wary in case you buy a cheap knockoff adapter and a later OS update bricks your device for being so cheeky.