USB-C
USB Type C is the Yahoo Tech Technology of the Year. It is one really amazing connector, capable of replacing the power, video, audio, and data jacks of every phone, tablet, and laptop—from every company. One single way to charge everything you own. One cable to rule them all.
The specifications for USB-C were finalized late last year. That’s astonishing for two reasons: First, it was dreamed up by engineers and executives from every major electronics company, working side-by-side for three years—even blood rivals like Apple and Google.
[…]
One big question: Will Apple have the nerve to replace its Lightning connector (the one on iPhones and iPads) with USB-C, thus completing the earth’s transition to a completely universal charging jack?
Probably not, because Lightning is thinner and gives them more control.
Well, I’ve been using the MacBook as my primary computer for the past six months or so, and it’s true that its one and only USB-C port can make things a bit awkward at times. But the last few weeks have been a whole lot easier, thanks to a little peripheral I’ve been testing. It’s called the Minix Neo C, and Apple really ought to have made this thing itself.
The Neo C comes from Minix, a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of media hubs and various computer accessories. It’s a chunky yet compact hub made of sturdy metal that lets your MacBook’s USB-C port handle just about anything you’d want for regular computer use: two regular USB-A 3.0 ports that carry power, slots for both SD and microSD cards, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, your choice of VGA or HDMI monitor output — the latter up to 4K, though the highest resolution I could test was 2560 x 1080 21:9 — and, critically, another USB-C port so you can continue to charge your computer as you use all these features.
2 Comments RSS · Twitter
"... your choice of VGA or HDMI monitor output — the latter up to 4K, though the highest resolution I could test was 2560 x 1080 21:9"
The former (VGA) should also support at least 2560x1440. Drives me mad that my iMac's DisplayPort to VGA adapter limits me to 1920x1080 where my Lenovo pumps out 2560x1440 (my monitor's max) via its VGA port. Yes, I'm still using an ancient Dr. Bott USB & VGA KVM switch.
Was hoping using USB-C would get me around that limitation, but things sound less hopeful now.
[…] initial expectations matched Gruber’s. I didn’t think Apple would drop Lightning. That said, I think […]
