Apple’s revolutionary new 12-inch MacBook heralds world without wires and cables

“Ready or not, Apple’s new MacBook is cutting the computing industry’s cables,” Stephen Shankland reports for CNET.

“The slim laptop has just a single USB port, the new tiny Type-C variety that’s slowly popping up in devices this year,” Shankland reports. “It’s a multipurpose port that connects to external devices like hard drives, runs video to TVs and external monitors, and supplies the laptop with power when it’s charging time.”

“The new USB port is remarkably flexible, but it’s still just one port. For those who need to attach printers, Ethernet cables, external hard drives, cameras, monitors, keyboards, mice, TVs, game controllers and tablets, that might seem confining,” Shankland reports. “You’d better get used to it, because the new MacBook hints at the direction the industry is headed as it relies increasingly on wireless technology.”

“The awkward transition highlights the privilege and pain that comes with being an Apple customer. It also underscores the unique position Apple enjoys, one where it can make drastic changes to transform the computing industry because, well, it can get away with it,” Shankland reports. “‘They’re as usual ahead of the curve,’ Endpoint Technologies analyst Roger Kay said of the pared-down ports and pumped-up wireless abilities on Apple’s latest laptop.”

“‘Yes, many will complain, but that’s the cost of progress,’ said IDC analyst Tom Mainelli,” Shankland reports. “From a business perspective, Apple’s willingness to push for that progress ultimately wins out — at the expense of rivals.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: We are Mac users and Mac users embrace change.

Apple leads. The rest of the world follows, as usual.

Now, we would love to see a tiny MagSafe adapter cap (or very short corded adapter) that sticks into the USB-C port for MagSafe power cords. That way we don’t have to regress in the name of progress.