“I’ve said more than once that I’m relaxed about Apple’s decision to fit only USB-C ports in the new MacBook Pro,” Ben Lovejoy writes for 9to5Mac. “I’d rather have to pay for two adapters and one cable now than be stuck with outdated ports for most of the 4-5 years I expect to keep the machine.”
“But I discovered that Apple did have one more hidden extra cost in store for 2016 MacBook Pro buyers: the $69 (13-inch model) or $79 (15-inch model) power adapter the company sells as an accessory doesn’t include the USB-C cable you need to actually, you know, use it,” Lovejoy writes. “No USB-C cable [renders] the charger completely useless unless you lay out another $19.”
“It’s the principle of the thing. What Apple is selling is not a power adapter in the sense that it has always sold them – something you can take out of the box and start using – but rather one half of a power adapter kit, with the other half sold separately,” Lovejoy writes. “That, to me, is taking penny-pinching a step too far.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We long ago adopted the use of Anker chargers and cables for our Macs and iOS devices. They’re Apple-certified high quality and very affordable. An Anker USB-C to USB 3.0 Cable (3.3ft) for USB Type-C devices like Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro costs just $8.99.
Most people will have USB-C cables. The Mac they buy comes with one. If they lost the charger, why the hell should they pay for a cable too?
If you lost both or need both, then you can go buy both. I should not have to pay for a cable I do not need. I should not have to pay for one to subsidise yours. What is wrong with buying what you want or need and nothing more?
I presume there’s the assumption still lurking here that the cable would be free. It is not. If it’s bundled, it’s in the cost calculations, and the buyer pays.
You cannot be serious. I’ve seen some fanbois on crack in my time – but this is the worst.
Setting aside the question of price, now that there are two currently used cables running from the power brick to the laptop (magsafe and thunderbolt), it is quite logical to offer the powerbrick portion of the cable by itself. I don’t get why that is so hard to fathom. Why would I want to pay an added cost for the thunderbolt connector cable when I use a magsafe connector? Complain about prices if you want, but separating the power brick is a logical decision.
There is a difference!
Magsafe based Mac laptop power supplies (for Mac laptops that started shipping in 2015 and earlier) are 45 W, 60 W, and 85 W.
USB-C based Mac laptop power supplies (fort the 2016 models) are 29 W, 61 W, and 87 W.
Tell me again why the 29 W, 61 W, and 87 W power supplies that are specifically, solely for the 2016 USB-C based Mac laptops don’t come with a USB-C cable.
There is no “extra cost” they are different units with different applications/implementation.
This really is one clear way where Apple is just getting every possible penny out of its customer for no realistic reason than to just make more money.
I did not know about the wattage difference. I revoke my previous comment. However, the power cable is still a two piece design is it not? I haven’t seen it. Previous brick had the connector at the brick along with the connector at the laptop. I wouldn’t want to have to pay for a new brick if just thunderbolt connector portion was damaged. So, I still think there is an argument for the two halves being sold separately.
That’s a really good point. Damage the MagSafe connector and you have to buy the whole lot new. Damage the USB-C connector and you just buy a cable. From Anker. From Amazon. Apple’s loss is your gain.
What I really don’t get is why people think because the cable comes in the box, they didn’t pay for it. You pay for everything in the box. You pay for the box, come to that. So why not have it separate and have the option.
Yes, it’s a 2-piece design that now costs $98, instead of the 1-piece design that costed $79
The new MBP is a complete joke and everyone knows it.
Cook is a disaster for Apple stock. Any gains in the past several weeks have now been ERASED! Carrying around Apple stock is like carrying Confederate money in your pocket long after the Civil War… it will someday soon be worthless because that’s just how lame and pathetic Cook is.
Don’t even get me started on iOS nagware. The software will not give you peace until you upgrade. Since iOS 10 is a nightmare and I refuse to upgrade, I am literally nagged hundreds of times per month.
“I should not have to pay for a wide-gamut screen I do not need. I should not have to pay for one to subsidize yours…”
“I should not have to pay for an ultra-fast SSD I do not need, normal SATA3 speeds are good enough. I should not have to pay for one to subsidize yours…”
“I should not have to pay for wired earpods I won’t be using with my iPhone. I should not have to pay for one to subsidize yours”…
In other words, people like you, and like the author, will excuse anything until it affects them directly.
Well that’s dumb. You want an optical drive, maybe some external storage and a printer included too?
How about an international travel adaptor set?
What about my damn mouse mat! I’ve been so pissed Apple doesn’t throw one of these in for years. Oh the humanity!
Yes – buy a keyboard and the keys and cable separately.
Apple Magsafe Adapter: $79 ( brick only )
Apple USB-C Adapter: $79 ( no cable )
Many pros have multiple bricks, one they leave on the desk, one that goes in the travel bag. Maybe one in the home office.
That’s fine that Apple doesn’t include the cable, but then the price should be lowered.
It’s nickel and dining, especially when pros can’t use an old Magsafe adapter.
When Apple transitioned from Magsafe 1 to Magsafe 2, they offered adapters that could connect magsafe 1 to 2.
Given that Pros will likely need to buy new power bricks, the least they could do is lower the price.
Apple has put profits over people… again.
I agree- should have a cable or be that much cheaper. Shave a little off the 31% profit margin and throw us a bone when we drop 3500 on a laptop! BTW, there are female magsafe to USB-C adapters, for those of us who have multiple bricks. I ordered one to try out with my new MBPro…
I really don’t understand this. According to Apple’s web site for the new MacBook Pro, the “In the box” sections specifically says it comes with a 2 meter USB-C charging cable. Can anyone confirm this?
The article is referring to a replacement charger, not the one that comes with the MacBook Pro.
Apple is getting really fucking chintzy. The continued abuse of Mac owners at the Apple Watch Store continues.
Will this USBc to USBc cable allow computer to computer connection for target mode?
From the Apple website:
“This 2-meter charge cable — with USB-C connectors on both ends — is ideal for charging USB-C devices, and also supports USB 2 for syncing and data transfer between USB-C devices.”
Can’t work out of the box? BBB complaint justified.
Utterly preposterous from the company which championed “There is no Step 3”
not the computer box- that has brick + USB-C cable. But the replacement charger is brick only…BYOC
Ah, okay. Even so, it illustrates the revival of an old gripe, which is each time that we get a new cable, it takes years before they become reasonably priced. Even USB was this way.
It looks like Apple has adopted the BOHICA sales approach to its “users” (pun intended). BOHICA – Bend Over Here It Comes Again. All you Apple fans, get ready: Apple will start charging you for the box its goodies come in. Apple’s new philosophy has become simple: Squeeze every last penny it can from its star-struck consumers. After 30 years of supporting Apple, I’m so happy my family and I have weaned ourselves from a company that now prides itself on greed and profit over its users. Never again.
Just out of curisoity, what happens if you get a older macbook pro, with magsafe charger, and usb 3 sockets, and plug the cable between that, and the new macbook pro with usb3 charger..
Can you charge up the new mac, while charging up the old mac?
Thanks for sharing this news. In today’s world, most of people having USB c cable. It included in the mac product box which they buy. And if someone lost the USB c-cable then its a good deal for them.