No USB-C port... it can go really bad for the future

[anon(4216826)]

I am just thinking, iPhones have a very large user base. Many large enterprises now deploy iPhones instead of Windows Phones or Android (due to security concerns).
Now, following Apple's trend of going all USB-C I firmly believe the new iPhone's will have a USB-C charging port (the piece that goes into the charger and is a USB-A now). If so this will be a bad selling point for the Surface line.
What is Microsoft trying to do? Are there any other ways to connect iPhone - iTunes without a cable?

 

[raqball]

It will be years before USB C takes control. Until schools and businesses make the change it will not be mainstream.. Schools and businesses are not going to spend millions of $$$ to change over. They will slowly make the change to USB C.

Besides that, what accessory ships now with USB C on both ends? Phones that use USB C sill have USB A on the charger / PC connection end. I have a GoPro Session with USB C connector on the camera but the other end of the cable is USB A so nothing at all is effected..

The swap to USB C might be important for geeks but it won't happen for a long time..

The new Macbooks are USB C only... People with them are living the dongle life. If Apple were to release a device with USB C on both ends of the cable then a dongle would be needed..

Either way, we will all be living the dongle life for a while. I do wish MS had put one USB C on the new machines. Apple should have also included one USB A.....

 

[pkcable]

I'm sure there will be cables and/or adapters to make it work.

 

[Drael646464]

usb c like all usb, is backwards compatible. Just needs a cable. Theres also an adapter for this surface to usb c, via the surface connector.

But usb won't take off very quickly IMO. There will still be usb 2 flashdrives floating around in 5 or even 10 years time. Which means usb-c users will have to dongle it up for a very long time yet.

 

[Paul Josephson]

USB C missing is a mistake. Sure, you don't put all your eggs in one basket and go all USB C like Apple did. But, USB C is far enough along in its industry acceptance that any device now (that is expected to by running a few years from now) should have at least one USB C dedicated port. Especially one that one would consider cutting edge, like the Surface family of devices. And just like Apples answer to complaints about it's ports, a dongle is not the answer to alleviate the lack of a port. If this device can actually pull over 13 hours (at least 10) than I am not carrying around dongles or a charger or extra peripherals devices everywhere I go. Furthermore, the advances in the inking features are nice but, that is not my main feature I use now (at least not where the updates here would be a large selling point). So, right now updating my Surface Pro 3 will have to wait or I may look for another device that does fit what I need.

 

[dov1978]

USB C missing is a mistake. Sure, you don't put all your eggs in one basket and go all USB C like Apple did. But, USB C is far enough along in its industry acceptance that any device now (that is expected to by running a few years from now) should have at least one USB C dedicated port. And just like Apples answer to complaints, a dongle is not the answer to alleviate the lack of a port. If this device can actually pull over 13 hours (at least 10) than I am not carrying around dongles or a charger or extra peripherals devices everywhere I go. The advances in the inking features are nice but, that is not my main feature I use now (at least not where the updates here would be a large selling point). So, right now updating my Surface Pro 3 will have to wait or I may look for another device that does fit what I need.

Totally agree. Could and should have added a USB-C port alongside the USB-A for a year or so then going USB-C only after that

 

[JaimitoFrog]

Originally posted by pkcable
I'm sure there will be cables and/or adapters to make it work.

Usbc adaptor coming in the fall per Panos.

 

[JaimitoFrog]

Originally posted by paulie_iwin
I am just thinking, iPhones have a very large user base. Many large enterprises now deploy iPhones instead of Windows Phones or Android (due to security concerns).
Now, following Apple's trend of going all USB-C I firmly believe the new iPhone's will have a USB-C charging port (the piece that goes into the charger and is a USB-A now). If so this will be a bad selling point for the Surface line.
What is Microsoft trying to do? Are there any other ways to connect iPhone - iTunes without a cable?

If iPhones go usb C, what are people going to do with the lightning cables and accessories? Lmao. Sell dongles and new accessories.

 

[astondg]

I too was disappointed about no USB, for a few convenience reasons e.g.: a single charger and docking station for SP, phone (continuum & probably DeX?) AND my workplace MacBook - that right there is a big convenience win for me, and the extra speed of USB 3.1 for external NVMe SSD (and, if I had the money, external GPU).

I think the former is fairly self explanatory, but for the latter in my perfect world I'd have a smallish SSD in my Surface Pro (256GB) and then store all my big files like GoPro videos as one example, on a larger, fast, external SSD. USB-C would give me the performance to edit these videos direct from the drive without having to copy back and forth.

Anyway now I know there is an adapter coming for the Surface Connector I'm less concerned, I think that will be ok for me. An adapter isn't perfect, but if it's magnetic (to the Surface Connector) and well designed then I think it could be ok.

 

[rdubmu]

The power slot is a thunderbolt USB type c port, just needs an adapter for it

 

[GIkari]

The trouble is intel mucking things up with "borrowing" the connector for USBC to use TB.

Not all USBC cables or all ports can do thunderbolt stuff, instant confusion for the layman. Yes, many of us here can navigate that minefield fine, but I don't think most can without major frustration.

 

[kaktus1389]

Daniel Rubino wrote an article about the new prototype adapter that converts Surface Connect to the USB-C port, so no big deal.

 

[ttsoldier]

I really don't think it's that big of a deal....
People should clam down.

 

[Stevie04]

USB A works perfectly fine with keyboards, mouses, printers, thumbdrives... fine, USB C can be plugged in the way you want to plus its smaller and can power your device. Personally, it's never bothered me that you could plug in USB A just from one side.
The magnetic connect on the Surface is much nicer. Other than external SSDs or eGPU, I don't see much benefit from having Thunderbolt 3 on a Surface... since most of your peripherals don't even use the full potential of USB 3.0 Speed - most of them still use USB 2.0 speed (latest gopro for example).

My guess is, that MS has put most of the PCI lanes to the Surface connect, to give it all the bandwith it needs (4 USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, 2 miniDPs)... so it basicalls is Thunderbolt 3/USB C. So with the dongle you'll get USB C plus USB A and a mini DP. I don't see a problem here, since MS has found a good solution.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Simple experiment - count the number of devices you've seen in the last week that were USB type A, type C and thunderbolt (I have no idea which one this is, never seen it or used it) and list them below

Me:

USB Type A: more than 100
USB Type C - never seen it at all
Thunderbolt: never seen this either

Now your turn

 

[onlysublime]

You guys do realize that USB-C cables and dongles are not universally reliable, right? It's not like it was with USB-A and USB-B because USB-C is so much more versatile and with those capabilities, the amount of electricity that can flow is harder to manage.

A lot of people have irrevocably damaged their devices after using generic cables and dongles off places like Amazon. It's why Apple owners are slaves to Apple's absurdly-priced cables because they don't want to wreck their absurdly expensive equipment.

There are lots of articles out there about damage USB-C cables have caused. I can totally understand Microsoft's scared attitude toward USB-C if there's a stampede of returned machines due to USB-C frying. Windows users are different than Apple users. Apple users will buy whatever Apple sells them. Windows users go onto Amazon and buy the cheapest cables that have decent reviews. This is what Android faces as well. A lot of Android devices were fried. Because Android has the same client base as Windows.

This is in addition to lack of USB-C peripherals. Are your printers USB-C? Your monitors? Sure, some of you on the cutting edge. But most people have HDMI, DisplayPort, or DVI. Heck, I know a ton of business still rocking VGA.

 

[anon(5327127)]

Me:

USB Type A: A heck of a lot
USB Type C - Two. Phone and a mem stick that also has USB A on the other side.
Thunderbolt: Never.

I swear that people, at times, just have no idea what they're talking about and repeat what they've read.