Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the wp-plugin-hostgator domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114

Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the ol-scrapes domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/functions.php:6114) in /home4/scienrds/scienceandnerds/wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php on line 1893
{"id":1323,"date":"2022-03-11T14:45:31","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T14:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/11\/screw-it-the-rectangles-are-back\/"},"modified":"2022-03-11T14:45:32","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T14:45:32","slug":"screw-it-the-rectangles-are-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/11\/screw-it-the-rectangles-are-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Screw it, the rectangles are back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/3\/10\/22967995\/apple-mac-studio-usb-a-ports-display-macbook-pro-imac-2022-connectivity<\/a>
\n
<\/br><\/code><\/p>\n

\n

Rejoice, peasants! Your proletarian gadgets may live another year yet!<\/p>\n

I refer, of course, to the Mac Studio<\/a> that Apple recently announced, which hits shelves March 18th. The company made a number of lofty claims about the device\u2019s power and efficiency, using various charts that it did not label in any particularly useful way. Those are just claims until we get our hands on a unit \u2014 we\u2019ll need to verify the metrics ourselves. <\/p>\n

But Apple also showed us pictures of the device. We\u2019ve seen it. And there are two things we know for sure, without a doubt, that it has. Computer, enhance: <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/picture>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine the possibilities.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Sure, there are some ports for Thunderbolt, Ethernet, whatever. But look at those two little rectangles to the <\/em>left of the HDMI. Those two beautiful rectangles. <\/p>\n

These, my friends, are a new invention called \u201cUSB-A\u201d. I\u2019m told you can use these to connect mice and keyboards to your computer, though I\u2019ve always just used the PS\/2 port for that. The plugs only appear to go in one way, which seems like a bit of a design oversight. But overall, I\u2019m excited to see where this standard will take us. <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\"A<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/picture>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Here it is in the wild.<\/em><\/figcaption>Image: Apple<\/cite><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Just kidding. In seriousness, I breathed a legitimate sigh of relief as soon as I saw that picture \u2014 I was worried for a minute there that Apple might ship this device without USB-A. <\/p>\n

Over the past few years, Apple has been screwing around with the connectivity on some of its MacBook generations. I am typing this as we speak on a 2019 Pro that\u2019s USB-C only<\/a> and reader, I am sad about it. The latest MacBook Pro models<\/a> have gotten a number of ports back, but they\u2019re still missing USB-A. <\/p>\n

The journey with desktop systems, while not as devastating to me personally, has still been worrisome over the past few years. The 2020 Mac Mini<\/a>, though it did have two USB-As, was a significant I\/O downgrade from previous Mac Mini models. I watched with anxiety as Macs continued shedding ports. Laptops are one thing, I told myself, but surely, surely,<\/em> Apple would never take USB-A off its desktops. <\/p>\n

And then we got the 2021 iMac<\/a>. USB-C only. And I worried that might be the final straw. If Apple was shipping USB-C-only desktops \u2014 I repeat, desktops<\/em> \u2014 maybe we\u2019d never see it again.<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/picture>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

This, folks, is what devastation looks like.<\/em><\/figcaption>Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

So I was quite content to see these images during Apple\u2019s Studio announcement, and if you were following our live blog<\/a>, you\u2019ll know, I wasn\u2019t the only one.<\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/picture>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/picture>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/picture>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

\n <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/picture>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Anyway. As my colleague Chaim Gartenberg pointed out recently,<\/a> there are all kinds of valid reasons to prefer USB-C to USB-A. It\u2019s smaller, it\u2019s reversible, and you can use it to charge. I understand why companies like Apple and Dell want to pressure the industry towards that standard. On the day every good SSD, webcam, mouse, keyboard, and other modern peripheral drops USB-A, I\u2019ll be leading the parade. <\/p>\n

On the other hand, speaking as someone who often uses a MacBook Pro and a 2021 iMac as daily drivers, here\u2019s a brief list of the things I cannot connect without a dongle: my mouse (sue me, I don\u2019t like Apple\u2019s mice), my mechanical keyboard, my external webcam, my podcast microphone, my camera, four drives that I keep various things on, and my CD player (yes, I use one occasionally). This is many people\u2019s reality. <\/p>\n

And sorry, I\u2019m just going to say it \u2014 dongles are damn hard to keep track of. I rely on my tiny USB-C to USB-A adapter for my life, and half the time I don\u2019t even know where it is. The other day I found it under my couch. I could not tell you how it got there.<\/p>\n