MacBook's USB-C only - Does it work or is it an issue?

hoogie · 5 Jul 2017 at 12:25

Hi,

I took delivery of a MacBook Pro 13" non touchbar on Friday, and I love the form factor, display and touchpad.

Before ordering it, I spent a lot of time considering if being USB-C only, and with only 2 ports at that, was feasible or if it was too much of a trade off. I made the decision that USB-C was the future so went for it.

I am now having some serious concerns about whether or USB-C only can really work for me, and specifically around if 2-ports is enough. And I'm considering returning it.

The main issue I have, is that I was sold on the USB-C hubs being able to get around the issue of low port numbers, I also read articles stating they could be daisy chained and had the bandwidth and power to connect all sorts of devices at once. However, now that I am looking to buy a HUB, and looking at the better ones such as Satechi, I am reading that:

HDMI output flickers and often need system reboots to work
They do not output enough power to run USB external HDD, which can lead to data loss

With that being the case I don't see how a 2 USB-C system can work. I don't use a huge amount of devices or SD cards, but at the least I want to be able to reliably output to HDMI, and plug in an external USB HDD at the same time.

What is everyone's experience with using USB-C only system?

And do people think 2 ports are enough?

Thanks

shiver · 5 Jul 2017 at 13:34

Hello, have you considered looking at Thunderbolt 3 hubs instead?

MacRS4 · 5 Jul 2017 at 14:28

I have a 12" Macbook, 13" 2017 rMBP, and a 2017 2015.

I've not had any of those issues. Don't buy cheap adapters would be my advice.

Do I miss the ports? Now and again on the Macbook, but tbh I tend to use that as a fancy iPad rather than a laptop.

Alpherah · 5 Jul 2017 at 20:18

Only the very best (and expensive) usb c hubs are worth having , your better off looking at thunderbolt 3 solutions

Barry Smalley · 5 Jul 2017 at 20:35

I use an Anker one and did have an Apple one, but the Anker IMO is better. It works exactly the same apart from having an extra USB port. Both of them will not power a SuperDrive.

MacRS4 · 5 Jul 2017 at 20:53

Barry Smalley said:
I use an Anker one and did have an Apple one, but the Anker IMO is better. It works exactly the same apart from having an extra USB port. Both of them will not power a SuperDrive.

Not sure that's a power issue though - the SuperDrive is a fussy little bugger isn't it? Found it wouldn't work plugged directly in to my 2015 rMBP for example.

Jimbeam3678 · 5 Jul 2017 at 22:11

I don't get the USB - C issues, I mean juts buy a converter on the off chance someone has a USB stick, majority of the time I just use a cloud service for files. Time Machine I used it as an excuse to get a new back up drive.

Feek · 5 Jul 2017 at 22:19

I've got a MacBook so I'm limited to just one USB-C connector. I've bought two adapters, one is to give me an ethernet port because I knew I was going to be in a situation where I'd need a hard wired network connection to fault find something and I also got the Apple USB-C to USB adapter because in a months time, I'm going to need to use my aerial analyser with the laptop.

My backups are done to a Time Capsule so that's wireless. I've personally not struggled with just one port. Yet.

Jimbeam3678 · 5 Jul 2017 at 22:22

I really do think people over react with these sort of things.

Barry Smalley · 6 Jul 2017 at 07:12

MacRS4 said:
Not sure that's a power issue though - the SuperDrive is a fussy little bugger isn't it? Found it wouldn't work plugged directly in to my 2015 rMBP for example.

Sorry, yes you are right. I shouldn't have used the word "Power" when "run" would have been more appropriate. Interestingly enough, if I plug it in via the unpowered Apple USB-C to USB converter, it works!

hoogie · 6 Jul 2017 at 09:43

Thanks for the replies.

Based on the replies of people not having issues with even just a single port on the MacBook, are you having to connect to external monitors/HDD at the same time? And if so what adaptor are you using?

Regarding Thunderbolt 3 HUB solutions, are there any in particular people would recommend? And should this solve the power issue that the USB-C hubs appear to have with external HDD?

Thanks

MacRS4 · 6 Jul 2017 at 09:53

I've two - the apple one for VGA and some random Rainf...er, Amazon purchased one for HDMI. Only unit I've had issues with is with a Surface Hub however loads of people in our office have issues with that. Flickering, wrong scale etc.

MacRS4 · 6 Jul 2017 at 09:55

From what I can tell OC doesn't sell these, so I can link to it??? Please don't hurt me if I'm wrong, I did have a look in the shop. Anyways, it's this one.

Barry Smalley · 6 Jul 2017 at 21:45

hoogie said:
Thanks for the replies.

Based on the replies of people not having issues with even just a single port on the MacBook, are you having to connect to external monitors/HDD at the same time? And if so what adaptor are you using?

Thanks

Im using an external DAC, an external HDD an using HDMI out also. All through one port with the Anker one -https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/USB-Hubs/Anker-Premium-Delivery-SuperSpeed-Charging-Specification-ChromeBook/B018XF4KRC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499373736&sr=8-3&keywords=anker+usb-c+hub

hoogie · 10 Jul 2017 at 10:49

Barry Smalley said:
Im using an external DAC, an external HDD an using HDMI out also. All through one port with the Anker one -https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/USB-Hubs/Anker-Premium-Delivery-SuperSpeed-Charging-Specification-ChromeBook/B018XF4KRC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499373736&sr=8-3&keywords=anker+usb-c+hub

This is the adaptor I was originally looking at, but was put off by people saying it didn't provide enough power for the HDD.

Does your external HDD have a dedicated power source? And if not are you finding the adaptor gives it enough power?

Thanks

Barry Smalley · 10 Jul 2017 at 20:27

hoogie said:
This is the adaptor I was originally looking at, but was put off by people saying it didn't provide enough power for the HDD.

Does your external HDD have a dedicated power source? And if not are you finding the adaptor gives it enough power?

Thanks

No external power supply - I'm using various different drives too. I use it as a Plex Media server (amongst other things) and have no problems.

CraigN · 19 Jul 2017 at 00:16

In the office we use screens that connect via USB-C/TB3 when using a desk.

One cable from screen to macbook then the screen has USB ports. We use a USB to ethernet dongle off the back of the screen as wifi simply isnt fast enough for some of the files my creatives work with. Wacom tablet etc plugs into the USB ports on the screen.

I buy the Digital AV adapter to go with all the macbooks for when out and about.

Only problem with this setup is if you have a 15" macbook pro with touch bar. The only screen we had that would power the macbook was the LG superfine.

iamtheoneneo · 22 Jul 2017 at 13:03

Have top spec macbook pro for work (4 ports) half my desk is full of dongles and little boxes that have more connections on them. Everything we use is USB 2 or 3, Im not sure what planet Apple were on when they decided to go all usb-c but I dont know anyone in the creative environment that thinks its a good idea even taking into account future proofing.

As for stuff used, had no issues with this stuff:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01GKS2HCE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06Y62D9XY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1