Apple, I'm not ready to move on from USB-A yet - so why the heck does the new M4 Mac mini only have USB-C ports?

Okay, listen. Maybe I'm successful nan number here; I still usage and for illustration USB-A. I cognize nan EU wants to resistance maine kicking and screaming into a glorious utopian early wherever each instrumentality is powered and connected solely pinch USB-C cables and thing else, but I'm simply not fresh to surrender my saccharine asymmetric larboard of yore. So show me, Tim Cook, wherever are nan USB-A ports connected nan new M4 Mac mini you conscionable announced?

That's right: nan next-gen Mac mini does look for illustration a awesome small instrumentality - mini capable to fresh successful your hand! - but Apple has officially ended its semipermanent narration pinch USB-A, nixing nan 2 ports recovered connected nan erstwhile exemplary successful favour of much USB-C ports (five successful total). It's a large change, 1 that goes hand-in-hand pinch Apple redesigning its 'Magic' accessories to characteristic USB-C alternatively of nan aged proprietary Lightning ports (yes, the Magic Mouse charging larboard is still connected nan bottom, but I'm not kicking that peculiar hornet's nest correct now).

I get it. Even arsenic a long-time Apple critic, I tin sincerely opportunity that this is simply a bully move from nan company. Switching to a azygous relationship modular helps pinch inter-platform connectivity, reduces monopolistic influences wrong Apple's tightly-controlled hardware ecosystem, and astir importantly helps tackle the increasing problem that is e-waste. This is simply a bully thing. This is simply a bully thing.

I support telling myself that - and make nary mistake, I'm very happy to spot Lightning spell to nan awesome electronics shop successful nan entity - but there's a portion of maine that's disappointed to spot a caller loop of nan champion Apple merchandise (that's right, I said it) get without a USB-A larboard successful sight.

USB-A still matters

I didn't want to complaint into this article without immoderate statistic to backmost maine up, truthful I did what everyone seems to do these days: I asked Google for help. According to Google's generative hunt results, location are galore reasons why USB-A is still wide utilized astir nan world: familiarity, backward compatibility, and costs being nan cardinal reasons.

Okay, I didn't conscionable inquire an AI for thief pinch my statement and telephone it a day, but Google's bot does make immoderate bully points. USB-A is cheaper to manufacture and plentifulness of devices - my ain desktop and laptop included - still person compatible ports. It's hardly a astonishment that galore manufacturers are still trading products that either usage USB-A aliases characteristic USB-A ports. If you bargain a third-party wireless mouse, there's a beautiful bully chance nan cablegram it comes pinch will link to a powerfulness root via USB-A alternatively than USB-C (we don't talk astir USB-B).

It's besides worthy noting that while USB-C mightiness beryllium quickly becoming nan caller normal successful Europe and nan US, that's not nan lawsuit for nan remainder of nan world. Many countries are efficaciously 'behind nan curve' erstwhile it comes to machine hardware, and USB-A is still very overmuch nan norm there. Hell, moreover nan National Health Service successful my state is still notably outdated successful nan tech it uses; I saw an atrocious batch of USB-A ports erstwhile I was in and retired of infirmary for crab treatment.

Don't moreover get maine started connected flash drives. I know I'm not nan only personification who still uses them, and each nan ones I person usage USB-A. I person each sorts of projects and aged files backed up connected them, positive a fewer pinch install-ready Linux distros and moreover 1 pinch a afloat Windows 10 instal image. When I brought this up successful a meeting, my leader (the effervescent Matt Hanson) asked really agelong it had been since I utilized one. I said 'three days ago'. They're useful, and I don't want to get free of them.

A fond farewell

Now, you're astir apt thinking, Christian, what's incorrect pinch a USB adapter aliases dock? And yeah, sure, I don't really person a bully rebuttal to that isolated from to opportunity that I already person capable small gadgets that I can't support way of, and you want maine to adhd more? I'm not having that.

But arsenic overmuch arsenic it pains maine to admit it, it mightiness beryllium clip for maine to yet bid adieu to my beloved OG relationship standard. In nan tech world, advancement is king, and USB-C represents nan uncommon benignant of advancement that is really universally good: nan biology benefits unsocial are a immense plus, and anyone who knows maine will attest that I tin ever get down thing that helps break up monopolies. Oh, and I won't miss nan ol' USB-A Superposition.

That being said... travel on, Apple. You can't complaint $29 for a USB-C cable, particularly not erstwhile I tin fundamentally bargain nan nonstop aforesaid merchandise for ten bucks connected Amazon. You're sitting astatine nan family array now. Play nice.