USB-c and new MacBook 2015 vs MacBook Air: five thoughts

By Will Stabley | March 17, 2015

Apple has introduced the new 2015 version of the MacBook, and it’s managed to excite the masses with its thinness and futuristic technologies while also freaking some people out due to its transition to USB-c for literally every type of wired connection. I won’t be buying the new MacBook, but then I’m not the typical user – and there’s a good chance it’s a perfect fit for you. Here are five thoughts on the USB-c era and what the new MacBook means for everyone.

1. USB was the standard for seventeen years. In consumer tech terms, that’s an eternity. By now it’s outdated for a number of reasons both technical and practical. The good news is that unlike the shift from serial to USB back in 1998, the shift from USB to USB-c is one that’s largely compatible. You’ll never need to buy an adapter. Take a look at the USB devices you own now. The cable isn’t built into any of them. At most you’ll need to buy one or two USB-c cables for ten or twenty dollars that will work with your existing peripherals. And if you’re not ready to enter the future, it’s why Apple has kept the existing MacBook Air with its old-school ports on the market.

2. Take a look at the laptop you’re typing on right now. If you have more than one cable plugged into it, you’re not the typical consumer. Backup drives, printers, internet connections, and even syncing your iPhone are increasingly done wirelessly. So don’t freak out that the new MacBook only has one port. The odds are it’s been awhile since you’ve used a USB accessory anyway. And again, if you are that atypical user, the old Air is still around specifically for you.

3.The Intel processor in the new 2015 MacBook is very fast. It’s been several years since the megahertz/gigahertz of a processor had anything to do at all with its speed. In fact the new MacBook specs are arguably more powerful than that of the existing MacBook Air, while offering a thinner body and newer technologies such as a better keyboard and trackpad.

4. Two months ago, several tech companies announced at CES that they intend to begin using USB-c on their devices. At the time, it was hailed as an innovative breakthrough and an open standard. But because it turns out Apple is the first to bring an actual USB-c product to market, and the tech journalists and tech geeks all hate Apple’s consumer-first and geeks-last approach to design, they’ve suddenly decided that USB-c is a proprietary closed incompatible overpriced useless dead end technology. As usual, almost everything being written about Apple by tech journalists can safely be ignored. This week one major tech publication referred to Apple’s introduction of USB-c as a “betrayal” of its customers. Such melodrama is the giveaway that most tech journalists think they’re in the midst of some kind of holy war against Apple for the future of their geek way of life. Again, ignore these types. These are the same people who were making the same doomsday predictions about USB back in 1998, and that was also because Apple was the first to properly embrace it. They only get out of bed in the morning so they can make up fake controversies about Apple.

5. I’m not buying the new 2015 MacBook. But that’s because I use my laptop for a combination of business work, writing, design stuff, and personal use. It’s why I have a fifteen inch MacBook Pro. But again, I’m far from the typical user. If you are, then your two choices are the new MacBook and the old MacBook Air. You may be tempted to play it safe with the Air, because it might save you from having to buy a USB-c cable for twenty bucks. But a year from now, when all the new accessories are either USB-c or wireless anyway, most people who bought the Air will end up wishing they’d bought the new MacBook instead.