Video: Apple makes Thunderbolt 3 more versatile with a USB-C charger
According to your point of view, USB Type-C is either the savior of technology, or another disappointment is waiting.
My colleague Jason Perlow is in the old camp, arguing this week that USB Type-C is "the iPhone charging connector that Steve Jobs would have wanted." This is a stark contrast to what Adrian Kingsley-Hughes wrote last fall when he called the standard "a garbage dumpster."
Read also: What is USB Type-C and USB 3?
In which camp do I fall? Let's say things like this: Compatibility with USB Type-C is a major factor in all the decisions I'm making today, and that's not good news for Apple or Microsoft.
I thought about it when I started testing Microsoft Device, the Surface Connect to USB-C adapter. At $ 80, it's an expensive dongle, especially since its whole function is to facilitate the connection of chargers, docks and USB Type-C storage devices to the Surface Connector on Surface Book or Surface Pro.
Microsoft Surface Connect to the USB-C Adapter
The key point of Microsoft is to serve as a bridge between its proprietary Surface Connect port, with its magnetic connector shaped like blade, and an alternate universe filled with USB Type-C chargers and, more importantly, USB Type-C docking stations that include power supply, wired Ethernet, connections to external displays high resolution and multiple USB ports.
Also read: USB Type-C plus – here are the phones to prove it – CNET
Microsoft has its own docking station, the $ 200 Surface Dock, which works well with all the current Surface family members. But its surface connector means that it's literally a useless brick if I want to temporarily exchange one of the Dell or Apple laptops that I have on hand and use it with the big screen and the external keyboard and mouse connected to this dock. dock.jpg "data-original =" https://zdnet1.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/2018/07/19/d4bc3277-331b-401e-9e9c-74f975073db5/398df665864c48a0bccf80bcb1ac878f/surface-dock.jpg”/>
The Surface Dock has no type C USB connectors.
I've used Surface Book and Surface Pro (2017) with the Surface Dock and the experience is excellent. Essentially, it turns the Surface Book, a powerful PC in itself, into an impressive desktop substitute. In a few months of daily use, I have not had any major problems.
With the Surface Connect to USB-C adapter, the experience was not so easy. For starters, the adapter is only certified to work on the Surface Laptop, the Surface Pro (2017) and the new Surface Pro LTE. This compatibility list leaves out the two generations of Surface Book and Surface Pro 4.
Also read: 2018 iPhone X with USB-C: Why we want it but will not get it – CNET [19659003] I have tested the adapter using multiple devices. First of all, the Dell WD15 Business Dock, which has a catalog price of $ 200 and provides 5 USB ports (including three USB 3.0); HDMI, VGA and Mini DisplayPort connectors; Gigabit Ethernet; and support for external audio.
When j & I plugged the WD15's unique Type-C USB cable into the Surface Adapter and snapped the Surface Connector into a Surface laptop, everything worked perfectly. But the exact configuration did not work with the Surface Pro (2017), which was fully up to date.
Installation Instructions e The FAQ did not offer any help. After some digs, I finally found an answer buried in a post on the Surface Blog for IT professionals, announcing the availability of the adapter. This message contains this sentence:
Support for the Surface Connect to USB-C adapter requires the installation of an update to the Surface System Aggregator module prior to connecting the interface module. adapter to your Surface Pro or Surface Laptop device. The post contains download links for the specific drivers required for each supported Surface model. With these drivers in place, the Surface Pro worked properly. (And surprisingly, the Surface Pro 4, despite the fact that it's not supported.)
Also read: How to connect external displays to a MacBook – TechRepublic [19659003] I also tested the Surface Adapter with several generic type-C USB laptop chargers, all capable of providing more than the minimum of 27W required, as well as the included 61W charger with a MacBook Pro. Everything worked as expected.
Finally, I tried the device with a generic $ 50 Type-C USB adapter manufactured by a Chinese company that you probably never heard of: HooToo. (It is currently the most popular in an almost identical category of devices on Amazon.)
You can find dozens of cheap USB Type-C docks like this one. [19659009] With three type A USB ports, an HDMI output, an SD card reader and a USB-C input for power, there are enough ports to play the role of docking station . All my Surface devices worked well with this dock.
The biggest rattling of the Surface Adapter is that it does not support Thunderbolt data connections. For most people, I do not think this is a big problem, because the universe of Thunderbolt devices is tiny. This concern mainly applies to MacBook Pro users who need to access large, fast hard drives for video and photo processing.
So who should consider unlocking the $ 80 for this adapter? It might be logical if you have a shared office or office that many people use regularly, with a variety of laptops. In this case, you can configure this workstation with a Type C USB docking station and provide this adapter to anyone who comes with a Surface Pro or laptop.
Read: How to locate USB devices Windows 10 – TechRepublic
On the other hand, if it is your main PC and your computer Office is yours, it is difficult to make much of this expensive dongle. One of the great advantages of the USB Type-C is that you can consolidate the chargers when you travel. But if you have to wear this dongle not quite small to replace the Surface laptop charger with a slightly smaller alternative, you have not won anything.
Apple has a slightly different problem. Its recent MacBook products (like my 2017 MacBook Pro) all use USB Type-C connectors. But iPhones and iPads have Lightning connectors, like other Apple devices like Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard and Siri Remote. This means that you need the USB-C to Lightning cable if you want to load one of these gadgets using your Mac. Apple sells this cable for $ 19 (for a 1m version) or, coughs, $ 35 if you want the 2m upgrade.
Strangely, Apple does not sell its own USB Type-C docking station. Instead, if you visit the Docks category of the Apple Store, you get half a dozen products for iPhones and iPads and Apple Watches, and only one for Macs equipped with USB Type C, the Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock HD $ 350. 19659039] belkin-f4u095-thunderbolt-3-express-dock.jpg "height =" auto "width =" 370 "data-original =" https://zdnet3.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2018/07 /19/f10cdeac-6158-47ba-9d06-70a76ae607ed/resize/370xauto/23dbcbc9871cdc20cb33e3cc6b280be3/belkin-f4u095-thunderbolt-3-express-dock.jpg”/>
The Belkin Dock looks stylish until you start connecting external devices.
The good news is that all alternative USB C-type docks and devices work perfectly with the MacBook Pro.
As Mr. Perlow points out, a great frustration for frequent travelers is that you have to carry several chargers and half a dozen cables every time you leave the office.
I managed to reduce this frustration to a minimum by standardizing devices using USB Type C connectors. This includes a Samsung Galaxy S8 +, a Moto X4 phone for overseas, an ASUS tablet and the tiny but powerful XPS 13 from Dell. When I take the road, I do not need surface connectors or Lightning cables. I can handle a single charger and two or three USB Type-C cables of different lengths.
Read also: Why did Microsoft build the Surface Go?
Finally, Apple and Microsoft are going to have to deal with the USB Type-C issue with their flagship products. Apple must decide whether to keep the Lightning connector on its iPhone and iPad lines or replace it with a USB Type-C to fit its MacBooks. Microsoft must choose to continue with its proprietary surface connection or switch to a more standard non-standard connector.
Once the change is made, I may want to consider going back. But for now, these non-standard connectors are separators for me.
Previous and related coverage:
USB Type-C is the iPhone charging connector that Steve Jobs would have liked
There are too many load and interface standards in place. We can fix that, but it will require effort and broad industry buy-in. And Apple should fall online.
Microsoft will add two new USB adapters to its Surface range as of August 2
More Adapters for Microsoft Surface – one for Ethernet and USB-A and another for USB-C to USB-A – arrive from August 2nd.
Weak Type C USB Cables Can Fry Your Gadgets
You think there's no difference between a cheap cable and a quality cable? Think again! Bad quality USB-C cables can easily destroy your devices.
