I have gone USB-C all the way with my family’s Mac merch. I have also bought multiple USB-C to multi-USB-A hubs (10 ports) to handle all old peripherals. I plan to do this until all peripherals move to having USC-C cables, but this doesn’t seem to be happening.
It seems that peripheral makers are staying with USB-A cables. I went looking for a USB-C to multi-USB-C hub, but (apart from a 1:3 multi-device) they’re missing. Why aren’t peripheral and hub makers moving to USB-C faster, or at least providing an option to go USB-C all the way? Is it a licence cost or technology limit or market size issue?
For example, my wife has a 15" MBP with four USB-C ports attached to an LG screen. She attaches the one LG monitor USB-C cable to the MBP, closes the MBP, shoves the MBP under a stand and uses the three spare USB-C ports on the back of the LG monitor as her hub.
Connected to this monitor are cables for ethernet, keyboard, mouse, external TimeMachine drive, DVD drive, scanner, iPhone, iPad, memory stick, etc. Originally I bought a bunch of USB-A to USB-C converters, until I ran out of USB-C ports! This is why I bought the 10-USB-A port hub.
But before I bought the hub, I went looking to see if I could use ALL USB-C cables instead, for the peripherals and hub, but found they were not even available to buy. You CANNOT buy on Amazon a USB-C to 10x USB-C port hub (or any number near it). My thought was to get a 10x USB-C port hub (for the future) and plug in all the USB-A peripherals using converters (until all peripherals moved to USB-C).
Will we be stuck with USB-A for decades to come, despite the future being here already?
put the time machine drive behind a nas and use ethernet cable to backup (can also backup many macs on one drive)
put the mouse cable on the keyboard integrated usb plug.
this free 2 usb.
Thank you @Jean-Yves Pochez Every Mac in the house has both a locally attached drive (dedicated to Time Machine, and comes with us on holiday in case of fire/theft!) as well as a remote (Home Cinema) Mac mini server acting as a Time Machine, so I essentially have a NAS.
She had the mouse and iPhone connected to the keyboard, but it complained. Lots of USB-A devices these days need power (drives, iPhone, iPad, etc) and complain if they don’t get it. This is why I have the powered 10-port USB-A hub.
I don’t need a solution as all is working. My issue is: why are we being held back from a totally USB-C future (ie no USB-A)? Is there are good reason?
USB-C can be confusing. There’s different standards that run over it and different types of cables that don’t all work properly with all types of devices.
I think it’s going to continue to be a bit of a mess for a while. Maybe we could just jump two generations ahead to USB-E where they will finally make it “easy” again.
[quote=474361:@David Cox]She had the mouse and iPhone connected to the keyboard, but it complained. Lots of USB-A devices these days need power (drives, iPhone, iPad, etc) and complain if they don’t get it. This is why I have the powered 10-port USB-A hub.
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just for the records (as you have a working solution…) it is ok to connect a mouse to the keyboard, but NOT A PHONE ! as the usb on the keyboard is the slow mode, the data transfert from the phone to the mac is awfully slow. and also as you said the phone asks for power.
only connect a mouse to the usb plug of the keyboard. eventually a printer (mains powered) but not more.