Will Apple bring back the ethernet port on the next rMBP revision?

[Motoko.]

I think it was a misguided idea to remove the ethernet port in order to make the rMBP thinner.

Carrying adapters isn't my style either

[+jamesyfx Subscriber²]

I don't think that they will. They probably just assume everyone will use it wirelessly.

[Luis Mazza]

I'm glad they did it. No, they'll never bring it back.

Technology goes forward and if this is no good for you, get the old, thick Macbook Pro and you'll have your old ethernet with no adaptor.

There's no miracle.

[vanx]

They won't. However, I have not bought and do expect to buy a laptop that does not have an Ethernet port, so their move meant that I won't consider looking in the Apple garden in the future.

[ILikeTobacco]

They won't. However, I have not bought and do expect to buy a laptop that does not have an Ethernet port, so their move meant that I won't consider looking in the Apple garden in the future.

Actually it means eventually you will be forced into buying something that you don't want since within a decade no laptop will have them built in as a standard feature. They will go the way of the floppy disk as they should.

[tiagosilva29]

Screw your wireless voodoo. Wire is the way to go.

[Motoko.]

Screw your wireless voodoo. Wire is the way to go.

There's really no comparison to wired and ethernet. Wired really makes all the difference.

If apple added more usb ports I probably wouldn't have a problem with this since they do include an adapter. Looking back at it now, I probably won't mind the adapter In my situation where I come home from campus where that's the only means for a wired connection anyway

[ILikeTobacco]

There's really no comparison to wired and ethernet. Wired really makes all the difference.

If apple added more usb ports I probably wouldn't have a problem with this since they do include an adapter. Looking back at it now, I probably won't mind the adapter In my situation where I come home from campus where that's the only means for a wired connection anyway

How about this or something like it. Then you dont even have to connect/disconnect physically.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/16/dtechs-bt0032-bluetooth-3-port-usb-hub/

[techbeck]

Pay 12 bucks and buy a usb to rj45 cable. What we do at work with the surface pros in a weak wireless area.

[Rigby]

Actually it means eventually you will be forced into buying something that you don't want since within a decade no laptop will have them built in as a standard feature. They will go the way of the floppy disk as they should.

Wrong on the first part and bad comparison on the second part. Floppy disks are outdated and useless, ethernet is not.

[Motoko.]

How about this or something like it. Then you dont even have to connect/disconnect physically.

http://www.engadget....3-port-usb-hub/

that could work, actually. thx

[farmeunit]

Actually it means eventually you will be forced into buying something that you don't want since within a decade no laptop will have them built in as a standard feature. They will go the way of the floppy disk as they should.

Some people use them in corporate environments and need a way to image them. I don't see how you think they "should" go away, especially when they don't really affect much. We got an Asus X202E in and it has a hnged cover for the ethernet port. therefore, the plug can fit in, without needing to be full sized. It's a pretty slick solution, IMHO.

[vanx]

Actually it means eventually you will be forced into buying something that you don't want since within a decade no laptop will have them built in as a standard feature. They will go the way of the floppy disk as they should.

I very much doubt that Ethernet socket will disappear within a decade, if at all. Slim-form laptops and netbooks are bound to sacrifice it, which is fine with me, because I get serious work done on my machine. Having both wired and wireless connectivity is obviously better than just one. And what do you do when a new piece of equipment in the server room needs an external IP address, subnet mask and DNS info configured and the only way to do so is to connect to it using an RJ45 cable and go to its internal IP? A laptop with just wireless, unless you get an Ethernet-to-USB adapter, is useless in this scenario.

[User6060]

whats wrong with an adapter? if youre moving it around you should be using a case anyway. therefore you can leave it in the case. if you only need it for one situation buy the adapter and leave it at the office plugged in and then you would just plug that in as needed same as ethernet.

[Shadrack]

I don't really see what the big deal is about using an adapter. If you know there will be ethernet ports AND cables for you to use EVERYWHERE you go, then fine: you have every right to complain about no ethernet port.

For me, I want to have an ethernet hookup at home and at work. I'll just get two adapters, one for each location. TBH, I don't really need one at home because my WiFi is decent enough for my needs...

Everywhere else, I use WiFi like any normal person would.

If you already carry a small ethernet patch cable to take advantage of ethernet wherever you go, then adding an adapter to the end of that patch cable shouldn't be an issue. I do agree with the sentiment that if they are not going to include an ethernet port, there should be more USB ports.

whats wrong with an adapter? if youre moving it around you should be using a case anyway. therefore you can leave it in the case. if you only need it for one situation buy the adapter and leave it at the office plugged in and then you would just plug that in as needed same as ethernet.

Exactly... Maybe some folks have A LOT of ethernet hook-up locations that all have easily accessible patch cables in the vicinity. Can't see that being possible, but maybe it is for some of these folks.

Will some laptops still have ethernet ports in 10 years? Sure. My 2yo Thinkpad came with a modem! Weird.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

I'm glad they did it. No, they'll never bring it back.

Technology goes forward and if this is no good for you, get the old, thick Macbook Pro and you'll have your old ethernet with no adaptor.

There's no miracle.

Wait what... Existing Wireless technology is still not as fast as Ethernet from 5+ years ago... 802.11ac is theoretically supposed to offer us Gigabit WiFi while Gigabit wired offers that today. 10GbE (10 Gigabit Ethernet) is already in use in businesses and will make its way down to consumers soon. So, to say Ethernet is somehow outdated and useless only makes you look foolish...

Especially since Wireless still can't match the speeds it offers. Lets not even talk about the latency issues that wireless introduces...

[Sandor]

Actually it means eventually you will be forced into buying something that you don't want since within a decade no laptop will have them built in as a standard feature. They will go the way of the floppy disk as they should.

sorry but...

LOL

[Luis Mazza]

Wait what... Existing Wireless technology is still not as fast as Ethernet from 5+ years ago... 802.11ac is theoretically supposed to offer us Gigabit WiFi while Gigabit wired offers that today. 10GbE (10 Gigabit Ethernet) is already in use in businesses and will make its way down to consumers soon. So, to say Ethernet is somehow outdated and useless only makes you look foolish...

Especially since Wireless still can't match the speeds it offers. Lets not even talk about the latency issues that wireless introduces...

Where exactly am I saying that Ethernet is useless? If you want to expose your ideas you should do it without quoting my post, regarding this subject, as I didn't say that.

First, I have an adaptor for my rMBP because I use it as a desktop replacement, even though I have Wifi for other uses.

The point is that Apple ditched the ethernet port to keep the design thin and that is a great choice, because there's an adaptor for that and thunderbolt is thin and allows you to have whatever port you want. If you guys don't like that, you can choose whatever thick and ugly laptop you want. Also, if you want more USB ports, you can also choose a dock or go for an old PC style.

If it was not for Apple's (and Intel's) courage to push new hardware and ditch the crappy old, we would still have bulky laptops with CD-ROM, floppy-disks, hard drives, ethernet and firewire ports.

[pickytech]

I'm glad they did it. No, they'll never bring it back.

Technology goes forward and if this is no good for you, get the old, thick Macbook Pro and you'll have your old ethernet with no adaptor.

There's no miracle.

The rMBP is thick enough to have a minimal ethernet port on it, but it would not have been as "pretty" as the line of ports that they currently have. The only reason they don't is because they don't need too; people willing to pay for the rMBP will pay for the ethernet adapter if they need it, and they will use wireless when they do not need it.

Ethernet is very far from a dead technology. It is kind of unfortunate that it has such a large head though.

I own a 15", 2011 MBP, and I love it, but I am thankful that I have all of my precious ports. The problem with using an adapter is that it removes the given port for use for something else. Not to mention, $30 for a USB to Ethernet adapter will slow down a fast ethernet connection (gigabit), and it's a ridiculous price.

Now, with all of that said, I do look forward to expanded use of Thunderbolt on monitors. I am waiting for the next generation of monitor technology to kick in (4K TVs and high DPI tablets/laptops currently skipping the love for desktop monitors) before diving in, but I look forward to using a monitor like the Apple 27" one that has everything connected to it rather than requiring a separate dock for laptops. Though, I have read that there are consistent problems with using Apple's monitor on a PC, so I hope someone else jumps on the Thunderbolt monitor + dock bandwagon.

[McKay]

I think it was a misguided idea to remove the ethernet port in order to make the rMBP thinner.

Carrying adapters isn't my style either

But everyone buying masses of $30 adaptors is Apples style :rofl:

[pickytech]

Where exactly am I saying that Ethernet is useless? If you want to expose your ideas you should do it without quoting my post, regarding this subject, as I didn't say that.

First, I have an adaptor for my rMBP because I use it as a desktop replacement, even though I have Wifi for other uses.

You didn't say that it was useless. You effectively said that it was old-and-dead technology.

The point is that Apple ditched the ethernet port to keep the design thin and that is a great choice, because there's an adaptor for that and thunderbolt is thin and allows you to have whatever port you want. If you guys don't like that, you can choose whatever thick and ugly laptop you want. Also, if you want more USB ports, you can also choose a dock or go for an old PC style.

If it was not for Apple's (and Intel's) courage to push new hardware and ditch the crappy old, we would still have bulky laptops with CD-ROM, floppy-disks, hard drives, ethernet and firewire ports.

You are confused about what LogicalApex and I are taking issue with in your posts. I think he owns a MBP like myself; we appreciate some of Apple's decisions.

Both of our points is that ethernet is not a crappy and old technology. Saying that is, is simply wrong. Ethernet is not completely replaceable by WiFi, particularly not on a "Pro" level device working with large data sets. The decision to remove ethernet from the rMBP was much more likely related to pushing adapters and keeping the line of ports pretty.

As an example: I live in a neighborhood with a lot of close neighbors. This is a problem for WiFi. Using 802.11ac will help to fix that, but eventually everyone will upgrade to that and repeat the problem. On the other hand, ethernet can only collide the signal across the wire, and it's almost always going to be faster to boot without a wall causing a signal issue (granted, the wire must go through that wall).

[Elliot B.]

I'm glad they did it. No, they'll never bring it back.

Technology goes forward and if this is no good for you, get the old, thick Macbook Pro and you'll have your old ethernet with no adaptor.

There's no miracle.

Wireless is currently not "forward" since it's almost always slower than a wired option.

[vanx]

...

Everywhere else, I use WiFi like any normal person would.

...

Are you implying that if you are not using WiFi, you are not normal?

If it was not for Apple's (and Intel's) courage to push new hardware and ditch the crappy old, we would still have bulky laptops with CD-ROM, floppy-disks, hard drives, ethernet and firewire ports.

There is nothing crappy or old about Ethernet. It is a mature, evolving technology. It may not be "cool" according to Apple, but most of their profits come from devices that rely solely on wireless technologies for data connectivity, so no surprise there.

[Luis Mazza]

The rMBP is thick enough to have a minimal ethernet port on it, but it would not have been as "pretty" as the line of ports that they currently have. The only reason they don't is because they don't need too; people willing to pay for the rMBP will pay for the ethernet adapter if they need it, and they will use wireless when they do not need it.

Ethernet is very far from a dead technology. It is kind of unfortunate that it has such a large head though.

I own a 15", 2011 MBP, and I love it, but I am thankful that I have all of my precious ports. The problem with using an adapter is that it removes the given port for use for something else. Not to mention, $30 for a USB to Ethernet adapter will slow down a fast ethernet connection (gigabit), and it's a ridiculous price.

Now, with all of that said, I do look forward to expanded use of Thunderbolt on monitors. I am waiting for the next generation of monitor technology to kick in (4K TVs and high DPI tablets/laptops currently skipping the love for desktop monitors) before diving in, but I look forward to using a monitor like the Apple 27" one that has everything connected to it rather than requiring a separate dock for laptops. Though, I have read that there are consistent problems with using Apple's monitor on a PC, so I hope someone else jumps on the Thunderbolt monitor + dock bandwagon.

You clearly don't know the size of the ethernet port vs. the rMBP sides. lol

USB ports hardly fit on the sides of the rMBP, now you can imagine double that size.

Some company has to push new technology and some people are willing to pay for cutting-edge tech. That's how new standards are created.

By pushing old ethernet cables out, they may develop thunderbolt or even USB ethernet.

BTW, ethernet is from 1980... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet

Pretty new, huh? Were you already born in 1980? lol

[+LogicalApex MVC]

BTW, ethernet is from 1980... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet

Pretty new, huh? Were you already born in 1980? lol

What's your point? TCP/IP is from 1974 yet without it the Internet wouldn't work on anything. I get it though, you think it would be a "cool" thing to scrap TCP/IP because it is from the 70s. If it wasn't created last year then it serves no place...

Luckily for those of us who live in reality you're stuck on a forum spouting nonsense instead of actually mucking up real technological innovation.

Nothing is replaced for the sake of replacing it. Things are replaced when something better actually comes along. Wireless isn't better than Wired. It offers convenience and that convenience is fine due to most people not needing the full power of Gigabit Ethernet. Both technologies will co-exist for a long time, possibly forever. It has nothing to do with what is "older" or not.