Can Someone Explain Why MacBook Adapter Uses all two ports

[he that codes]

Adapter Image

 

I have a MacBook Pro usc adapter to USB type A, HDMI, SD card slot and others. I has two ports, connecting to the only two ports on my Mac. I wanted to know if anyone could explain why they couldn't have just used a single port for the adapter. It does provide two USB-C ports on the other end of the adapter, If that helps anyone explain

[AndreiArgeanu]

It's most likely so you can make use of all the ports on the adapter at higher speeds, since you could probably easily saturate the bandwidth of one USB C with a display and couple of peripherals and drives.

[Helpful Tech Witch]

Because Apple wants to get you to buy a adapter, that takes up two ports, just so it can have a usable experience, as its just too much work to add a type a usb3. 

[GhostRoadieBL]

one of the reasons for adapters like this is power delivery and circuit separation. typically you'll see adapters like that have 2 ports because there will be a USB-c pass through port for charging and the other port will break out into the other USB, hdmi, sd card reader etc isolating the ~100watts at 20volts of power over USB-c which you absolutely don't want going into a USB-A or SD card which only need 5volts. 

some adapters will have isolation circuits built in but many companies prefer to just fully isolate the USB-C to C plug so they never have to worry about fried other devices. 

[kelvinhall05]

34 minutes ago, HelpfulTechWizard said:

Because Apple wants to get you to buy a adapter, that takes up two ports, just so it can have a usable experience, as its just too much work to add a type a usb3. 

hurr durr apple bad!!11!1

 

 

OP, that hub probably needs the bandwidth from both ports so you could reliably have every port on the hub filled up and no slowdown on anything.

[Slottr]

-Cleaned-

If you have to bring x company sucks into the conversation, you need to take a step back

[Bad5ector]

@Slottr Agreed. 

 

To the OP, I'm pretty sure you can find some adapter that will only use a single connection. One thing that comes to mind if your adapter does use two, that it might be for max bandwidth OR charging abilities.

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to Laptops and Pre-Built Systems

[Lord Vile]

On 10/7/2020 at 4:37 PM, he that codes said:

Adapter Image

 

I have a MacBook Pro usc adapter to USB type A, HDMI, SD card slot and others. I has two ports, connecting to the only two ports on my Mac. I wanted to know if anyone could explain why they couldn't have just used a single port for the adapter. It does provide two USB-C ports on the other end of the adapter, If that helps anyone explain

Depends what spec the ports are. I just have a 7 in 1 adapter that plugs into one port.

 

Also the ports on the Mac are TB3 not USBC 

[Roswell]

On 10/7/2020 at 12:01 PM, HelpfulTechWizard said:

Because Apple wants to get you to buy a adapter, that takes up two ports, just so it can have a usable experience, as its just too much work to add a type a usb3. 

There’s no room for type A USB on current gen MacBooks. They’re too thin.

 

You could argue that they should just reverse course and make their notebooks thicker but that would likely annoy a lot of people that like the portability.

[Lord Vile]

On 10/9/2020 at 3:14 AM, Vitamanic said:

There’s no room for type A USB on current gen MacBooks. They’re too thin.

 

You could argue that they should just reverse course and make their notebooks thicker but that would likely annoy a lot of people that like the portability.

PLus USBA can't do nearly as many things as TB3 which means you'd need display out too.