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Annoyed by MacBook dongles? Microsoft charges $80 for a single (huge) USB-C one

If you thought it was annoying having to buy MacBook/MacBook Pro dongles, spare a thought for owners of Microsoft’s Surface Pro and Surface Laptops …

If they want to connect any USB-C devices, they’ll need to lay out $80 for a dongle. Not only that, but the Surface Connect to USB-C Adapter is huge, measuring more than 3 inches by 1.5 inches by 3/4-inch – which The Verge notes is about the size of the Surface power brick.

Speaking of which … the dongle needs one!

External power source with minimum power output of 27W and 12V

USB-C adapters for Macs, in contrast, are available from just a few bucks, and are considerably smaller.

I did experience some temporary dongle hell as I migrated from my old machine to my 15-inch MacBook Pro, but for the most part I’ve been able to replace USB-A cables with USB-C ones.


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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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