Apple is famous for successfully removing legacy technology like the headphone jack and the SIM card. But what about the time they spectacularly failed?
This Portless documentary explores "The Dongle Decade"—the chaotic era starting in 2016 when Apple aggressively stripped the MacBook Pro of every single legacy port (HDMI, SD Card, MagSafe, USB-A) and left only USB-C. We map out Jony Ive’s hubristic obsession with minimalism, the massive professional backlash from creators, the frustrating birth of the third-party dongle empire, and the hilarious paradox of needing an adapter just to plug an iPhone into a Mac. Ultimately, this is the story of the stunning 2021 reversal, where Apple actually swallowed their pride, apologized to their pro users, and brought the ports back.
Did you survive the Dongle Decade? How many USB-C adapters did you have to buy? Let me know down below!
