Does anyone out there own a new MacBook 12"? The one with the one port?
I’m thinking of buying a new laptop (my first) but am concerned about connectivity as this unit has only one port for EVERYTHING! I need to be able to transfer Scrivener files between my laptop and my desktop. I know there’s the option of adapters, but not keen on keep switching cables etc.
Does anyone out there use Airdrop / Public files etc? Do These work well with Scrivener. These may be better options for me rather than continually switching adapters.
Since it sounds like you are used to using cables to transfer work between computers, you could consider trying a cable that has a USB-C connector on one end and the standard large USB 2/3 connector on the other. At that point everything else should be the same, the shape of the prong is the only major difference.
If you’re going to go with WiFi, I’d say forget about AirDrop. The best option in my opinion is to enable file sharing in the System Preferences “Sharing” pane. This isn’t as easy to use as AirDrop, but I find it to be pretty flaky all around. Computers and devices do not always show up (or go on showing up on the network for hours after you’ve supposedly closed it), and it has a tendancy to give up after a while during long transfers. File sharing is something you can just leave on all of the time with one of your machines, and connect to it remotely from the others using WiFi. I also recommend zipping your projects before transferring them over WiFi as that will save hours over the long run.
I am using it. Amazing machine. Indeed, I thought the MBP 13" was the best machine Apple ever made and this one made me change my mind. The MB 12" is by far the best machine ever made by Apple. And the keyboard is amazing. There are all sorts of solutions for connectivity. I just went for the Apple adapter to ‘regular’ USB, plus HDMI and USB-C, but according to your needs and willingness to find solutions specific for you, the single port is definitely not a problem.
Amazingly light and small and fast. My MBP 13" now feels to me really heavy. Which is ridiculous, since it felt so light and small compared to my previous laptop.
On working with Scrivener between computers, I use Cubby (though I also use Dropbox for sharing other files) all the time, but for simple local transfers of files, I have used DropCopy (Pro) for years. It’s available from the App Store. I feel AirDrop is Apple’s answer to DropCopy.
It’s always available as long as both the originating and target computers are on. It puts a small “dropzone” on the desktop, with preferences as to how you want to handle it in terms of visibility and whether the destination computer name(s) show. I have transferred largish files through it, but if I need to do that, I prefer to use some type of external drive, and I would agree with Ioa about zipping any Scrivener project up that you were going to transfer via Wi-Fi.
The advantage of Cubby or Dropbox, is that, with care, you can have your active project held on the server, and this saves dealing with continual forking of the project as a result of transferring it. Whichever method you use, care is essential.
I too look with interest at the 12" MacBook, but as long as this 13"MBA continues working, I can’t justify replacing it.
That was poorly worded, I’ve had issues with file sharing here and there, but overall it’s pretty stable and fast, it’s AirDrop that I’ve had issues with for larger transfers. I think it’s meant more for small files in quantity and scale.
