I Bet Normal Users Will Figure Out Which Power Adapter to Buy
John Gruber, responding to my exploration of the MacBook Pro A.C. adapter non-issue:
The problem I see with the MacBook power adapter situation in Europe is that while power usersβββlike the sort of people who read Daring Fireball and Pixel Envyβββwill have no problem buying exactly the sort of power adapter they want, or simply re-using a good one they already own, normal users have no idea what makes a βgoodβ power adapter. I suspect there are going to be a lot of Europeans who buy a new M5 MacBook Pro and wind up charging it with inexpensive low-watt power adapters meant for things like phones, and wind up with a shitty, slow charging experience.
Maybe. I think it is fair to be concerned about this being another thing people have to think about when buying a laptop. But, in my experience, less technically adept people still believe they need specific cables and chargers, even when they do not.
When I was in college, a friend forgot to bring the extension cable for their MacBook charger. There was an unused printer in the studio, though, so I was able to use the power cable from that because it is an interchangeable standard plug. I see this kind of thing all the time among friends, family members, and colleagues. It makes sense in a world frequently populated by proprietary adapters.
Maybe some people will end up with underpowered USB-C chargers. I bet a lot of people will just go to the Apple Store and buy the one recommended by staff, though.