Hi all, I’m trying to connect a mouse with a standard USB-A plug, which is of course missing from the M1 laptop. I’d like to avoid using extra converters if possible, so I thought the screen’s USB socket will just work fine, except that they don’t. Do you know, is it possible somehow to use these as intended?

  • ReaderTunesOctopus@lemmy.worldOP
    41·
    1 year ago

    Yes, that’s what I did. The screen is connected using a HDMI/USB-C cable, the mouse’s USB-A is plugged into the screen’s socket, and nothing.

    • Kalash@lemmy.world
      18·
      1 year ago

      So your cable has an USB-C end that plugs into the laptop and an HDMI end for the screen? That won’t work. HDMI can’t carry usb data.

      You have to connect the screen with a USB-C/USB-C cable.

      On some older screens you might even have use a USB-B cable next to HDMI to get the built-in USB-hub to work.

      • ReaderTunesOctopus@lemmy.worldOP
        23·
        1 year ago

        Thanks, I think that’s it. That also means I can’t avoid using a dongle, because according to Apple, two USB-C slots are enough for everything, one is taken by the power, the another by the screen input. Damn.

        • Kalash@lemmy.world
          11·
          1 year ago

          Many screen actually also support power delivery over USB-C, so that safes a port

        • Dandroid@dandroid.app
          8·
          1 year ago

          It costs a pretty penny, but USB C docking stations are really nice, especially if you have more than one computer. You can have your power, mouse, keyboard, monitor, speakers, ethernet cable, external storage etc. all plugged into the docking station, then just have one USB C cable from the docking station to your laptop and everything is connected.

          My work sent me one, and now I can swap between my work laptop and my personal laptop easily.

          • ReaderTunesOctopus@lemmy.worldOP
            1·
            1 year ago

            I have something similar, a hub with several USB slots and HDMI, but it drains the battery and gets insanely hot which annoys me. I don’t know if that’s a design flaw of this exact thingie or a general issue of these things

          • ReaderTunesOctopus@lemmy.worldOP
            11·
            1 year ago

            I have something similar, a hub with several USB slots and HDMI, but it drains the battery and gets insanely hot which annoys me. I don’t know if that’s a design flaw of this exact thingie or a general issue of these things

            • Kalash@lemmy.world
              1·
              1 year ago

              Using an external screen automatically means more work for the GPU, which will drain power and generate heat. But if you’re near an external screen, there should be a power source?

              I have this hub for a single screen setups. While it doesn’t have it’s own power supply, it has an USB-C port in which you can just plug in the charger and then the hub can also charge.

            • Dandroid@dandroid.app
              1·
              1 year ago

              My dock provides power for my laptops, so I don’t need to worry about losing power. It also doesn’t get very hot, just a little warm. I have the Dell dock since that’s what my work provided for me. I feel it’s overpriced for what it is, but it is nice, and I didn’t pay for it. :)

        • isdfoa@lemmy.world
          1·
          1 year ago

          I connect my MacBook pro to external monitor. The usbc-c cable I use does both charging and HDMI over the single USB c cable, so I don’t need to use a separate port for charging!