However, it seems Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about it completely. Surface chief Panos Panay told The Verge of plans to release an adapter: “I love the technology in Type-C, I believe in Type-C. When Type-C is ready for our customers, to make it easy for them, we’ll be there.” Jokingly, he continued, “If you love Type-C, it means you love dongles. We’re giving a dongle to people who love dongles.”
New Devices Only
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the dongle will be available for every device. Instead, it will be restricted to the most recent two. Owners of the Surface Laptop or Surface Pro will able to plug a dongle into the Surface Connector port and use that instead. You can charge, transfer data, and more. For now, it acts as an intelligent middle ground. Microsoft can support its existing customers, who have invested in accessories, while still providing USB-C for those who want it. Though Microsoft could have chosen to take out the DisplayPort, Panay believes that’s not ideal, either. He believes they would be “taking away another port that matters,” and would receive similar criticism. It looks like users will have to wait until the next generation of Surface devices before USB-C kicks off. Until then, you’ll have to deal with an extra dongle, which will release later this year. How much that accessory will cost is still unknown, as is an exact release date. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’ll do for now. Here’s hoping that Microsoft doesn’t charge too much.
