[q3k]

There being an Apple patent [1] involved doesn't help.

[1] - https://patents.google.com/patent/US7311526B2/en

[ken]

Even Apple has stopped using it, though.

Rumor is that it had reliability issues (and I'm seeing that with my own MagSafe plug), but of course no official word.

[GuB-42]

Apple didn't make the first magnetic connector. It was already common for fondue sets. The patent is about Apple's particular implementation.

I suppose it wouldn't be that hard to work around if people really wanted to.

[mc32]

Unless Microsoft paid or has cross licensing agreements with Apple, they also use mag connectors on some of their hardware offerings.