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USB Type-C is still a mess

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Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#181

Post by franciscop »

Tijdreiziger wrote: post #162
themagician wrote: post #116

Maybe it's just me, but I've had zero major issues with USB-C and can't imagine going back. I spent maybe $100 on new cables so I have one or two of everything. I only wish they had USB-C hubs so I could drop the USB Type-A connectors all together. I honestly find it much easier. The simplicity of just not having to flip he connector around 3 times every time you plug something in alone is worth it. It can be a littl…

Who wants to spend $100 on cables?

I wouldn't mind at all if it means I only have to carry ONE cable for all my devices or risk not using them/paying for a new cable. I got 4 devices, and 4 cables:

- Smartphone: USB-C

- Laptop: 12v barrel charger

- Kindle: micro USB

- GoPro 3: mini USB

My next laptop will be USB-C charging for sure, so at least the 2 items I use the most can share a charger.

Now I don't mind so much, but when I was travelling/nomad it'd have made my life way easier.

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#182

Post by nikanj »

pentae wrote: post #146
MBCook wrote: post #7

“Why doesn’t Apple just get rid of Lightning and use USB-C on their iPhones!” This is why. Ignoring the momentum Lightning had from being a few years older, this is a great reason not to switch. Sadly I know this has become a big problem for people on the new Macs. Plug a USB-C hub in? Now that port doesn’t do Thunderbolt or Display Port. How do you know that? Trial and error. Very un-Appley.

It's ridiculous. Thankfully, many insider reports state that they are indeed changing out the other end that goes into the charger from USB-A to USB-C on the next generation iPhone lineup so at least you'll be able to plug the damn thing into your Macbook Pro. That misstep was probably the most un-Appley thing i've seen them do in quite some time.

You can already buy a lightning to usb-c cable from Apple, and it enables fast charging too.

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#183

Post by tjoff »

AngryData wrote: post #150
tjoff wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to the spec a USB 2.0 to USB C cable must have a resistor that tells the USB C end to max deliver 0.5 A. If another resistor is used to signal higher currents using that cable could fry peripherals that follow the USB 2.0 spec. Also, I don't know much about USB 2.0 but I thought we had a whole slew of proprietary solutions for fast charging and all were incompatible with each other. So it was quite messy ev…

You only really need to slow charge when you get near to top or bottom end of the battery's charge. From around 20-80% charge you can charge the fuck out of you shit with no drawbacks, but if you try and push the those limits then you start seeing significant wear.

Source?

I thought heat was the primary source of wear. And fast charge produces lots of heat regardless if it's in the middle of the range or not.

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#184

Post by mikece »

In order to solve the USB Type-C dumpster fire we need a new USB Type-D standard which is unambiguously and apologetically NOT backward compatible... which is usually an Apple move. Except if Apple invents it they aren't going to share it so there's no solution anytime soon.

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#185

Post by ScottBurson »

ScottBurson wrote: post #87

I have a new MacBook Pro, an external USB-C HDD for backup, and an Android portable music player, also with USB-C. I got a cable to connect the HDD to the MBP, and it works fine for that purpose, but when I use that cable to connect the PMP to the MBP, it doesn't work: the MBP doesn't mount the PMP's filesystem. But if I use a C-male-to-A-female adapter, then an A-to-C cable, the PMP mounts just fine. Anyone know why…

Never mind — it's working now. I don't know why it didn't work earlier.

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#186

Post by jjrh »

franciscop wrote: post #181
Tijdreiziger wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who wants to spend $100 on cables?

I wouldn't mind at all if it means I only have to carry ONE cable for all my devices or risk not using them/paying for a new cable. I got 4 devices, and 4 cables: - Smartphone: USB-C - Laptop: 12v barrel charger - Kindle: micro USB - GoPro 3: mini USB My next laptop will be USB-C charging for sure, so at least the 2 items I use the most can share a charger. Now I don't mind so much, but when I was travelling/nomad it…

For micro and mini there are some adaptor thingies. I bought a few to deal with the couple of older devices I have with mini.

One probably exists for USB-C so you only need one cable.

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#187

Post by andrei_says_ »

paulmd wrote: post #103
vertexFarm wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, unfortunately that is quintessentially apple-y. Even the charging cable has seen endless unnecessary permutation, all proprietary and all expensive as hell. And mostly pointless. It's two wires. Two wires that carry a constant DC charge. Why so complicated? I use my computer in a metal shop and my magsafe gathers iron filings, shorts itself and catches fire. I've gone through so many chargers. I've vowed that t…

> Even the charging cable has seen endless unnecessary permutation, all proprietary and all expensive as hell. And mostly pointless. It's two wires. Two wires that carry a constant DC charge. Why so complicated? Which voltage, and how much current? Put 20V down the wire and you'd blow up a device expecting 5V. Pull 100W through a cable rated for 5W and you'd burn your house down. As soon as USB-C became the catch-all…

I should not be expected to not plug a cable that matches the port.

If it fits, it sits. If I should only be using one cable for one port then they should be the only ones matching. And, if that one cable happens to lead to a plug in the wall somewhere then having MagSafe or comparable solutions is a lifesaver.

Removing these is beyond comprehension.

It may “just work” for Apple but it certainly does not for me.

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#188

Post by dhruvrrp »

OnMyPhone wrote: post #169
slouch wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. My device charges faster, and I haven't had any issues with cables not working.

So far the only issues I've had with USB C is that I had to buy a Nintendo USB C cable to charge my switch and a separate USB C cable wouldn't charge my Pixel. It did work with an external hard drive so I know the cable wasn't completely broken. I know there's other cables from some brands that might have worked, but after the 3rd one that wouldn't work for my switch I went for Nintendo. I don't have a lot of USB C d…

That is because the switch is not compliant with the usb-c specification. There have been lots of reports of people bricking their switch using usb-c cables which otherwise work fine with other usb-c devices.

Discussion on hn: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16706803

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#189

Post by kalleboo »

sebazzz wrote: post #15
MBCook wrote: post #7

“Why doesn’t Apple just get rid of Lightning and use USB-C on their iPhones!” This is why. Ignoring the momentum Lightning had from being a few years older, this is a great reason not to switch. Sadly I know this has become a big problem for people on the new Macs. Plug a USB-C hub in? Now that port doesn’t do Thunderbolt or Display Port. How do you know that? Trial and error. Very un-Appley.

In my experience the connector from Apple is far more reliable than USB C. USB C is a rounded flat rectangle with a piece of plastic in the center and pins between, which is small and can easily be damaged. Lightning on the other hand is a solid metal connector with the pins/contacts on the outside, which is much more sturdier. Lighting also does a nice "click" when connected.

I have the opposite experience. I keep getting arcing on the power pin on lightning cables, which causes "black pin plague" to spread between devices and cables. No such issue with USB-C. https://ioshacker.com/iphone/why-the-fourth-pin-on-your-ligh...

Re: USB Type-C is still a mess

#190

Post by jaypeg25 »

yathern wrote: post #122

I always hear how USB-C is such a mess, and everyone agrees - I just wanted to quickly provide a counter anecdote. As a user, who knows nothing about the protocol or the politics or anything else - USB-C works wonderfully for me - I only wish more devices used it. My laptop plugs into my monitor, provides more USB ports there, and audio out, which feeds into speakers. My dinky phone charger can charge my laptop, whic…

What laptop do you have? I'm in the market for a new one and thinking I'd really love to get one that's got usb-c charging
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