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EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

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Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#31

Post by dTal »

young_unixer wrote: post #10
sschueller wrote: post #5

The only reason this happened is because one company refusees to play ball. Everyone else already figured out that it's better for consumers and them. Apple would sell you a non standard power socket for your house if they could.

"I know what is best for you and me, so I'll force you to make the chargers I want" I don't think Apple are the biggest assholes in this situation.

So, to be clear, your position is that the very concept of regulation is illegitimate?

"I know what is best for you, so I'll force you to make the car safety features I want".

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#32

Post by dTal »

epicgiga wrote: post #2

Standardizing (controlling) by fiat tech they didn't make, with no real need or justification. Just for the sake of the flex, being busybodies, and pretending they're important and "the boss of you". Sooner that rabble gets overthrown the better. One domino has fallen now, hope the rest follow in short order.

Or maybe the need and justification is that multiple similar but incompatible charging standards is wasteful and annoying. As that's the stated reason, it seems a bit more likely than "for the sake of flex".

Is government regulation of non-goverment tech illegitimate? That would be most all regulation then.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#33

Post by nemothekid »

falcolas wrote: post #28

The iPad Pro uses a usb c charger, as does the MacBook line; stifles innovation my ass.

As far as I remember, this piece of legislation has been floating around since USB mini. We have now gone through 2 revisions to a connector that is now reversible and can carry video. Locking onto USB-C now could be a very "640k ought to be enough for everybody" moment.

And if Apple was going to switch to USB C anyways, whats the point of this legislation?

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#34

Post by BinaryIdiot »

The joint motion points to adopting Directive 2014/53/EU which requires common _chargers_ but says nothing about the port that the phone uses. As far as I can tell this is only for the back half of the charger / brick that connects to the wall.

Yet the Apple statement, and most of the articles about this (including the linked one), are talking about the phone's connector and talks about lightning and usb-c. Most of the comments online are talking about how this forces Apple to use usb-c.

So, which is it? Isn't this just regulating the power bricks / back half of the charging equation? I don't see anything in the joint motion or directive stating a connector on a device has to be uniform at all.

Joint motion: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-9-2020-0070...

Directive: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02...

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#35

Post by lukifer »

SketchySeaBeast wrote: post #30

I'm not sure how I feel about the requirements to unify the cables, but does the Lightening port offer advantages does over USB-C?

This is an instance where I oppose the idea in the abstract, but support it in the specifics: USB-C has finally achieved a degree of "good enough" (naming/labeling issues notwithstanding) to be the ideal universal connector.

But: imagine what we might have gotten stuck with if this law had been implemented 10-20 years ago.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#37

Post by martin-adams »

Let’s say this rule was in place 10 years ago and we standardised on micro USB. How would it have been possible to advance to the next generation of technology like USB-C.

This feels that it’s banking on USB-C being forever future proofed or wireless connections does everything we ever need.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#38

Post by carierx1 »

nickserv wrote: post #29

Good news, and I hope it passes the commission. With USB-C there's no real reason to have other standards for charging a cell phone. And with that out of the way, manufacturers can focus on developing a universal wireless charging protocol.

Yes we want more interventionism!

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#39

Post by duxup »

theslurmmustflo wrote: post #36

I'll miss lightning when it's gone if only because it was the most satisfying and secure feeling cable connection I've ever used. USB-C has some slack built into it by design but it just makes it feel lower quality.

Yeah USB C is nice but .. it is wiggly compared to lightning or USB A.

Re: EU lawmakers snub Apple's pleas, vote to push for charging cable standard

#40

Post by lukifer »

nemothekid wrote: post #33
falcolas wrote: post #28

The iPad Pro uses a usb c charger, as does the MacBook line; stifles innovation my ass.

As far as I remember, this piece of legislation has been floating around since USB mini. We have now gone through 2 revisions to a connector that is now reversible and can carry video. Locking onto USB-C now could be a very "640k ought to be enough for everybody" moment. And if Apple was going to switch to USB C anyways, whats the point of this legislation?

> Locking onto USB-C now could be a very "640k ought to be enough for everybody" moment.

I agree in general; but at some point don't we hit diminishing returns? If I were to say, "18.4 exabytes of RAM ought to be enough for everybody", that'd be basically correct, even future-proofing for the craziest sci-fi holodeck use cases we can imagine, right?

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