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USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

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Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#141

Post by billpg »

A few years ago, I had a phone with a micro-USB port, along with a few tablets, portable batteries and other gadgets, all using micro-USB. I had chargers around the house, in my car and at my desk at work. Life was good.

Then I upgraded by phone, to one with a USB-C port.

Most of my chargers had a single USB port, so I would need to detach the cable if I wanted to switch device. That's if I had a cable to hand. I had invested in around 20 good quality micro-USB cables and now I needed more. Some chargers had the port integrated into the plug so that would be useless for the phone.

In the end, I acquired a set of converters so I could put a little dongle on the end of each cable in case I wanted to charge the phone. I silently curse the USB people every time I attach or detach the extra tip.

Frankly, the new connector was completely unasked-for. If the phone manufacturer had offered a choice between micro-USB or USB-C, I'd have gone for micro-USB every time. The ability to plug it in either way around just isn't enough to make it worth switching.

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#142

Post by dafoex »

dcchambers wrote: post #82

USB-C is mostly a mess if you try to get away using the cheapest adapters/cables you can find, that often times won't follow the spec. Most of the issues vanish if you use high-end cables/adapters from reputable manufacturers. This is a departure from the world of Micro USB where most cheap cables worked just as good as "high end" cables. There are caveats. For example, my Nintendo Switch, a major electronics device…

Perhaps you're right, but when your £500 phone with brand new USB-C port doesn't support the so-called "killer app" you bought it for, its a bit of a pain. Luckily mine was refurbished and a few versions behind the current edition at the time, so I only paid £130 for a phone with no HDMI out.

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#143

Post by wslh »

jeremymcanally wrote: post #4

Really? I find it to be a game changer for me. The fact that my laptop, Switch, iPad, and several other devices can all share a charge has made my life much easier. I can just sprinkle a few of them throughout the house and never be without power. Before it was always a hunt to find a cable, or I had to be in [x] room to charge [y] device because that's where the charger lived. Plus, I can charge my MacBook on either…

I agree completely and we should blame Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch.

Speaking about Thunderbolt via USB-C it is incredible to sit in my work desk, connect a single cable to the notebook and suddenly having a desktop computer with three external monitors, keyboard, mouse, and many other ports. I have not tried an eGPU yet but will be happier if thunderbolt evolves faster and gives more extensibility options to notebooks. I cannot forget to mention that another USB-C dongle that I use can also be connected to the mobile phone and converting the mobile phone into another desktop computer with mouse, keyboard, and an external monitor. Before USB-C and Thunderbolt you should acquire specific dongles for specific devices.

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#144

Post by freeone3000 »

shawnz wrote: post #58
sandworm101 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ya, but the OP wasn't just complaining about the connector. Rather, he was also commenting on the various standards that use that connector. And FYI, I hear it is to be called "USB4", not "USB 4". Why? Because reasons.

So, are you saying that USB 4 should have purposely used a different connector to avoid confusion? Or are you saying that new devices should just be forced to charge and operate at the same speed as last-generation devices to make things more convenient for users? Both of those seem like much worse options than the current way of doing things

We need to go back to labelling our cables. A USB "SS" imprint meant something. Current cables have no imprint, so it's going to be impossible to tell whether something's a USB 2.0 or 3.0 or 4.0 or 3.2 2x2 cable or what capabilities it supports without plugging it in -- and the capability matrix is simply too complex to currently imprint, so that also needs to be solved, with only a few available capabilities listed (even if this means your 3m cable for computer->speakers costs $30 for capabilities you don't need). It's the only way to solve this mess while holding the connector constant.

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#145

Post by JAlexoid »

vr46 wrote: post #23
jeremymcanally wrote: post #4

Really? I find it to be a game changer for me. The fact that my laptop, Switch, iPad, and several other devices can all share a charge has made my life much easier. I can just sprinkle a few of them throughout the house and never be without power. Before it was always a hunt to find a cable, or I had to be in [x] room to charge [y] device because that's where the charger lived. Plus, I can charge my MacBook on either…

Aha - you may find that your Switch CANNOT in fact share a charge - Nintendo's port is not necessarily safe to use with anything but its supplied charger. And I've just learned this lesson with a $60 bill from Nintendo repair after the port went pop and couldn't charge the device. I only have reputable chargers in the house from Apple and one from Anker aside from the Nintendo's own. All my apple kit works fine off t…

I use my Lenovo USB-C charger - charges everything perfectly well. No issues for over 3 years now.

It's Apple's stuff(the irony of it, right?) that has all kinds of problems. I don't even charge my MacBook with Apple's chargers anymore.

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#146

Post by JAlexoid »

cameronh90 wrote: post #118
vr46 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aha - you may find that your Switch CANNOT in fact share a charge - Nintendo's port is not necessarily safe to use with anything but its supplied charger. And I've just learned this lesson with a $60 bill from Nintendo repair after the port went pop and couldn't charge the device. I only have reputable chargers in the house from Apple and one from Anker aside from the Nintendo's own. All my apple kit works fine off t…

I charge my Switch with various USB PD chargers (mostly Anker but also Apple, Google and others) and haven't had a problem so far. I was trying to find some information about what would cause PD-compliant chargers to fry the Switch. It appears that while the switch is PD-compliant itself, they used a slightly non-standard connector that reduces tolerances and could, in some situations (most likely worn cables) cause…

I found that Switch cannot use Apple's charger with the dock. It literally complains about the cable being wrong.

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#147

Post by freeone3000 »

tootie wrote: post #29

Isn't the magic of USB-C Power Delivery that it can negotiate a voltage? Previous iterations of USB only operated at 5V and USB-C can operate anywhere from 5-20V.

Not all USB-C cables support PD!

And not all PD-capable cables support every range or combination of voltages and wattages.

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#148

Post by oxplot »

There are multiple aspects of USB-C. There's the charging standard USB-PD and data transfer standards (display, audio, data, etc).

As far as charger spec goes, I am very happy. There are adapters that can supply multiple voltages, practically powering all my mobile devices. For all the other devices that come with barrel jacks, I made my own module to convert them to USB-C [1].

[1]: https://fpx.oxplot.com

Re: USB-C was supposed to simplify our lives, but instead it’s a total mess

#149

Post by reader_mode »

jolux wrote: post #136
reader_mode wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Because it could have happened just as well with any other plug. It could have been a non-conforming micro-USB charging port. But if you have a standard aren't you supposed to enforce stuff like this ? Precisely to avoid the confusion and protect your standard.

“Enforce” how?

Same way they enforce licensing fees presumably.
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