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Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

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Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#101

Post by fps »

clauretano wrote: post #85
ddeck wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is efficient at generating the best outcome for the company in isolation, but that may not be an optimal outcome for society as a whole - externalities are typically not priced into the product. For example, consider the 51,000 tonnes of redundant chargers that were estimated by the GSMA to have been distributed in 2008 prior to the common charger initiative[1]. One can argue that the costs of landfill, carbon imp…

Regarding redundant chargers and their carbon impact: wouldn't it be wonderful if with every non-apple device using MicroUSB, devices didn't all come with a USB to Micro-USB cable and a mains to USB transformer? Surely many of us have drawers full of these bits and only really need one or two to keep all our devices topped up.

Unfortunately, they keep increasing the minimum charge amperage on devices, so the micro USB charger I got with my first android phone won't charge my newest one.

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#102

Post by jeremycole »

nwh wrote: post #60
gmisra wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? Could you provide a source for this? I was under the impression that the 30-pin connector was (yet another) proprietary Apple hardware standard.

I'm struggling to find any source that directly confirms it, but it's most certainly the same plug used in this standard, and the Dell Streak which conforms to it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDMI

That article actually says "PDMI aims to replace the ubiquitous iPod cradle connector".

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#103

Post by mikeash »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #98
mikeash wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple wins, while the rest of us get stuck carrying around a wide variety of cables for no good reason. The argument that the free market will find a solution works when competition is allowed. It doesn't work when every company who isn't Apple is legally prohibited from adopting Apple's connector.

There is quite a good reason to carry around an apple cable. The connector is just better than micro-USB. The better arguments are that Apple should share their innovations with the rest of the industry so they can all have good connectors, but why should Apple even do that?

Actually, the question isn't why Apple should share their innovations, but why the rest of us should enforce Apple's desire not to share. Would Apple really have refrained from developing Lightning without the ability to control it? Are we better off granting them this power?

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#104

Post by mikeash »

asynchronous13 wrote: post #90
mikeash wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thunderbolt is Intel's external, hotswappable PCI-e interface found on many Apple laptops. Lightning is Apple's proprietary interface found on iOS devices. Aside from being named after different aspects of the same natural phenomenon, they have nothing in common.

Not sure how I got those so thoroughly mixed up, thanks for the clarification.

Well, being named after the same natural phenomenon is confusing enough. I often have to stop and think which is which. It's an understandable mistake.

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#105

Post by pohl »

vacri wrote: post #45
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's port, which doesn't have an up/down direction, is much easier to plug in than the micro USB port, which does. It is an innovation, like it or not, that USB doesn't have.

Speaking of up/down and Apple, I saw today that Apple's ethernet ports are upside-down. They're supposed to have the contacts at the top, to avoid collection of dust when the port is not in use.

I bet that's so the user won't need to lift the laptop to get their finger under the connector to depress the latching tab.

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#106

Post by pndmnm »

vacri wrote: post #45
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's port, which doesn't have an up/down direction, is much easier to plug in than the micro USB port, which does. It is an innovation, like it or not, that USB doesn't have.

Speaking of up/down and Apple, I saw today that Apple's ethernet ports are upside-down. They're supposed to have the contacts at the top, to avoid collection of dust when the port is not in use.

Interesting, I didn't know that! I've always liked the pins-down configuration on my Macbook since in order to release the connector, the clip is on top (that is, I don't have to lift the laptop/etc in order to remove the cable). Connector orientation stuff is fascinating (my favorite being the upside-down configuration of power outlets in new buildings, apparently so that if a plug is partially pulled out, a straight metal object falling atop won't sit on live pins).

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#107

Post by seanmcdirmid »

mikeash wrote: post #103
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is quite a good reason to carry around an apple cable. The connector is just better than micro-USB. The better arguments are that Apple should share their innovations with the rest of the industry so they can all have good connectors, but why should Apple even do that?

Actually, the question isn't why Apple should share their innovations, but why the rest of us should enforce Apple's desire not to share. Would Apple really have refrained from developing Lightning without the ability to control it? Are we better off granting them this power?

Apple would have refrained from developing Lightning if it didn't give them a competitive advantage. I think that is obvious. Why would Apple just donate Lightning to the rest of the industry? How would we as consumers reward them for such altruism?

That I give Apple the power to develop innovative proprietary solutions is a choice I personally make and I want the freedom to make. Why should everyone be forced to buy Android? So the idealists don't feel bad about their standard but hard-to-use connectors?

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#108

Post by marshray »

drone wrote: post #83
lttlrck wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that would be far too easy to short out/catch fire/damage circuitry/blow a fuse.

This x100. Never use this style of connector/jack for supplying power. The cable tip will make contact with both the jack ring and sleeve in most jacks, and the cable ring will make contact with the jack sleeve. No matter how you wire the cable/jack, you always have the high probably of short on insertion/removal.

With electronics on both ends, the devices could easily negotiate in which direction power should flow, how much, and detect open and short conditions.

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#109

Post by marshray »

speeder wrote: post #47

So I am not nuts! I always wondered if something was wrong with my charging cables and USB phone cables always failing to work after only some months... So indeed, the mini and micro both have issues (thankfully the micro is "less worse" or I would be buying cables like there is no tomorrow)

Still, that doesn't prove you're not nuts.

Re: Why was Mini USB deprecated in favor of Micro USB?

#110

Post by beedogs »

mistercow wrote: post #4

I only ever had one mini USB cord go bad, and that was a minor pain. But I have had the micro USB port on a cell phone become unreliable, which is insanely frustrating. The post holding the contacts no longer wants to push them against the cord, so it frequently loses the connection. I can solve the problem temporarily by pushing the post back with a small screw driver, but "temporarily" here is measured in minutes o…

gabifrons: I hope you see this; your account has been hellbanned, apparently for the comment you just made in this thread. I agree with you on the N900 USB charging flakiness; it's what made me give up on mine.
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