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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?

#31

Post by snom380 »

ars wrote: post #30
jzwinck wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could say that the previous iPod dock connector was over-designed. But it wasn't, because it survived many years and many devices, with only a handful in between (like some iPod nanos) not being amenable to it years after its creation. We do not yet know what fate awaits Lightning. The odds are certainly tilted against it. Not only is Android popular and universally using Micro-USB (unlike when the first iPhone c…

> You could say that the previous iPod dock connector was over-designed. But it wasn't, because it survived many years and many devices That's not the test of overdesigned. It's overdesigned if the cost doesn't provide sufficient benefit - and it clearly didn't.

It clearly didn't? I'd say the iPod dock ecosystem and all the optional cables (like VGA, HDMI, digital out etc) more than justified the cost of the 30 pin connector.

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

#33

Post by smacktoward »

unwind wrote: post #10
devx wrote: post #8

Can Micro-USB support USB 3.0 speeds?

USB 3.0's highest speed (termed "SuperSpeed" to easily separate it from the previous, equally clearly labelled, speed grades "LowSpeed", "FullSpeed" and "HighSpeed") requires more pins than USB 2.0 speeds, so the connectors are different. Here's a link, picture of USB 3.0 micro plug on the right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Cable_plugs_.28USB_3.0.29 .

If USB 4.0 doesn't come labeled as "LudicrousSpeed" I will be severely disappointed.

EDIT: For those who don't get the reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygE01sOhzz0

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

#34

Post by seanmcdirmid »

claudius wrote: post #26
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, let's just limit ourselves to standardized connectors, innovations sucks and we are tired of change. Now please get off my lawn. /sarcasm Just let the free market decide things like this, it is extremely efficient at that. Right now, Apple still sells loads of iPhones without using a standard connector. And frankly, I think my wife's iPhone 5 plugs in a much better way than my more standard Nokia 925 does.

> Just let the free market decide things like this, it is extremely efficient at that. Yes, it absolutely did not take an EU intervention to standardise mobile phone chargers on Micro USB, instead, the manufacturers recognised that it is a good thing to get rid off proprietary chargers as consumers all only bought the phones with the standardised chargers. Or are you saying that needing a new, different, charger for…

But your point is? Apple is able to satisfy this requirement easily with a cruddy adapter (the cable actually).

Anyways, if apple's solution is simply better than the android micro USB solution, who wins?

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

#35

Post by asynchronous13 »

msoad wrote: post #7
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.

Although Lightning Cable is not the first to be bidirectional I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard.

> I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard.

Lightning is just Apple's marketing term for Intel's Thunderbolt interface. The standard is available from Intel, and if it were not it would be more appropriate to direct your anger at Intel.

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

#36

Post by seanmcdirmid »

pessimizer wrote: post #28
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, let's just limit ourselves to standardized connectors, innovations sucks and we are tired of change. Now please get off my lawn. /sarcasm Just let the free market decide things like this, it is extremely efficient at that. Right now, Apple still sells loads of iPhones without using a standard connector. And frankly, I think my wife's iPhone 5 plugs in a much better way than my more standard Nokia 925 does.

Even better, lets create a new proprietary system for every innovation (or arbitrary change), because the market is great at forcing interoperability between proprietary systems. Why wouldn't it be? The alternative would be a monopoly, or a broken, inefficient industry - and avoiding that is always primary in each individual actors' mind. And frankly, the picture on my eTeeVee(TM) is much better than the picture on m…

So you'd rather force the decision on apple rather than let consumers decide? Or are you claiming that apple has a monopoly on smart phone designs that don't suck, and they are abusing that?

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

#37

Post by mikeash »

asynchronous13 wrote: post #35
msoad wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although Lightning Cable is not the first to be bidirectional I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard.

> I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard. Lightning is just Apple's marketing term for Intel's Thunderbolt interface. The standard is available from Intel, and if it were not it would be more appropriate to direct your anger at Intel.

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.

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

#38

Post by nwh »

asynchronous13 wrote: post #35
msoad wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although Lightning Cable is not the first to be bidirectional I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard.

> I am mad at Apple for not making Lightning an open standard. Lightning is just Apple's marketing term for Intel's Thunderbolt interface. The standard is available from Intel, and if it were not it would be more appropriate to direct your anger at Intel.

No, that's Thunderbolt.

Thunderbolt is the PCI interface, Lightning is the alternate USB connector.

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

#39

Post by nwh »

jzwinck wrote: post #22
ars wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not that hard to simply swap all the pins in hardware if the connector is reversed. You don't need to able to reassign every single pin to make that possible. Lightning is overdesigned which makes it expensive.

You could say that the previous iPod dock connector was over-designed. But it wasn't, because it survived many years and many devices, with only a handful in between (like some iPod nanos) not being amenable to it years after its creation. We do not yet know what fate awaits Lightning. The odds are certainly tilted against it. Not only is Android popular and universally using Micro-USB (unlike when the first iPhone c…

The iPod dock connector is actually an industry standard that Apple happened to use. They didn't create it.

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

#40

Post by joezydeco »

simias wrote: post #23
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.

It is a good innovation indeed. That being said, I'd rather deal with the minor annoyance of having to figure out which way to plug my USB cable than having to carry two sets of cables/adapters to accommodate all my devices.

On proper USB cables, it's always logo-side up, isn't it?
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