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Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

usbc.wtf

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Re: Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

#41

The quiz is simple and to the point, with no cruft, so the overall experience is pretty good. But I have a (slightly tangential) UX/design question: if now you are compelled to remove the Next button from the question pages, how would you achieve it, without reduction of functionality? For example, on the first question, which is a single-choice question, if you make it submit on-click, then the user would lose the a…

I have iterated a fair bit of quizzing and surveying experiences.

Fewer clicks or taps always win, especially in the single radio button option scenarios. Visitors seem to appreciate that kind of seamless help as long as they can go back and forth if needed.

One simple approach for multiple-answer questions is to branch the additional resulting questions into the same queue to generate more than one scenario. There is a fair bit of tech out there to handle such decision making pretty easily.

Re: Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

#43
post #14

While the idea behind it is nice, the number of possible outcomes isn't high enough to justify the complex decision tree the user has to go through. Here's a much easier way to represent it: Amazon Basics standard USB-C – slow charging phones, connecting simple peripherals Amazon Basics 100W USB-C with PD – fast charging phones, laptops, connecting monitors Apple or Belkin Thunderbolt – connecting ultra hi res/high r…

It reminds me of an old idea i had where you specify all of your home theater equipment (tv, receiver, set tops, consoles, etc) and it draws a wiring diagram + cable list for optimal configuration

Re: Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

#44
post #14

While the idea behind it is nice, the number of possible outcomes isn't high enough to justify the complex decision tree the user has to go through. Here's a much easier way to represent it: Amazon Basics standard USB-C – slow charging phones, connecting simple peripherals Amazon Basics 100W USB-C with PD – fast charging phones, laptops, connecting monitors Apple or Belkin Thunderbolt – connecting ultra hi res/high r…

Anker has USB 4 (aka Thunderbolt 3) cables now that are getting cheap enough that I would consider just using them for everything by default, or at least for any new devices.

Thunderbolt USB-C cables are thick and heavy though.

Re: Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

#46
post #6

The landing page needs a clear statement of what the purpose of the site is. I thought it was going to help you identify an unknown USB cable.

I bought a gadget from eBay that does this. You plug both ends of the cable into it and it tells you what's inside the cable.

It doesn't look like it's made anymore but there are similar gadgets still on eBay.

Re: Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

#47
post #14

While the idea behind it is nice, the number of possible outcomes isn't high enough to justify the complex decision tree the user has to go through. Here's a much easier way to represent it: Amazon Basics standard USB-C – slow charging phones, connecting simple peripherals Amazon Basics 100W USB-C with PD – fast charging phones, laptops, connecting monitors Apple or Belkin Thunderbolt – connecting ultra hi res/high r…

> While the idea behind it is nice, the number of possible outcomes isn't high enough to justify the complex decision tree the user has to go through.

Why did this need to be said?

Re: Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

#48

PinePower's cables seem good enough for everything except probably the high-res display / PCIE cases https://pine64.com/product/usb-type-c-to-usb-type-c-silicone... https://pine64.com/product/usb-type-c-to-usb-type-c-silicone...

It works fine for power, but is terrible for data. I have one, and I only get USB 2.0 speeds through it, tested with multiple devices. If I use a certified USB4 cable, no issues. But, that's the difference between a $4 cable and a $40 cable.

It's not really about certification. I would be surprised if a "charging cable" wasn't USB 2.0

USB 2, 3 (or at least the speeds introduced with 3), and 4 are all valid choices for cables.

Re: Usbc.wtf – an article and quiz to find the right USB-C cable

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A certified Thunderbolt 4 cable should do everything (at least until TB5 comes out), but they cost more than some USB-C devices. It would be silly to charge your phone with one of these, but there is a high likelihood it would work great: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MN713AM/A/thunderbolt-4-p...

For sure. Cost is always a very important constraint. Setting aside cost just helps me understand the problem space better. I’ve heard such horror stories about USB-C that I thought it would Be unsurprising if the answer was no.

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