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New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

pcworld.com

81–90 of 276 posts

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#81
If they want to be the "cable and connector for everything", they should simply require more specs. If that increases the diameter and cost, then so be it. This whole thing is such a confusing mess, and destroys people's devices because of poor implementation (nintendo switch for example).

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#82
post #72

One more thought that comes to mind is that the new logos implicitly uses English terminology. I wonder if terms like "gbps" will be understandable in all cultures around the world.

1 datapoint from an european country with less than 2mil ppl: Yes, ofcourse, that is the terminology we use.

And if you wish datapoint from the largest (land) country (Russia): Yes

I mean if you use computer then how can you parse specs any other way but the way we are used to: as written by english people?

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#83
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't a case of a standard coming along to a crowded market. Rather, this is the opposite scenario. USB-C won and now they have to deal with the fallout of unifying all the things past, present, and future.

Previously we had tons of incompatible plugs, but if the physical plug fit, you were reasonably assured that it would actually work. In our shiny new future everything is shaped like USB-C, but you can't tell whether anything will work simply by eyeballing the plug. I'm not convinced this is progress.

That's fairly recent. At this point in the adoption curve of usb1/2 we had different cables and chargers for different brands of phones. And some did not have the data wires connected.

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#85
post #39

Please, for the love of god, make it obvious if a USB C cable can be used as a display cable or not. One thing that absolutely blows about USB C is that they all look the same, but to connect my LG UltraFine to my GTX 2070 I had to do literally hours of research before I could find a reliable cable on Amazon that was a “bidirectional USB C DisplayPort” cable because I naively assumed that USB C was a general purpose…

> Having one plug be capable (or incapable) of doing so many things melted my brain.

Good thing you missed the time when cables with DB9/DB25 connectors were everywhere, for every purpose.

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#86
post #70

This is all too confusing to me. Why isn't there a mandatory (or reference) specification string that combines all the necessary, useful information in one neat package instead of countless repetitive and easily misunderstood logos? Something like (just a basic, messy example) USB-C/ / / / / /etc. I had to buy some cables recently and really couldn't pick one nor distinguish particular features at glance, and the ite…

What's supported is indeed a mess...

I recently moved my desk between rooms. After setting everything up only one monitor seemed to work.

Tried multiple DP cables plugged things in and out with things in various state of power. Eventually gave up and chalked it up to karma and either having a dead monitor or dead dock.

Unplugged my laptop to go work in the lounge for a bit, came back later and plugged it in again amazingly both displays worked.

What changed? I plugged the dock into a different USB-C port. The one that actually supports DisplayPort Alt-mode.

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#87
post #23

In classic USB committee style, they try to do the right thing and still bungle the naming/marketing. Just like the absurd “hi-speed/super speed” debacle, they fail to mention what people really want to know: “Will this drive my monitor?” — bandwidth tells me most of what I need to know but to the average user it makes no sense. “Is this a fast cable for my external drive”? “Is this really expensive cable overkill fo…

Not to defend this committee mess, but what else could they out except the speed? It could then be for device manufacturers to add the required speed.

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#88
post #64
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With USB-C charger, I can charge my: - ANC Headphones - Laptop - Tablet - Phone - Portable in-ear headphones and bunch of other stuff I carry around while traveling. All of those with a single 100W laptop charger. I can't do that with a barrel connector. It's a huge improvement despite "confusion" everyone on this site loves harping on.

I'd be very cool with a charging standard that included the needed info. 20v/140w :: 12v/80w etc; and a different connector for _data_ with similar markings for 40G/20G/10G/5G/480Mb

Yeah, IMO the issue is really information - ports, cables and chargers should have a clear information about how much power and which data can be delivered.

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#89
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently received a new work laptop in the mail. And IT had stuck a piece of paper inside explaining it is essential I only charge it with the charger it came with, other usb-c chargers/cables might not work and could possibly damage the laptop. I am very ignorant on usb-c, but to me it seems crazy it's come to things like that.

How true is it?

The Nintendo Switch famously has this problem on third-party USB-C docks

Re: New USB-C logos make picking USB cables, chargers less confusing

#90
post #4

Finally, a clear logo showing if a cable supports 240W. The USB 40Gbps logo is fine too. Now can we also get some logos for the other speeds: 20Gbps, 10Gbps, 5Gbps, 0.4Gbps (480Mbit). Also the other (PD 2.0+) power levels: 100W, 65W, 45W, 27W, 15W. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_hardware#USB_Power_Deliver...

> Finally, a clear logo showing if a cable supports 240W. Trademark law never stopped dodgy Amazon cable sellers before though.

You can send back a cable that doesn't match a well established spec, you'll have lost about an hour of your life.

It's harder to return a cable that had some numbers but not really matching what you're trying to do with them, and arguing back and forth about wether your iPhone 14 was supposed to transfer data at full speed with their "high speed" "iPhone serial A23XXXX~A324XXXX supported" cable. And you'll already have spent a tremendous time trying to find something that could vaguely work in the first place.

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