Perhaps a controversial opinion here, but the usefulness of reversibility is vastly overrated. It’s not a game changer, just tiny first-world luxury that’s nice to have, but it does it by introducing a bunch of unnecessary complexity that I’d rather avoid. Not worth the trade off IMO.
Comment on USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible
Ejh3k@lemmy.world 8 months ago
About a decade ago or so, I found myself in a reddit argument with someone that claimed they had never attempted to plug a USB in unsuccessfully. They said that every single time they’ve plugged in, it was the correct way. Some people are insane.
hcbxzz@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Ejh3k@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I’m happier with how long usb c last before they start getting finicky than I am the reversiblity.
hcbxzz@lemmy.world 8 months ago
In theory, USB-C should be better, but in practice, the quality control is all over the place.
All of my micro USB cables and ports have lasted just fine. I used one daily for 10 years with no issues, and only had maybe two cables ever actually fail. Meanwhile, I’ve already had at least 5 USB-C cables or dongles that have fully failed, and plus the primary USB-C charging port on a laptop just completely die. I wish it was better, but it just isn’t.
Also if USB-C was just replacing just micro USB I’d be ok with that. But the problem is they’re also replacing USB-A, and Type C is not nearly as durable as Type A since it’s so small, it’s just physically impossible.
cheery_coffee@lemmy.ca 8 months ago
I’ve never had a good experience with micro-USB, mini USB was meh, but for whatever reason the stuff using micro was always bad.
Natanael@slrpnk.net 8 months ago
They exist
dgriffith@aussie.zone 8 months ago
USB C was designed so that the spring contacts that wear out/get damaged are in the relatively cheap cable, and the solid, more durable tang that the contacts slide on is in the expensive device.
Now let’s have a look at Apple’s design for their lightning connector… hmm I wonder why they designed it like that?
Socsa@sh.itjust.works 8 months ago
The issue is that USBC was the first standard to really take the mechanical design process seriously in a consumer context. In doing so, it was made both way more ergonomic and way more durable. I’d argue that without the focus on some of these “small but marketable” consumer-oriented bits, we would not have gotten the great overall connector design we did.
hcbxzz@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I’m not a big fan of Apple, but the lightning connector is just better, physically. It’s way more durable in practice since it’s just a solid piece. I wish USB-C was designed that way instead of what we actually got.
owatnext@lemmy.world 8 months ago
If I recall correctly, Lightning connectors are designed in a way that makes the port more likely to wear out. USB-C is designed in a way that makes the cable more likely to wear out. I would rather replace my $5 charging cable than replace my $150 (or more!) phone.
p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 months ago
Yes, you’re right. That was controversial.
afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I am just laughing here because I spent the day dealing with ancient serial tech pigtails and DB9s. You people have no idea the pain of losing multiple days of your life trying to get RS-232 to work. Especially when stuff doesn’t follow the standards it is supposed to follow.
echodot@feddit.uk 8 months ago
They’re supposed to label the USBs so that you can tell which side is the top side and which side is the bottom side.
The problem is that a they often don’t label them and, B I can’t remember which way round it’s supposed to go anyway, so it wouldn’t help.
SnipingNinja@slrpnk.net 8 months ago
Most things I have are labelled properly, and I’m only hedging my bets by saying most because I can’t think of anything I own that isn’t labelled properly
stardreamer@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 months ago
- Attempt to plug in the USB A device
- If you succeed. End procedure
- Otherwise, destroy the reality you currently reside in. All remaining universes are the ones where you plugged in the device on the first try.
That wasn’t so hard, was it?
martinb@lemmy.sdf.org 8 months ago
I feel like that’s a way to rapidly run out of spare universes
Wrench@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Did you burn the witch?
thorcik@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Yeah, that’s an easier test, you don’t need huge scales and a duck
LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Well if you only plugged one USB in your life you have a 50% chance of never having plugged it in wrong.
echodot@feddit.uk 8 months ago
USBs have three sides so it’s 33%
tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 8 months ago
I believe it’s actually 0% bc the 3rd correct side only reveals itself after you fuck it up twice
jormaig@programming.dev 8 months ago
Well, I rarely fail because I look inside the connector and see where the plastic is and then plug it properly. I tend to fail when I cannot see inside the connector because it’s in a weird spot.
I guess the redditor was either bragging about always looking inside or was a kid
eratic@feddit.uk 8 months ago
I wouldn’t say it’s never happened to me but 99% of the time it works. I just look at the idents, face it right way up, and shove it in
Ejh3k@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Overall not a huge deal to get it wrong occasionally, but to lie that you’ve never attempted to plug a USB in the wrong way up is insane.
Squids@sopuli.xyz 8 months ago
I mean if you tend to plug things in at the same computer a lot it’s pretty easy to always plug things in right the first time, even when not looking because you just kinda know what way it’s meant to be. And laptops usually have all theirs pointing the same way so you know one you know them all. If something has text on it, it’s usually oriented in such a way that when plugged in you can read it.
I have a similar “power” and while I’m not flawless, it’s only really new or unfamiliar devices/computers that trip me up. Or plugs that don’t actually have any identifying features and/or unusual ones
dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 8 months ago
That person is either a flat out liar, or they are incredibly anal and waste a lot of time looking at the connector and input every single time they connect a cable.
Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I don’t really have a problem looking at the connector before plugging it in. I thought this was an overblown meme.
Schneemensch@programming.dev 8 months ago
I do not have a problem with looking at the connector when I can see it. But often enough I am fumbling a cable into some connector behind a PC, docking station or at night when the light is out.
anlumo@lemmy.world 8 months ago
If you can see through the two rectangular cutouts on the plug, it’s the right way around. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help if the plug is turned 90°, and also some computers have it upside down (looking at you, GPD).
c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world 8 months ago
If it’s on a laptop I could see it. The empty half almost always needs to be on top on the male side because the female end is almost always plastic on top.
Ibex0@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I wonder how that redditor is doing now? Still batting 1.000 with USB A adapters?
justJanne@startrek.website 8 months ago
Honestly, with high quality USB A plugs you could feel the logo on the side that was “up”, and if you knew which side your motherboard or front panel considered “up”, it’d be easy to always plug devices in correctly.
Just that the vast majority of manufacturers stopped caring relatively early on, which meant you couldn’t rely on it anymore.
mayo@lemmy.world 8 months ago
The logo isn’t that reliable but it’s usually slim side up. Not sure about sideways ports though.
1847953620@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Only usually
mayo@lemmy.world 8 months ago
I say usually but it’s basically the rule. Of all my things only the QNAP NAS has a slim side down port, and maybe that’s some other convention I’m not aware of since it’s for the copy-data port. That’s among a random pile consisting of a Cisco networking equipment, Intel NUC, old macbook, new microsoft and HP laptops, a hdmi/usb switch, ps4, and a raspberry pi
Ejh3k@lemmy.world 8 months ago
Which is why that person is/was a massive liar.