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Because the question was: > What connector do you think you'll need in two years, five years, 10 years? And my answers were USB-A, both, and USB-C (but probab

by ashark 9y ago

Because the question was: > What connector do you think you'll need in two years, five years, 10 years? And my answers were USB-A, both, and USB-C (but probably also whatever replaces it), respectively. Your response to my answer was to tell me that lots of host devices are shipping with USB-C, which has no effect whatsoever on my answer (which I expect is typical, even of people on HN). I thought you must not understand that a bunch of host devices supporting USB-C barely has any effect on what I'll be plugging into my computers for the next few years, since you responded that way, so I gave an (incomplete) list of my USB-A devices which will almost all still be working in 2 years, and most of them in 5, and also, incidentally, a complete list of my USB-C devices (none). USB-A is hands-down the more useful port to me for the next few years. USB-C is a nice bonus for future-proofing but has zero immediate utility, and will still have little or none in 2 years. Just answering the question.

melling 9y ago
No, the question is "why is it important that the Surface, or other laptop, ship with a USB-C port today. Asking 2, 5, and 10 was to illustrate that over most of the life of the Surface, USB-C will be preferred. A $2000 device should have the new port.
lloeki 9y ago
> so I gave an (incomplete) list of my USB-A devices which will almost all still be working in 2 years, and most of them in 5 If I'm not mistaken, save from the flash drives and non-bluetooth dongles, all of those can be converted with a simple cable switch. Wired KB+mice may unfortunately be cabled into the device but it's still practical enough to just keep an adapter on the end or there's some soldering for a cable swap to be done. Unless you plan to change all of your gear at once, you're in for such a transition anyway, one way or the other. I have to agree with melling here, such a pricey device that I'd plan to keep for at least 5 years should have the new port.

by ashark 9y ago

melling 9y ago

No, the question is "why is it important that the Surface, or other laptop, ship with a USB-C port today. Asking 2, 5, and 10 was to illustrate that over most of the life of the Surface, USB-C will be preferred. A $2000 device should have the new port.

lloeki 9y ago

> so I gave an (incomplete) list of my USB-A devices which will almost all still be working in 2 years, and most of them in 5 If I'm not mistaken, save from the flash drives and non-bluetooth dongles, all of those can be converted with a simple cable switch. Wired KB+mice may unfortunately be cabled into the device but it's still practical enough to just keep an adapter on the end or there's some soldering for a cable swap to be done. Unless you plan to change all of your gear at once, you're in for such a transition anyway, one way or the other. I have to agree with melling here, such a pricey device that I'd plan to keep for at least 5 years should have the new port.