5 ms·
I think these are actually the most minor problems with the USB-C vision. The VAST majority of consumers will never encounter a thunderbolt device, and the ones
by tammer 9y ago
I think these are actually the most minor problems with the USB-C vision. The VAST majority of consumers will never encounter a thunderbolt device, and the ones that do can be expected to understand the cable difference.
What is far more of an issue for the standard is the established network effect. USB-A has become so commonplace that its built into our furniture, and micro-USB is a legally defined requirement for device charging in some areas. These foundational forces will prove to be a massive deterrent to USB-C uptake, and far more of a risk to the vision than multiple cable types that are clearly labeled!
But, the bright side of this I think is Apple's adoption of the Qi charging standard. Its clear that an evolutional jump to wireless charging will entail new technology, so I see Qi taking up the "one way to charge everything" vision.
- hvjackson 9y agoI agree, the USB-A form factor is by far the most widely used peripheral connector in the history of computers. The shift from USB-A to USB-C is without precedent. Practically every mouse, keyboard, printer, camera, charger, and external drive made in the last 20 years has used USB-A. Practically every car in the last 10 years has USB-A. Every hotel room, every airplane, every DC power converter. There are still millions (billions?) of devices shipped every year with USB-A. We are nowhere near the inflection point.
- freehunter 9y agoLuckily space exists for devices using USB-A and devices using USB-C, and making cables with A at one end and C at the other is trivial enough that many cables exist like this. Two compatible cable standard is easy to handle. The hard part comes when you have USB-A, USB-C, Lightning, Micro-USB, and Mini-USB all competing. Trying to keep enough of each type of cable on hand gets to be pricy.
- digi_owl 9y agoCables that are hell bent on breaking something, because of the damned resistors everyone gets wrong.
- lmm 9y agoMini-USB is dead, and micro-USB/USB-A are opposite ends of the cable - they don't get used for the same thing. I'm guessing Lightning must be some weird one-manufacturer proprietary thing, in which case they deserve to be punished for their antisocialness. So you really don't need that many cables. C-to-C, C-to-mini, and A-to-C will do you.
- freehunter 9y agoI wouldn’t say the iPhone is something that easily forgotten.
- pier25 9y agoAFAIK not even Apple makes USB-C peripherals.
- Something1234 9y ago> micro-USB is a legally defined requirement for device charging in some areas Where? Wouldn't this outlaw iPhones?
- marpstar 9y agoApple provides an adapter, I believe.
- gregschlom 9y agoIn Europe. And iPhones ship with a little micro-usb adapter for charging there.
- praseodym 9y agoNo they don’t. (Source: I bought an iPhone 8 in The Netherlands)
- josteink 9y agoThey ship with a lightningstrike/thunderport/whatever-was-that-name to usb cable though which can be used to charge it with pretty much any USB charger out there. Not perfect by far, but better than it used to be before EU started to tell phone manufacturers to wisen up. It’s easy to forget how crazy bad things used to be before the EU mandated a standardization.
- benjaminjackman 9y agoFrom what I have read it’s in Europe and if the device doesn’t include a micro-USB port it must have a dongle / adapter included at no extra charge, which is what I believe Apple does.
- danmaz74 9y agoIt's a EU standard, and it effectively stopped the crazy situation where every produce had its own port and charger. Except for Apple, which doesn't offer any low-margin phone and thus can still use their custom charger and bundle an adapter.