9 ms·

What's wrong with USB sticks that you need 3 tries to plug them in correctly?

29 points by Alupis 8y ago

hateful 8y ago
I'll answer this like most of my software vendors do: Please upgrade to USB-C to solve this issue, we are no longer supporting USB 3.0 or below.
- sebazzz 8y ago
  * incomplete protocol support may exist and vary by cable, host or client device
CamperBob2 8y ago
USB type A connectors are fermions with spin 1/2. You have to rotate them 720 degrees to orient them correctly.
- rjplatte 8y ago
  Sometimes I wish HN had gold. Thanks for the chuckle.
- b_tterc_p 8y ago
  http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-10-04 http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-10-04
leggomylibro 8y ago
I really do not understand how people still have trouble with this. We've had years and years to get used to these plugs. The 'top' of every USB-A plug I've ever seen is smooth, while the 'bottom' has a seam down the middle. And you can tell the receptacle's orientation from a glance just as easily, but you don't have to because the 'top' side of the plug should face the 'top' of the device it is plugging into in almost every consumer device I've used. Top of plug = top of device. Easy. It seems more like a cheesy running joke that people just go along with at this point. (Wow, of all the things to become a touchy subject...what am I doing with my life, typing stuff like this out? This isn't helping anyone. Please ignore my pedantic bullshit.)
- rjplatte 8y ago
  That seam is nearly invisible in the dark.
  - leggomylibro 8y ago
    Good point, but so is everything else you would be using it with. I dunno, this is just one of those things that I can remember being annoying, but I can't remember the last time I actually experienced it.
    - sliken 8y ago
      Mini-USB was easily to feel it's orientation, they were also dramatically more reliable than micro-usb.
- arbitrage 8y ago
  taking a quick look around my desk, and the slew of cables i have on it, i quickly find that less than 50% of my cables (many of which are popular and respected brands) do not conform to your description. admit it. USB-A plugs are terribly designed.
  - leggomylibro 8y ago
    Huh, maybe it's a regional thing; I've only got my experience to go off of, but I haven't experienced this sort of confusion in years.
  - chris_mc 8y ago
    They're way better than what came before (like PS/2 plugs, those connectors with the dumb screws (DB9 and such), etc.). Edit: I can't post a reply to the comment below me because HN thinks I am posting "too fast", so here's an update to more thoughts I had on this: It's also age because USB-A is like 20 years old or more. Back then you didn't plug and unplug USB stuff as often, but today we use it as a charging port more or less, so it's use-case was different when it was designed. Look at USB-C which is for today's "plug and unplug often" use case, it's fucking awesome for that. USB-A was more of a "this is mechanically better than DB9 or whatever" connector than a "this thing is intended to be transitioned at least 20 times per day" connector.
chris_mc 8y ago
Here's a trick I use: most PC ports have the flat plastic (inside) on the top half [0], I have noticed. So, if you look at the USB dongle/stick/cord it will have some small holes punched in either flat side usually. Just look for the holes that aren't blocked by the flat plastic part [1] and make sure those are up, then you should get 95 percent of them correct. [0] http://i.imgur.com/k09dgzL.png http://i.imgur.com/k09dgzL.png [1] http://i.imgur.com/6sChr0E.png http://i.imgur.com/6sChr0E.png
- beatgammit 8y ago
  Or just try plugging it in, and if it doesn't work, flip it over. It's not a big deal.
IshKebab 8y ago
Very wordy answers, and as far as I can see no single answer has both points: 1. The connector is symmetric. If it was asymmetric like HDMI for example it would be easier. 2. There's no bevel to guide the connector into place, so you can be very close and it still won't go in. That feels exactly the same as if you have it in the incorrect orientation. All the stuff about the logo is misguided. Nobody reads the logo of HDMI or ethernet cables to plug them in.
- chrisseaton 8y ago
  > The connector is symmetric No it's asymmetric. That's the whole point of this discussion. If it was symmetric it could go in either way and there wouldn't be an issue.
  - yjftsjthsd-h 8y ago
    The outside, which is readily visible, is symmetric. The inside of the plug isn't. The difference is the problem.
- bradknowles 8y ago
  With respect, the external asymmetry of HDMI has only helped the situation somewhat, at least in my own personal experience. IMO, the connectors need to be truly symmetrical both internally and externally. USB-C got this part right. Then we have the problem of correctly implementing the various ways of using that connector, where USB-C fails horribly.
Yen 8y ago
An additional reason why people may not be confident in their initial alignment - Even if a user knows about the icon indicating "top" of a USB plug, and is aware of the top side when plugging in a plug, there's no such affordance for the socket. The top side of the socket _should_ be on top, but the socket might be rotated 90 degrees, and might be on the backside of the device, requiring _correctly_ rotating your mental model of the socket just to know which way the plug goes in!
woodandsteel 8y ago
The point about superpositions and observations is because USB memory is based on semiconductors, and semiconductors are based on quantum physics.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

29 points by Alupis 8y ago

I'll answer this like most of my software vendors do: Please upgrade to USB-C to solve this issue, we are no longer supporting USB 3.0 or below.

sebazzz 8y ago
* incomplete protocol support may exist and vary by cable, host or client device

CamperBob2 8y ago

USB type A connectors are fermions with spin 1/2. You have to rotate them 720 degrees to orient them correctly.

rjplatte 8y ago
Sometimes I wish HN had gold. Thanks for the chuckle.
b_tterc_p 8y ago
http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-10-04 http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2011-10-04

leggomylibro 8y ago

I really do not understand how people still have trouble with this. We've had years and years to get used to these plugs. The 'top' of every USB-A plug I've ever seen is smooth, while the 'bottom' has a seam down the middle. And you can tell the receptacle's orientation from a glance just as easily, but you don't have to because the 'top' side of the plug should face the 'top' of the device it is plugging into in almost every consumer device I've used. Top of plug = top of device. Easy. It seems more like a cheesy running joke that people just go along with at this point. (Wow, of all the things to become a touchy subject...what am I doing with my life, typing stuff like this out? This isn't helping anyone. Please ignore my pedantic bullshit.)

rjplatte 8y ago
That seam is nearly invisible in the dark.
- leggomylibro 8y ago
  Good point, but so is everything else you would be using it with. I dunno, this is just one of those things that I can remember being annoying, but I can't remember the last time I actually experienced it.
  - sliken 8y ago
    Mini-USB was easily to feel it's orientation, they were also dramatically more reliable than micro-usb.
arbitrage 8y ago
taking a quick look around my desk, and the slew of cables i have on it, i quickly find that less than 50% of my cables (many of which are popular and respected brands) do not conform to your description. admit it. USB-A plugs are terribly designed.
- leggomylibro 8y ago
  Huh, maybe it's a regional thing; I've only got my experience to go off of, but I haven't experienced this sort of confusion in years.
- chris_mc 8y ago
  They're way better than what came before (like PS/2 plugs, those connectors with the dumb screws (DB9 and such), etc.). Edit: I can't post a reply to the comment below me because HN thinks I am posting "too fast", so here's an update to more thoughts I had on this: It's also age because USB-A is like 20 years old or more. Back then you didn't plug and unplug USB stuff as often, but today we use it as a charging port more or less, so it's use-case was different when it was designed. Look at USB-C which is for today's "plug and unplug often" use case, it's fucking awesome for that. USB-A was more of a "this is mechanically better than DB9 or whatever" connector than a "this thing is intended to be transitioned at least 20 times per day" connector.

chris_mc 8y ago

Here's a trick I use: most PC ports have the flat plastic (inside) on the top half [0], I have noticed. So, if you look at the USB dongle/stick/cord it will have some small holes punched in either flat side usually. Just look for the holes that aren't blocked by the flat plastic part [1] and make sure those are up, then you should get 95 percent of them correct. [0] http://i.imgur.com/k09dgzL.png http://i.imgur.com/k09dgzL.png [1] http://i.imgur.com/6sChr0E.png http://i.imgur.com/6sChr0E.png

beatgammit 8y ago
Or just try plugging it in, and if it doesn't work, flip it over. It's not a big deal.

IshKebab 8y ago

Very wordy answers, and as far as I can see no single answer has both points: 1. The connector is symmetric. If it was asymmetric like HDMI for example it would be easier. 2. There's no bevel to guide the connector into place, so you can be very close and it still won't go in. That feels exactly the same as if you have it in the incorrect orientation. All the stuff about the logo is misguided. Nobody reads the logo of HDMI or ethernet cables to plug them in.

chrisseaton 8y ago
> The connector is symmetric No it's asymmetric. That's the whole point of this discussion. If it was symmetric it could go in either way and there wouldn't be an issue.
- yjftsjthsd-h 8y ago
  The outside, which is readily visible, is symmetric. The inside of the plug isn't. The difference is the problem.
bradknowles 8y ago
With respect, the external asymmetry of HDMI has only helped the situation somewhat, at least in my own personal experience. IMO, the connectors need to be truly symmetrical both internally and externally. USB-C got this part right. Then we have the problem of correctly implementing the various ways of using that connector, where USB-C fails horribly.

Yen 8y ago

An additional reason why people may not be confident in their initial alignment - Even if a user knows about the icon indicating "top" of a USB plug, and is aware of the top side when plugging in a plug, there's no such affordance for the socket. The top side of the socket _should_ be on top, but the socket might be rotated 90 degrees, and might be on the backside of the device, requiring _correctly_ rotating your mental model of the socket just to know which way the plug goes in!

woodandsteel 8y ago

The point about superpositions and observations is because USB memory is based on semiconductors, and semiconductors are based on quantum physics.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]