3 ms·
> Wait, isn't the whole problem with the cables and not the ports? > It matters little what subset of USB any given device supports. No reasonable person will
by msbarnett 7y ago
> Wait, isn't the whole problem with the cables and not the ports?
> It matters little what subset of USB any given device supports. No reasonable person will expect, say, high-speed video from a cheap mp3 player.
No, it's both. Laptops ship that have one USB-C port that will carry DisplayPort alternate mode, and another, equivalent looking port, that won't, because it's not wired to the GPU. Consult a manual to figure out which port or ports is wired for video.
Your Nintendo Switch will work with an DisplayPort demuxing dock to output an HDMI signal, but put the forthcoming Nintendo Switch Mini, with an identical looking port in the same dock, and no video will output, because the mini lacks a DisplayPort crossbar mux IC connected to the port, and only uses it for charging and USB-C peripherals. This is a frequent source of complaint on gaming forums.
Laptops ship that will charge off of one USB-C port but not another, because the manufacturer saved a few cents by only wiring one for the optional high-speed charging spec.
Etc. Etc. Etc. While some things obviously don't support some USB 3 or USB-C optional features (obviously my USB-C keyboard does not output DisplayPort), consumers are often frustrated in other cases when their intuition and the equivalent looking ports suggests something should work when it doesn't.
- pmontra 7y ago> Laptops ship that have one USB-C port that will carry DisplayPort alternate mode, and another, equivalent looking port, that won't, because it's not wired to the GPU. The solution is to mark ports with symbols. It already happened with USB 2.0. I remember charging and not charging ports there, with a label on the charging one. Furthermore people learn with quickly which port does what on their laptop. On the other side, is this phone I'm writing on capable of video out? No way to know unless I google the spec. I think it does, but I don't remember. It's not I'm doing that every day, or every month.
- rblatz 7y agoRemember when the ports that did a thing, only worked with other cables that were meant to do that thing, and generally if the cord fit, it was in the right spot? That was great, now I have to look at tiny little symbols, and hope I know what each obscure symbol means. The progress is amazing.
- williamDafoe 7y agoI literally have a box of pre- USB-C cables. S-Video VGA RCAx2 Coax RCAx3 VHS hi-fi optical HDMI DVI-A DVI-D and a LOAD OF SIMILAR crapola! the box is 12" x 18" x 12" and it's FULL!!! Good riddance!
- forty 7y agoWon't that just be replaced by the same box full of USB cable that can only do displayport, some that can only do networking, some that can only do storage, and some that can do a combination of the previous, probably at different speeds... The only difference would be that when you need a specific one, you would have to try them all until it works ;)
- em-bee 7y agodepending on the cost, i could dump all cheap cables and replace them with high quality ones that can handle everything. that one cable to bind them all.
- cruano 7y agoNow image buying a $70 cable each time you need a new one
- TeMPOraL 7y agoIf each of the types of cables is probably less than $5, how do you get a $70 price tag for the combined all-capabilities cable? I'd be surprised if it would cost more than $10.
- magduf 7y agoBecause that's how American brick-and-mortar retailers make their profit: they take a cable that you can buy on Ebay for $5 and mark it up to $50, while keeping their prices on big-ticket items (like a TV or laptop) somewhat competitive because people price-shop on those things, but not on accessories.