6 ms·

> Personally, I'm very glad it wasn't micro or mini USB. Why is the 30-pin connector better than a well-made micro USB connector? As a consumer, I can think of

by jeswin 6y ago

> Personally, I'm very glad it wasn't micro or mini USB. Why is the 30-pin connector better than a well-made micro USB connector? As a consumer, I can think of a number of advantages going with the standard USB port.

dmitriid 6y ago
> Why is the 30-pin connector better than a well-made micro USB connector? Apple's 30-pin connector was released in 2003. And was undoubtedly in development for at least a year or two before that. It served Apple for nine years until 2012. It carried audio, video, FireWire, USB, and also charged connected devices. In the span of those nine years, USB: - didn't have a batter charging specification until 2007 - didn't have a power delivery specification until 2012 - deprecated mini-A and mini-B in 2007 - introduced a new connector in 2007 USB has always been a mess. Apple's connectors are the stability that people should strive for, not deride.
- sjg007 6y ago
  Except in the hands of kids who manage to destroy cables readily. The original iPad one and even lightning. USB-c is way better.
  - willyt 6y ago
    My kids have destroyed countless lightning cables and usb micro cables. They have also destroyed 3 amazon fire tablets and a nexus tablet by yanking on the cable but they’ve never destroyed any apple devices this way. Thats why the lightning connector is a better design.
    - sjg007 6y ago
      I thought the lighting adapter was a big improvement but my kids have managed to break the tip off multiple times in multiple ipads... fortunately I've been able to get the pieces out. The other issue is that for some reason after too much use, they fail to connect/charge which isn't always a cable issue but something intrinsic to the port. The other thing I found is my kids have plugged the lighting adapter into an electrical outlet on a surge protector... they did with with usb-c too so there's some confusion there too. USB-C seems more robust but it may have other issues I haven't discovered yet.
      - bradknowles 6y ago
        Breaking the tip of the cable is better than breaking the port. As you have proven, it is usually possible to get those parts back out of the port, which is hopefully undamaged, even though the tip of the cable broke off inside.
      - willyt 6y ago
        > The other thing I found is my kids have plugged the lighting adapter into an electrical outlet on a surge protector... Yikes! Oh well at least they are protected from power surges...
  - dmitriid 6y ago
    USB-C was finalised in 2014, two years after Lightning was shipped (so possibly up to four years after Apple had started development of Lightning). It also requires a larger port than Lightning, so you can see why Apple would be okay with adding it to iPads, but not to iPhones.
pfranz 6y ago
It did predate it by over 5 years. If you're talking about tech features the 30-pin supported (at various points) Firewire, USB, play controls, line-level analog audio and video--for example there was a 30-pin to VGA. AFAIK USB isn't capable of almost any of these things. I believe things like USB audio came later and the 30-pin cable supported that, too. Even though the connector is much wider I found it way more reliable and easier to plug in without looking at the bottom of the device. It also seems way sturdier when jamming your player into a speaker dock. You mention "well-made" cables. Micro USB is now 14 years old and I don't know of a reliable brand (maybe Anker?). I still constantly throw out cables not knowing if they're broken, not rated for use, or what. I love standards. I don't know why it took decades to come up with a reversible connector. I've been waiting for USB-C to take off for awhile. Sadly, cable compatibility seems to be a mess (between power, speed, thunderbolt compatibility, etc).
- ldrndll 6y ago
  I absolutely loathe micro USB. I am constantly having to throw away cables that are a few months old because they no longer reliably charge my devices (PS4 controllers, Fire tablets, Bose headphones), and that's with me buying the most reliable cables I can find (Anker). Micro USB really is terrible...
  - turbinerneiter 6y ago
    I never ever had a micro usb cable fail. I often had problems with USB C in my previous phone on the phone side. Apple cables fray almost immediately.
    - ceejayoz 6y ago
      My issues have never been the Micro USB cables, but the ports. They seem to often not be solidly secured into the device. (Amazon's Kindles' ports are pretty rock solid, to their credit.)
      - catlifeonmars 6y ago

by jeswin 6y ago

dmitriid 6y ago

> Why is the 30-pin connector better than a well-made micro USB connector? Apple's 30-pin connector was released in 2003. And was undoubtedly in development for at least a year or two before that. It served Apple for nine years until 2012. It carried audio, video, FireWire, USB, and also charged connected devices. In the span of those nine years, USB: - didn't have a batter charging specification until 2007 - didn't have a power delivery specification until 2012 - deprecated mini-A and mini-B in 2007 - introduced a new connector in 2007 USB has always been a mess. Apple's connectors are the stability that people should strive for, not deride.

sjg007 6y ago
Except in the hands of kids who manage to destroy cables readily. The original iPad one and even lightning. USB-c is way better.
- willyt 6y ago
  My kids have destroyed countless lightning cables and usb micro cables. They have also destroyed 3 amazon fire tablets and a nexus tablet by yanking on the cable but they’ve never destroyed any apple devices this way. Thats why the lightning connector is a better design.
  - sjg007 6y ago
    I thought the lighting adapter was a big improvement but my kids have managed to break the tip off multiple times in multiple ipads... fortunately I've been able to get the pieces out. The other issue is that for some reason after too much use, they fail to connect/charge which isn't always a cable issue but something intrinsic to the port. The other thing I found is my kids have plugged the lighting adapter into an electrical outlet on a surge protector... they did with with usb-c too so there's some confusion there too. USB-C seems more robust but it may have other issues I haven't discovered yet.
    - bradknowles 6y ago
      Breaking the tip of the cable is better than breaking the port. As you have proven, it is usually possible to get those parts back out of the port, which is hopefully undamaged, even though the tip of the cable broke off inside.
    - willyt 6y ago
      > The other thing I found is my kids have plugged the lighting adapter into an electrical outlet on a surge protector... Yikes! Oh well at least they are protected from power surges...
- dmitriid 6y ago
  USB-C was finalised in 2014, two years after Lightning was shipped (so possibly up to four years after Apple had started development of Lightning). It also requires a larger port than Lightning, so you can see why Apple would be okay with adding it to iPads, but not to iPhones.

pfranz 6y ago

It did predate it by over 5 years. If you're talking about tech features the 30-pin supported (at various points) Firewire, USB, play controls, line-level analog audio and video--for example there was a 30-pin to VGA. AFAIK USB isn't capable of almost any of these things. I believe things like USB audio came later and the 30-pin cable supported that, too. Even though the connector is much wider I found it way more reliable and easier to plug in without looking at the bottom of the device. It also seems way sturdier when jamming your player into a speaker dock. You mention "well-made" cables. Micro USB is now 14 years old and I don't know of a reliable brand (maybe Anker?). I still constantly throw out cables not knowing if they're broken, not rated for use, or what. I love standards. I don't know why it took decades to come up with a reversible connector. I've been waiting for USB-C to take off for awhile. Sadly, cable compatibility seems to be a mess (between power, speed, thunderbolt compatibility, etc).

ldrndll 6y ago
I absolutely loathe micro USB. I am constantly having to throw away cables that are a few months old because they no longer reliably charge my devices (PS4 controllers, Fire tablets, Bose headphones), and that's with me buying the most reliable cables I can find (Anker). Micro USB really is terrible...
- turbinerneiter 6y ago
  I never ever had a micro usb cable fail. I often had problems with USB C in my previous phone on the phone side. Apple cables fray almost immediately.
  - ceejayoz 6y ago
    My issues have never been the Micro USB cables, but the ports. They seem to often not be solidly secured into the device. (Amazon's Kindles' ports are pretty rock solid, to their credit.)
    - catlifeonmars 6y ago