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What's interesting with Apple is that they roll out their own standards but keep them around for a long time. And thanks to their large market share, they also

What's interesting with Apple is that they roll out their own standards but keep them around for a long time. And thanks to their large market share, they also have a robust third party ecosystem around them too. Back in the days every phone had a proprietary charging port. Not every phone manufacturer, no. Every phone model. The only one to have a standard charger was... Apple, with the old Dock connector [0]. It was the same charger as the iPods and spoke the same protocol. It just worked. Then Apple got a lot of flak for not adopting Micro USB and instead going out with lightning. In retrospect, it was the correct decision: lightning is reversible and support higher current than Micro USB. Re-created the same ecosystem around Lightning for all third party accessories, again, just works. Now they are getting flak for not switching to USB-C, but just looking at some devices (Nintendo Switch comes to mind) maybe it's not the best user experience. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dock_connector#30-pin_dock_connector https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dock_connector#30-pin_dock_con...

libertine 5y ago
>Now they are getting flak for not switching to USB-C, but just looking at some devices (Nintendo Switch comes to mind) maybe it's not the best user experience. Can you expand on the Nintendo Switch, I don't understand why the NS doesn't provide the best user experience due to USB-C? If you're talking about the bricking from using third party chargers/docks I always thought that was due to Nintendo implementation of it, not the standard itself.
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  > If you're talking about the bricking from using third party chargers/docks I always thought that was due to Nintendo implementation of it, not the standard itself. It was. But here's a simple question: If I plug my USB-C device in a charger with a cable I found, can I fast charge? Answer is, it depends on the power brick and the cable. Same question, can I simply get video out with USB-C? Answer is it depends how much of the spec was implemented by both ends and if my cable supports it.
  - solarkraft 5y ago
    As far as I’m aware Lightning doesn’t solve these issues by no other means than just not having the features.
    - 908B64B197 5y ago
      When Apple came up with Lightning the USB-C spec was still years in the future.
sschueller 5y ago
But they didn't keep their 30pin thing around for a long time. There was a huge number of people who got devices with that connector and got fd by Apple. The longer Apple waits with USB C the worse it will be. I have the feeling they want to get rid of the connecter all together but couldn't get it to work yet. Lightning was a way to lock down who can make 3rd party devices. Apple doesn't care if you can connect something both ways. Look at what they did with mag safe, every one loved it, yet they canned it.
- mikestew 5y ago
  But they didn't keep their 30pin thing around for a long time. Nine years? Is that not a "long time" to you, or am I misunderstanding the point you're driving at?
  - zenexer 5y ago
    The 30-pin connector wasn’t around for 9 years. That’s the one prior to Lightning.
    - dpark 5y ago
      Right. 30 pin was around for 11. 13 in India.
    - mikestew 5y ago
      I'm well aware of which connector it is, I've still got cables lying around. There are also multiple sources that will tell you that 30-pin came out in 2003, and then Lighting in 2012.
      - zenexer 5y ago
        Ah, I forgot that it was used by iPods as well. In fact, I completely forgot about iPods altogether. Suddenly I miss the tactile feel of their scroll wheels. Maybe I’ll finally get an iPod.
josephcsible 5y ago
I'd argue that the Switch doesn't actually use USB-C, but rather a connector that just happens to be shaped like USB-C, since it violates the USB-IF's standards for USB-C like crazy, and if it conformed to those standards, then it wouldn't have had any user experience problems.

libertine 5y ago

>Now they are getting flak for not switching to USB-C, but just looking at some devices (Nintendo Switch comes to mind) maybe it's not the best user experience. Can you expand on the Nintendo Switch, I don't understand why the NS doesn't provide the best user experience due to USB-C? If you're talking about the bricking from using third party chargers/docks I always thought that was due to Nintendo implementation of it, not the standard itself.

908B64B197 5y ago
> If you're talking about the bricking from using third party chargers/docks I always thought that was due to Nintendo implementation of it, not the standard itself. It was. But here's a simple question: If I plug my USB-C device in a charger with a cable I found, can I fast charge? Answer is, it depends on the power brick and the cable. Same question, can I simply get video out with USB-C? Answer is it depends how much of the spec was implemented by both ends and if my cable supports it.
- solarkraft 5y ago
  As far as I’m aware Lightning doesn’t solve these issues by no other means than just not having the features.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    When Apple came up with Lightning the USB-C spec was still years in the future.

sschueller 5y ago

But they didn't keep their 30pin thing around for a long time. There was a huge number of people who got devices with that connector and got fd by Apple. The longer Apple waits with USB C the worse it will be. I have the feeling they want to get rid of the connecter all together but couldn't get it to work yet. Lightning was a way to lock down who can make 3rd party devices. Apple doesn't care if you can connect something both ways. Look at what they did with mag safe, every one loved it, yet they canned it.

mikestew 5y ago
But they didn't keep their 30pin thing around for a long time. Nine years? Is that not a "long time" to you, or am I misunderstanding the point you're driving at?
- zenexer 5y ago
  The 30-pin connector wasn’t around for 9 years. That’s the one prior to Lightning.
  - dpark 5y ago
    Right. 30 pin was around for 11. 13 in India.
  - mikestew 5y ago
    I'm well aware of which connector it is, I've still got cables lying around. There are also multiple sources that will tell you that 30-pin came out in 2003, and then Lighting in 2012.
    - zenexer 5y ago
      Ah, I forgot that it was used by iPods as well. In fact, I completely forgot about iPods altogether. Suddenly I miss the tactile feel of their scroll wheels. Maybe I’ll finally get an iPod.

josephcsible 5y ago

I'd argue that the Switch doesn't actually use USB-C, but rather a connector that just happens to be shaped like USB-C, since it violates the USB-IF's standards for USB-C like crazy, and if it conformed to those standards, then it wouldn't have had any user experience problems.