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The author appears to have bought a monitor that's advertised as requiring a Thunderbolt 3 connection, and being compatible with a limited number of Apple produ

The author appears to have bought a monitor that's advertised as requiring a Thunderbolt 3 connection, and being compatible with a limited number of Apple products, and is complaining that it doesn't integrate nicely with his gaming PC (which has neither Thunderbolt 3 graphics connectivity nor appears on the compatibility list). I don't want to be the Apple apologist here, but ... really?

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
dylan604 5y ago
Yeah, but now they're internet famous being on the front page of HN! I'm actually surprised this is a mere blog instead of a YouTube video with a poster image of someone with a frustrated expression holding obviously incorrect cables. I'm all for repurposing things, so I don't blame them for attempting something most rational people would not bother. Been there done that, will attempt it again on something different.
- searls 5y ago
  Hah, my other appearances on HN's front page have not resulted in a particularly long tail of fame. But I actually really appreciate this comment. I'm just trying to have a decent monitor for work that I can also play games with sometimes in the evenings and would rather not have two monitors on my desk.
thebean11 5y ago
It's DisplayPort over USB-C though. Shouldn't DisplayPort output with a passive USB-C adapter work fine? edit: Sounds like it does, but missing the additional features like audio.
- NovemberWhiskey 5y ago
  He updated the page to say basically "if you use a DisplayPort cable with the right connectors that's rated for the display resolution then the display part works".
  - searls 5y ago
    This was not an update. That was in the original published version of the post
mattnewton 5y ago
Personally this reads more as an indictment of the USB-c style connector. The physical form used to tell users of basically all technical level what was supposed to work when connected to what. The current port is anything but "universal" and just about anything at all you could imagine can happen when you plug in two USB c devices together - your laptop could charge the phone, the phone could charge the laptop, the display could work without a USB hub, the display could work only as a USB hub, the cord could only deliver power, etc. And my (limited) understanding is that this is all on-spec; in practice you also have stuff like the power supply could be expected to deliver an off-spec amount like the Nintendo switch chargers and not work, etc etc
- searls 5y ago
  Yes, it is absolutely an indictment on the connector. The story of USB-C is one of people peddling a story that they'd solve every power delivery and data protocol problem of all time by making every connector the same shape, when in truth, having a variety of shapes of connectors can communicate compatibility and that was lost in the push for USB-C
Eric_WVGG 5y ago
He's not complaining. He had a problem and found a solution and published it. The only person complaining here is you.
- barrenko 5y ago
  The subtitle is "You're right, it shouldn't be this hard."
  - NovemberWhiskey 5y ago
    ... which is "a statement that a situation is unsatisfactory or unacceptable", just in case you were looking for the dictionary definition of "complaint" and were unable to join the dots.
Nullabillity 5y ago
You'd typically expect that a monitor is a monitor is a monitor, and supports the same industry-standard connectors and protocols. Not doing so would be as absurd as trying to sell a phone without a USB port.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

dylan604 5y ago

Yeah, but now they're internet famous being on the front page of HN! I'm actually surprised this is a mere blog instead of a YouTube video with a poster image of someone with a frustrated expression holding obviously incorrect cables. I'm all for repurposing things, so I don't blame them for attempting something most rational people would not bother. Been there done that, will attempt it again on something different.

searls 5y ago
Hah, my other appearances on HN's front page have not resulted in a particularly long tail of fame. But I actually really appreciate this comment. I'm just trying to have a decent monitor for work that I can also play games with sometimes in the evenings and would rather not have two monitors on my desk.

thebean11 5y ago

It's DisplayPort over USB-C though. Shouldn't DisplayPort output with a passive USB-C adapter work fine? edit: Sounds like it does, but missing the additional features like audio.

NovemberWhiskey 5y ago
He updated the page to say basically "if you use a DisplayPort cable with the right connectors that's rated for the display resolution then the display part works".
- searls 5y ago
  This was not an update. That was in the original published version of the post

mattnewton 5y ago

Personally this reads more as an indictment of the USB-c style connector. The physical form used to tell users of basically all technical level what was supposed to work when connected to what. The current port is anything but "universal" and just about anything at all you could imagine can happen when you plug in two USB c devices together - your laptop could charge the phone, the phone could charge the laptop, the display could work without a USB hub, the display could work only as a USB hub, the cord could only deliver power, etc. And my (limited) understanding is that this is all on-spec; in practice you also have stuff like the power supply could be expected to deliver an off-spec amount like the Nintendo switch chargers and not work, etc etc

searls 5y ago
Yes, it is absolutely an indictment on the connector. The story of USB-C is one of people peddling a story that they'd solve every power delivery and data protocol problem of all time by making every connector the same shape, when in truth, having a variety of shapes of connectors can communicate compatibility and that was lost in the push for USB-C

Eric_WVGG 5y ago

He's not complaining. He had a problem and found a solution and published it. The only person complaining here is you.

barrenko 5y ago
The subtitle is "You're right, it shouldn't be this hard."
- NovemberWhiskey 5y ago
  ... which is "a statement that a situation is unsatisfactory or unacceptable", just in case you were looking for the dictionary definition of "complaint" and were unable to join the dots.

Nullabillity 5y ago

You'd typically expect that a monitor is a monitor is a monitor, and supports the same industry-standard connectors and protocols. Not doing so would be as absurd as trying to sell a phone without a USB port.