5 ms·

USB-rainbow? It's literally not USB. I am USB-#ff33ff. How is it Universal?

layer8 4y ago
More like: First ring: Red: Hi-Speed Yellow: 5 Gbps Green: 20 Gbps Blue: 40 Gbps Black: charging only Second ring: Orange: 60 W Cyan: 240 W Black: data only Plus print the values on the rings in black font, for the colorblind.
- cududa 4y ago
  Yep. Just do it on the cable, heat shrink some wrapper around it and make it extremely obvious on the box. Try walking Grandma through what cable and charging brick to use over the phone when she calls you while she's at walmart
  - Gigachad 4y ago
    It’s not any worse than the current situation of “will it work?” “Uh, how much does it cost?”
- Bellend 4y ago
  You are moving the format from words to colour as a solution? I need a USB cable Bellend... "Oh, what color?".
  - layer8 4y ago
    Yes. I can explain to my grandma that she needs a cable with green and orange rings. Much easier than “look for 20 Gbps with 60 watts”.
    - Gigachad 4y ago
      Grandma still doesn’t know that it’s ok to get the one with blue and orange rings though.
      - layer8 4y ago
        Right, but it’s still easier to explain “either green or blue”, and the colors are in rainbow order for a reason. It’s not just for grandma, most everyone would have an easier time remembering the “working” or “fast” colors than having to think about Gbps or watts, myself included.
    - Bellend 4y ago
      Assuming you know she needs green and orange rings from the device she bought on amazon last week?
      - layer8 4y ago
        Once the color system is established, I would expect device packaging and/or manuals to indicate the compatible colors.
        Bellend 4y ago
        But why are you defending it with novel solutions and colour grading schemes for something which could simply not be named the same thing because it isn't the same thing?
        layer8 4y ago
        You can interpret the colors as naming. I mean, it’s similar with HDMI, DisplayPort, Bluetooth, Wifi, etc., they all regularly get new variants with new capabilities and compatibility restrictions. Naming each version something entirely different doesn’t solve the compatibility problem. It’s like saying HTTP/3 shouldn’t be called HTTP.
        cududa 4y ago
        I have a bunch of USB-C cables. Some will fry things some won't. How will a naming convention help me keep track of them once they get chucked into in the basket under my coffee table
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- sircastor 4y ago
  I recall coming across the color guide for the various features, like blue for USB3, and red for… power delivery, maybe? But then one day I was on AliExpress or Alibaba or something and seeing that you could just buy cables from some manufacturer with whatever color you wanted. And I lost faith in the reliability of color id for cables.
  - Izkata 4y ago
    > red for… power delivery, maybe? I'd go with yellow, like how we draw lightning.
    - layer8 4y ago
      Yellow/orange/red are commonly used for USB charging ports: https://www.etechnophiles.com/types-of-usb-cables-ports-speed/#different-types-of-usb-port-standards-and-their-color-coding https://www.etechnophiles.com/types-of-usb-cables-ports-spee...

More like: First ring: Red: Hi-Speed Yellow: 5 Gbps Green: 20 Gbps Blue: 40 Gbps Black: charging only Second ring: Orange: 60 W Cyan: 240 W Black: data only Plus print the values on the rings in black font, for the colorblind.

cududa 4y ago
Yep. Just do it on the cable, heat shrink some wrapper around it and make it extremely obvious on the box. Try walking Grandma through what cable and charging brick to use over the phone when she calls you while she's at walmart
- Gigachad 4y ago
  It’s not any worse than the current situation of “will it work?” “Uh, how much does it cost?”
Bellend 4y ago
You are moving the format from words to colour as a solution? I need a USB cable Bellend... "Oh, what color?".
- layer8 4y ago
  Yes. I can explain to my grandma that she needs a cable with green and orange rings. Much easier than “look for 20 Gbps with 60 watts”.
  - Gigachad 4y ago
    Grandma still doesn’t know that it’s ok to get the one with blue and orange rings though.
    - layer8 4y ago
      Right, but it’s still easier to explain “either green or blue”, and the colors are in rainbow order for a reason. It’s not just for grandma, most everyone would have an easier time remembering the “working” or “fast” colors than having to think about Gbps or watts, myself included.
  - Bellend 4y ago
    Assuming you know she needs green and orange rings from the device she bought on amazon last week?
    - layer8 4y ago
      Once the color system is established, I would expect device packaging and/or manuals to indicate the compatible colors.
      - Bellend 4y ago
        But why are you defending it with novel solutions and colour grading schemes for something which could simply not be named the same thing because it isn't the same thing?
        layer8 4y ago
        You can interpret the colors as naming. I mean, it’s similar with HDMI, DisplayPort, Bluetooth, Wifi, etc., they all regularly get new variants with new capabilities and compatibility restrictions. Naming each version something entirely different doesn’t solve the compatibility problem. It’s like saying HTTP/3 shouldn’t be called HTTP.
        cududa 4y ago
        I have a bunch of USB-C cables. Some will fry things some won't. How will a naming convention help me keep track of them once they get chucked into in the basket under my coffee table
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
sircastor 4y ago
I recall coming across the color guide for the various features, like blue for USB3, and red for… power delivery, maybe? But then one day I was on AliExpress or Alibaba or something and seeing that you could just buy cables from some manufacturer with whatever color you wanted. And I lost faith in the reliability of color id for cables.
- Izkata 4y ago
  > red for… power delivery, maybe? I'd go with yellow, like how we draw lightning.
  - layer8 4y ago
    Yellow/orange/red are commonly used for USB charging ports: https://www.etechnophiles.com/types-of-usb-cables-ports-speed/#different-types-of-usb-port-standards-and-their-color-coding https://www.etechnophiles.com/types-of-usb-cables-ports-spee...