4 ms·

Just broadly, let me just echo my full throated support for regulation in this space. Forget the vast majority of the goofy "innovation" arguments I hear, the f

by jrm4 3y ago

Just broadly, let me just echo my full throated support for regulation in this space. Forget the vast majority of the goofy "innovation" arguments I hear, the fact that 3 family cell phones, 2 laptops, Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and Oculus can all use the same charger makes insanely more sense that what we were doing before.

martin8412 3y ago
The Nintendo Switch charger isn't standards compliant, and if you use another charger, it might not be able to keep up with the power draw of the Nintendo Switch.
- enachtry 3y ago
  It will be. Supporting USB PD over USB-C is mandatory if they want to keep selling in EU. Nintendo is more than welcome to subvert EU's requirements and find out how that goes.
  - cubefox 3y ago
    Probably it will work for the "Switch 2", if there will be such a product.
lagadu 3y ago
Single charger is lovely: nowadays whenever I travel I carry a single charger; it charges: my laptop, my work laptop, my phone, my noise cancelling headphones, my wireless iems, my book, my watch.
- KennyBlanken 3y ago
  You can get cables and small dongles that convert USB-C or micro to lightning etc. You're talking about a few-dollar problem. I don't want a fragile USB-C port on my phone. The lightning port is a joy to use - reliable both in terms of the retention mechanism and connectivity, and easy to clean of debris.
  - jrm4 3y ago
    I can't think of a better example of "a few dollar problem" that adds up remarkably over time, though.
crimsontech 3y ago
In some ways (convenience). I think it will also lead to not supplying the device with a charging / data transfer cable to reduce e-waste. Lighting connector is actually better than USB-C for a phone charger, there is no little contact to snap off inside a lighting port and it’s easy to clean pocket lint out of the lighting port with a tooth pick. This isn’t the case with USB-C, it’s more fragile and harder to remove debris with damaging it which is why I think apple use it for iPad but not iPhone. The battery thing is good though, I have seen way too many people using devices with swollen batteries because they are way beyond their useful lifetime. I don’t know this for sure but I would hope the software on the phone can prevent this on modern devices.
- tempestn 3y ago
  Are you thinking of a magsafe connector? A lightning connector definitely does have a little end that can snap off, and that in my experience (with children) is less robust than a USB-C.
  - crimsontech 3y ago
    No I’m talking about the port in the phone where you plug the cable in. With lightening the cable side is the fragile part, with usb-c the male part of the connection is inside the phone’s socket. This is the fragile part of the usb-c connection. It makes more sense for the fragile part to be on the cable rather than the phone itself because the phone is more expensive and would need a repair but the cable is cheap enough that you can replace it. Other than this though, usb-c is far superior to lightening with better data speed and power delivery.
    - tempestn 3y ago
      Ahh I see. Makes sense. For what it's worth I think the USB-C port is still fairly robust because the fragile part is protected by the port, but I get what you're saying.
gok 3y ago
So you're really happy that there is regulation requiring what the market already did on its own?
- rat9988 3y ago
  Yes, because some actors don't want to follow suit.
- ktosobcy 3y ago
  lol. do you remember times before microusb? which was also somewhat forced by the EU? so no.. the unification on the USB wasn't all pure force of market...
- M2Ys4U 3y ago
  Except the marked did not do that on its own. The EU gave the industry an ultimatum in 2009: Adopt a common charger voluntarily or we'll regulate to force you to do so. Almost all manufacturers did, first with micro-USB before moving over to USB-C. Eventually, because Apple decided not to play well with others, they had to follow through and regulate.

by jrm4 3y ago

martin8412 3y ago

The Nintendo Switch charger isn't standards compliant, and if you use another charger, it might not be able to keep up with the power draw of the Nintendo Switch.

enachtry 3y ago
It will be. Supporting USB PD over USB-C is mandatory if they want to keep selling in EU. Nintendo is more than welcome to subvert EU's requirements and find out how that goes.
- cubefox 3y ago
  Probably it will work for the "Switch 2", if there will be such a product.

lagadu 3y ago

Single charger is lovely: nowadays whenever I travel I carry a single charger; it charges: my laptop, my work laptop, my phone, my noise cancelling headphones, my wireless iems, my book, my watch.

KennyBlanken 3y ago
You can get cables and small dongles that convert USB-C or micro to lightning etc. You're talking about a few-dollar problem. I don't want a fragile USB-C port on my phone. The lightning port is a joy to use - reliable both in terms of the retention mechanism and connectivity, and easy to clean of debris.
- jrm4 3y ago
  I can't think of a better example of "a few dollar problem" that adds up remarkably over time, though.

crimsontech 3y ago

In some ways (convenience). I think it will also lead to not supplying the device with a charging / data transfer cable to reduce e-waste. Lighting connector is actually better than USB-C for a phone charger, there is no little contact to snap off inside a lighting port and it’s easy to clean pocket lint out of the lighting port with a tooth pick. This isn’t the case with USB-C, it’s more fragile and harder to remove debris with damaging it which is why I think apple use it for iPad but not iPhone. The battery thing is good though, I have seen way too many people using devices with swollen batteries because they are way beyond their useful lifetime. I don’t know this for sure but I would hope the software on the phone can prevent this on modern devices.

tempestn 3y ago
Are you thinking of a magsafe connector? A lightning connector definitely does have a little end that can snap off, and that in my experience (with children) is less robust than a USB-C.
- crimsontech 3y ago
  No I’m talking about the port in the phone where you plug the cable in. With lightening the cable side is the fragile part, with usb-c the male part of the connection is inside the phone’s socket. This is the fragile part of the usb-c connection. It makes more sense for the fragile part to be on the cable rather than the phone itself because the phone is more expensive and would need a repair but the cable is cheap enough that you can replace it. Other than this though, usb-c is far superior to lightening with better data speed and power delivery.
  - tempestn 3y ago
    Ahh I see. Makes sense. For what it's worth I think the USB-C port is still fairly robust because the fragile part is protected by the port, but I get what you're saying.

gok 3y ago

So you're really happy that there is regulation requiring what the market already did on its own?

rat9988 3y ago
Yes, because some actors don't want to follow suit.
ktosobcy 3y ago
lol. do you remember times before microusb? which was also somewhat forced by the EU? so no.. the unification on the USB wasn't all pure force of market...
M2Ys4U 3y ago
Except the marked did not do that on its own. The EU gave the industry an ultimatum in 2009: Adopt a common charger voluntarily or we'll regulate to force you to do so. Almost all manufacturers did, first with micro-USB before moving over to USB-C. Eventually, because Apple decided not to play well with others, they had to follow through and regulate.