4 ms·

USB-C is simply more convenient to use, and you get it right 100% of the time, instead of your orientation being wrong 50% of the time with USB-A.

jacquesm 3y ago
If you get it wrong 50% of the time let me substantially reduce that for you: logo goes 'up' for whatever the normal orientation of your device is. That should clear up 99% of the cases.
- gweinberg 3y ago
  More like 55%. The usb ports on the bac of my machine are sideways, and the one on the top is backwards-ass wrong from what I would expect.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    Eww that's weird, ok in your case you are out of luck. That's pretty strange though, I have a ton of USB-A devices here and they are all in line with the way I outlined. So that's a bit of a surprise but it may well be an exception. As for the ones that are sideways: the 'bottom' of the case is the bottom of the motherboard, so if you think of it that way it might still work for all but the top side ones.
  - koolba 3y ago
    We live in a right handed universe so even sideways has a correct answer.
  - 9991 3y ago
    The motherboard has an "up" direction if you lay it out flat.
- Zancarius 3y ago
  I had a Cooler Master case where the IO stack at the top of the case had the opposite orientation (logo down). Threw me off forever. I'm at a point in my life where I've just given up and figure that I'm only going to get it right 1/3rd of the time anyway: Nope, turn; nope, turn; yup.
- iopq 3y ago
  My desktop has all vertical ports, now what?
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    Normally speaking: right. Because the circuit boards are usually on the left. If they are not you're out of luck.
themerone 3y ago
My pixel slate has a USB-C port that will only charge in one orientation.
- lxgr 3y ago
  That sounds like it's either broken or there's some dust or lint in the plug/cable. Google is usually pretty good about their USB-C implementations.
  - themerone 3y ago
    Of course it's broken. It also won't power on unplugged, even with a full battery. Definitely not googles finest device.
  - jgalt212 3y ago
    might be a cheap cable.
- treyd 3y ago
  I had a similar issue on my old phone and I'm pretty sure it was because of something wrong with the connector on the phone's side.
lbourdages 3y ago
Typically I get it wrong 100% of the time, i.e. I was in the right orientation but misaligned so it does not work, so I flip it, fails again, and then I swear and flip it a second time.
- accrual 3y ago
  Indeed, USB superposition strikes again. Image: https://global.discourse-cdn.com/boingboing/original/4X/9/6/3/963247bf0e92b25e4b484f8be589297f502f7d42.png https://global.discourse-cdn.com/boingboing/original/4X/9/6/...
crote 3y ago
Just don't accidentally stick USB-C into a USB-A port. It will fit and it will short the port, causing the machine to crash. Speaking from experience...
- lxgr 3y ago
  Sometimes I look at USB-C plugs and US power outlets and wonder if there’s a shock hazard there…
  - johnwalkr 3y ago
    Once when I boarded a flight I noticed one of those multi-country mains power sockets next to a 2-hole headphone socket. They were arranged and aligned in a way that made it obvious that a 2-prong headphone cable would fit in the power socket. I took a picture of it and put it on Facebook before taking off. After a nap I actually did put on headphones and plug them into the power socket by mistake. Luckily nothing happened.
  - TylerE 3y ago
    Would need a complete circuit. So unless you’re sticking in both ends of one cable to the same outlet…
    - lxgr 3y ago
      Depending on how well you're grounded, you might just be the component that completes the circuit... As far as I understand, not all US power outlets have a residual current device.
  - ben-schaaf 3y ago
    I look at US outlets and wonder about shock hazards.
    - Zak 3y ago
      I think most people in the US have stuck a finger between the two completely uninsulated prongs of a plug and got a shock, usually during childhood. They usually only do it once.
davegirdy2 3y ago
I use a docking station to help give me dual monitors on both Mac & Windows. Some monitors don't work in Mac. Maybe I need to get a new docking station.
userbinator 3y ago
Note that reversible A plugs exist. https://www.pcgamer.com/youre-telling-me-we-could-have-had-reversible-usb-cables-all-along/ https://www.pcgamer.com/youre-telling-me-we-could-have-had-r...
2809 3y ago
USB-A has a straight forward top and bottom. Once you know this, you almost never connect it wrong.

jacquesm 3y ago

If you get it wrong 50% of the time let me substantially reduce that for you: logo goes 'up' for whatever the normal orientation of your device is. That should clear up 99% of the cases.

gweinberg 3y ago
More like 55%. The usb ports on the bac of my machine are sideways, and the one on the top is backwards-ass wrong from what I would expect.
- jacquesm 3y ago
  Eww that's weird, ok in your case you are out of luck. That's pretty strange though, I have a ton of USB-A devices here and they are all in line with the way I outlined. So that's a bit of a surprise but it may well be an exception. As for the ones that are sideways: the 'bottom' of the case is the bottom of the motherboard, so if you think of it that way it might still work for all but the top side ones.
- koolba 3y ago
  We live in a right handed universe so even sideways has a correct answer.
- 9991 3y ago
  The motherboard has an "up" direction if you lay it out flat.
Zancarius 3y ago
I had a Cooler Master case where the IO stack at the top of the case had the opposite orientation (logo down). Threw me off forever. I'm at a point in my life where I've just given up and figure that I'm only going to get it right 1/3rd of the time anyway: Nope, turn; nope, turn; yup.
iopq 3y ago
My desktop has all vertical ports, now what?
- jacquesm 3y ago
  Normally speaking: right. Because the circuit boards are usually on the left. If they are not you're out of luck.

themerone 3y ago

My pixel slate has a USB-C port that will only charge in one orientation.

lxgr 3y ago
That sounds like it's either broken or there's some dust or lint in the plug/cable. Google is usually pretty good about their USB-C implementations.
- themerone 3y ago
  Of course it's broken. It also won't power on unplugged, even with a full battery. Definitely not googles finest device.
- jgalt212 3y ago
  might be a cheap cable.
treyd 3y ago
I had a similar issue on my old phone and I'm pretty sure it was because of something wrong with the connector on the phone's side.

lbourdages 3y ago

Typically I get it wrong 100% of the time, i.e. I was in the right orientation but misaligned so it does not work, so I flip it, fails again, and then I swear and flip it a second time.

accrual 3y ago
Indeed, USB superposition strikes again. Image: https://global.discourse-cdn.com/boingboing/original/4X/9/6/3/963247bf0e92b25e4b484f8be589297f502f7d42.png https://global.discourse-cdn.com/boingboing/original/4X/9/6/...

crote 3y ago

Just don't accidentally stick USB-C into a USB-A port. It will fit and it will short the port, causing the machine to crash. Speaking from experience...

lxgr 3y ago
Sometimes I look at USB-C plugs and US power outlets and wonder if there’s a shock hazard there…
- johnwalkr 3y ago
  Once when I boarded a flight I noticed one of those multi-country mains power sockets next to a 2-hole headphone socket. They were arranged and aligned in a way that made it obvious that a 2-prong headphone cable would fit in the power socket. I took a picture of it and put it on Facebook before taking off. After a nap I actually did put on headphones and plug them into the power socket by mistake. Luckily nothing happened.
- TylerE 3y ago
  Would need a complete circuit. So unless you’re sticking in both ends of one cable to the same outlet…
  - lxgr 3y ago
    Depending on how well you're grounded, you might just be the component that completes the circuit... As far as I understand, not all US power outlets have a residual current device.
- ben-schaaf 3y ago
  I look at US outlets and wonder about shock hazards.
  - Zak 3y ago
    I think most people in the US have stuck a finger between the two completely uninsulated prongs of a plug and got a shock, usually during childhood. They usually only do it once.

davegirdy2 3y ago

I use a docking station to help give me dual monitors on both Mac & Windows. Some monitors don't work in Mac. Maybe I need to get a new docking station.

userbinator 3y ago

Note that reversible A plugs exist. https://www.pcgamer.com/youre-telling-me-we-could-have-had-reversible-usb-cables-all-along/ https://www.pcgamer.com/youre-telling-me-we-could-have-had-r...

2809 3y ago

USB-A has a straight forward top and bottom. Once you know this, you almost never connect it wrong.