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Funny you say that, I can tell from family experience that USB type A ports are quite fragile to a vertical tug as it breaks the internal plastic bar at its bas

Funny you say that, I can tell from family experience that USB type A ports are quite fragile to a vertical tug as it breaks the internal plastic bar at its base so you're left with a hole full of floating copper pins. It of course requires more than a light tug, but less than you'd think. The USB-C housing is much more rigid than that of type A, so it should handle this much better. The thinner bar might also handle deflection better by virtue of flexibility. Also, hardware engineers know that ports are operated by drunk gorillas. Incorrect usage and odd forces are considered when designing a physical interface.

saiya-jin 3y ago
Can't comment on USB-C yet and obviously case point 1, but on my desktop tower (Fractal Design 6, so should be quality) I have for cca 5 years, the frontal USB-A connectors which are used most often, 2 out of 4 are already dead (I'd say maybe 500 insertions altogether, definitely not more). 1 is sort of in between, sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I generally know very well how to take care of electronics and those ports never experienced that dreaded 'vertical tug' you describe, at least to my knowledge.
- throwaway2037 3y ago
  I like this post. No trolling: Did you report the issue to Fractal? I am sure they wish to hear your valuable feedback. They might also offer to replace your case with the latest version! P.S. I am not a shill for Fractal, but a faithful owner.
  - saiya-jin 3y ago
    Tank you for the advice, I guess too lazy to deal with logistics and customs (living in Switzerland, some stuff trivial in US is... not so trivial in more diverse Europe). On top of not really having desktop working for who knows how long. Plus planning to build new desktop soon, I'll still probably go with them (Define 7 is my pick so far), I think I had just bad luck since they have quite solid reputation and most other cases are not to my taste or needs.
- Tade0 3y ago
  In my two previous laptops I insisted on having four USB ports because I anticipated that they would wear out eventually and wear out they did - electrically they work, but mechanically half of them barely hold the plug in. Meanwhile I have a USB-C to USB-A multi-dongle to which I have connected my mouse and keyboard and I move the whole thing between the work and private laptop on a daily basis and despite that after three years only the plug part is showing signs of wear. The socket is fine. Same goes for the charge port in my phone. Still works as advertised even though I went through a few cables in those six years since I bought it.
- neuromanser 3y ago
  > Fractal Design 6, so should be quality Side note: I too wish this brand guaranteed quality. I have two Fractal Design cases, a Define R6 and an Era. The former is quite good, the latter is crap - panels don't fit. Btw, they cost the same (fucking expensive).
nickpeterson 3y ago
I really wish we’d end up with something like the old MagSafe.
- arghwhat 3y ago
  MagSafe was quite bad tbh. Exposed contacts that easily get contaminated and magnets attracting nearby particles to degrade the connection. At the same time, the disconnect force in the vertical direction is far too small (place the laptop on something soft and the connector tilts), and in the horizontal and perpendicular directions high enough to still yank the laptop. I do not know if the new MagSafe is an improvement over V1 and v2, but solid connections or non-contact charging are the way to go.
- fragmede 3y ago
  maybe we can get that for USB-D in 2025 after the Apple magsafe patent runs out
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    Can we just stop changing things up in the USB world for a while? USB-C causes me more headaches than the prior USB incarnations do, but changing these things is itself painful enough that I'd rather just put up with what we have now than change yet again.
  - fortran77 3y ago
    Microsoft had a magnetic connector on the Surface laptops so I don’t thing patents are standing in the way.
    - userbinator 3y ago
      Even before that, magnetic power connectors were common on kitchen appliances like kettles and fryers.
- diffeomorphism 3y ago
  What is your opinion on magnetic usb c adapters? For about 10€ you get 140W charging and 40Gbps. Compared to magsafe it is not recessed (though that has not been an issue in my experience), but on the plus side it also does data, video and is universal. Currently using the same type of adapter for my laptop, phone and tablet with the ends on various chargers and docking stations.

saiya-jin 3y ago

Can't comment on USB-C yet and obviously case point 1, but on my desktop tower (Fractal Design 6, so should be quality) I have for cca 5 years, the frontal USB-A connectors which are used most often, 2 out of 4 are already dead (I'd say maybe 500 insertions altogether, definitely not more). 1 is sort of in between, sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I generally know very well how to take care of electronics and those ports never experienced that dreaded 'vertical tug' you describe, at least to my knowledge.

throwaway2037 3y ago
I like this post. No trolling: Did you report the issue to Fractal? I am sure they wish to hear your valuable feedback. They might also offer to replace your case with the latest version! P.S. I am not a shill for Fractal, but a faithful owner.
- saiya-jin 3y ago
  Tank you for the advice, I guess too lazy to deal with logistics and customs (living in Switzerland, some stuff trivial in US is... not so trivial in more diverse Europe). On top of not really having desktop working for who knows how long. Plus planning to build new desktop soon, I'll still probably go with them (Define 7 is my pick so far), I think I had just bad luck since they have quite solid reputation and most other cases are not to my taste or needs.
Tade0 3y ago
In my two previous laptops I insisted on having four USB ports because I anticipated that they would wear out eventually and wear out they did - electrically they work, but mechanically half of them barely hold the plug in. Meanwhile I have a USB-C to USB-A multi-dongle to which I have connected my mouse and keyboard and I move the whole thing between the work and private laptop on a daily basis and despite that after three years only the plug part is showing signs of wear. The socket is fine. Same goes for the charge port in my phone. Still works as advertised even though I went through a few cables in those six years since I bought it.
neuromanser 3y ago
> Fractal Design 6, so should be quality Side note: I too wish this brand guaranteed quality. I have two Fractal Design cases, a Define R6 and an Era. The former is quite good, the latter is crap - panels don't fit. Btw, they cost the same (fucking expensive).

nickpeterson 3y ago

I really wish we’d end up with something like the old MagSafe.

arghwhat 3y ago
MagSafe was quite bad tbh. Exposed contacts that easily get contaminated and magnets attracting nearby particles to degrade the connection. At the same time, the disconnect force in the vertical direction is far too small (place the laptop on something soft and the connector tilts), and in the horizontal and perpendicular directions high enough to still yank the laptop. I do not know if the new MagSafe is an improvement over V1 and v2, but solid connections or non-contact charging are the way to go.
fragmede 3y ago
maybe we can get that for USB-D in 2025 after the Apple magsafe patent runs out
- JohnFen 3y ago
  Can we just stop changing things up in the USB world for a while? USB-C causes me more headaches than the prior USB incarnations do, but changing these things is itself painful enough that I'd rather just put up with what we have now than change yet again.
- fortran77 3y ago
  Microsoft had a magnetic connector on the Surface laptops so I don’t thing patents are standing in the way.
  - userbinator 3y ago
    Even before that, magnetic power connectors were common on kitchen appliances like kettles and fryers.
diffeomorphism 3y ago
What is your opinion on magnetic usb c adapters? For about 10€ you get 140W charging and 40Gbps. Compared to magsafe it is not recessed (though that has not been an issue in my experience), but on the plus side it also does data, video and is universal. Currently using the same type of adapter for my laptop, phone and tablet with the ends on various chargers and docking stations.