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It’s a power cable that locks on both ends so it doesn’t come loose and cause the device to shut off. Why does a USB-C plug matter, when no one has a locking US

by riscy 3y ago

It’s a power cable that locks on both ends so it doesn’t come loose and cause the device to shut off. Why does a USB-C plug matter, when no one has a locking USB-C cable anyway?

AnarchismIsCool 3y ago
They could have trivially made that connector USBC with the locking tabs such that you could insert a normal USBC cable, just without being able to lock it. Instead they decided to force a new connector on everyone.
- slipheen 3y ago
  It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. People opened up the device and figured out that you can get to that cable, but it’s not mentioned anywhere and not designed to be used directly. They’re not trying to force a new connector on anyone - they don’t even sell anything that uses it that part. It’s the way one proprietary part talks to another proprietary part. If you want to charge the system through USB-C, it has a port for that on the battery pack.
  - naraic0o 3y ago
    It designed to be consumer replaceable https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013
    - slipheen 3y ago
      I think we’re using different definitions of consumer replaceable. That link is for sending it back to Apple for warranty service. My point was that as far as I can tell, they aren’t expecting you to swap battery packs or change anything that uses that cable. They don’t sell extra batteries so it’s not like they’re trying to upsell on a proprietary connector. Anyway, I do agree that it would be better if it used a regular USB connection — and better still if it didn’t need an external battery pack at all.
      - rdl 3y ago
        They do sell extra batteries. $199.
        slipheen 3y ago
        Wow, I thought I had read otherwise. I guess I was wrong, thanks.
  - Doxin 3y ago
    > It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. Isn't this exactly what people are complaining about though? Yes, you can design this to not be consumer replaceable, but would it be that much more effort to just use a more standard connector instead?
- riscy 3y ago
  The point is that you have to lock in a source of power while in use. There is no battery in the device and you’re meant to move around while using it! The other end is a special plug that locks yet can spin around so you can move the battery pack or with the regular power cable more freely. Plain old USB-C cables are simply not suited for this kind of device. That’s why USB-C is only used to charge the battery. Hopefully you’re not too blinded by political agendas to see the engineering that went into this.
  - s3p 3y ago
    USB cables can supply in excess of 100W of power, and that's just in Apple devices. USB C is not a political issue, much as you may think it is.

by riscy 3y ago

It’s a power cable that locks on both ends so it doesn’t come loose and cause the device to shut off. Why does a USB-C plug matter, when no one has a locking USB-C cable anyway?

AnarchismIsCool 3y ago

They could have trivially made that connector USBC with the locking tabs such that you could insert a normal USBC cable, just without being able to lock it. Instead they decided to force a new connector on everyone.

slipheen 3y ago
It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. People opened up the device and figured out that you can get to that cable, but it’s not mentioned anywhere and not designed to be used directly. They’re not trying to force a new connector on anyone - they don’t even sell anything that uses it that part. It’s the way one proprietary part talks to another proprietary part. If you want to charge the system through USB-C, it has a port for that on the battery pack.
- naraic0o 3y ago
  It designed to be consumer replaceable https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214013
  - slipheen 3y ago
    I think we’re using different definitions of consumer replaceable. That link is for sending it back to Apple for warranty service. My point was that as far as I can tell, they aren’t expecting you to swap battery packs or change anything that uses that cable. They don’t sell extra batteries so it’s not like they’re trying to upsell on a proprietary connector. Anyway, I do agree that it would be better if it used a regular USB connection — and better still if it didn’t need an external battery pack at all.
    - rdl 3y ago
      They do sell extra batteries. $199.
      - slipheen 3y ago
        Wow, I thought I had read otherwise. I guess I was wrong, thanks.
- Doxin 3y ago
  > It’s not intended to be a consumer replaceable connector. Isn't this exactly what people are complaining about though? Yes, you can design this to not be consumer replaceable, but would it be that much more effort to just use a more standard connector instead?
riscy 3y ago
The point is that you have to lock in a source of power while in use. There is no battery in the device and you’re meant to move around while using it! The other end is a special plug that locks yet can spin around so you can move the battery pack or with the regular power cable more freely. Plain old USB-C cables are simply not suited for this kind of device. That’s why USB-C is only used to charge the battery. Hopefully you’re not too blinded by political agendas to see the engineering that went into this.
- s3p 3y ago
  USB cables can supply in excess of 100W of power, and that's just in Apple devices. USB C is not a political issue, much as you may think it is.