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> in my experience (and that of everyone around me), USB-C is very sturdy That might be due to Apple's build quality, but the USB-C connector has been anything

by imiric 2y ago

> in my experience (and that of everyone around me), USB-C is very sturdy That might be due to Apple's build quality, but the USB-C connector has been anything but sturdy in most machines I've used. The connection becomes wobbly after just a few months of very careful usage, and tends to cut out if the cable is pulled in a certain direction. Connecting an external disk drive is a plug-and-pray situation. I've even had the connector dislodge entirely on one machine. USB-C may have given us reversibility, but USB-A had a much sturdier connection. To say nothing of the uncertainty of which protocol is supported and which power profile will be negotiated by the combination of cable and devices. It's a UX mess.

fragmede 2y ago
the fact that I can have a usb-c cable that is directional because I used a usb-a -> usb-c adapter on one end of a usb-c to usb-a cable still weirds me out. I'm not evil enough to release cables that look normal but only work on in one direction, but someone could.
Tade0 2y ago
I can't agree on the sturdiness of USB-A. I used to buy laptops with at least four USB ports specifically so that they wouldn't all wear out before it was time to upgrade. Meanwhile my previous phone from 2017, which had USB-C, served for six years without issue except for the accumulation of dust and grime in the receptacle, which caused the behaviour you're describing, but once I dealt with that it was fine. In USB-C the leaf spring holding the plug in place was moved to the plug, so typically it's the cable that's the source of the problem.
- imiric 2y ago
  That hasn't been my experience. Dust and wear out are common issues with both connectors, but I'm specifically referring to the quality of the connection. USB-A being larger and rectangular simply achieves a better physical coupling than USB-C. Cables are a source of problems as well, but I've specifically had failures of the female ports and not any individual cable. More so on laptops than mobile devices, to be fair, but I never had these issues with USB-A.

by imiric 2y ago

fragmede 2y ago

the fact that I can have a usb-c cable that is directional because I used a usb-a -> usb-c adapter on one end of a usb-c to usb-a cable still weirds me out. I'm not evil enough to release cables that look normal but only work on in one direction, but someone could.

Tade0 2y ago

I can't agree on the sturdiness of USB-A. I used to buy laptops with at least four USB ports specifically so that they wouldn't all wear out before it was time to upgrade. Meanwhile my previous phone from 2017, which had USB-C, served for six years without issue except for the accumulation of dust and grime in the receptacle, which caused the behaviour you're describing, but once I dealt with that it was fine. In USB-C the leaf spring holding the plug in place was moved to the plug, so typically it's the cable that's the source of the problem.

imiric 2y ago
That hasn't been my experience. Dust and wear out are common issues with both connectors, but I'm specifically referring to the quality of the connection. USB-A being larger and rectangular simply achieves a better physical coupling than USB-C. Cables are a source of problems as well, but I've specifically had failures of the female ports and not any individual cable. More so on laptops than mobile devices, to be fair, but I never had these issues with USB-A.