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Uh... It's ugly? Ok. That is a highly highly highly subjective statement. I don't think it looks ugly. The fact that its fully backwards compatible with micro U

Uh... It's ugly? Ok. That is a highly highly highly subjective statement. I don't think it looks ugly. The fact that its fully backwards compatible with micro USB is fantastic. The fact that it just gracefully downgrades if you only have USB2 or a microUSB connector is fantastic. It's more asymmetric, so you're less likely to plug it in the wrong way, which is fantastic. The damage statement is ridiculous speculation, has the author ever experienced this ever? The ports pretty small and robust. Shallow article.

toomuchtodo 13y ago
As an Android proponent, and someone turned off by the iPhone's proprietary nature, I must admit: Lightning is elegant compared to this. I understand there is the form camp and the function camp, and that I think (in my opinion) that most people on HN would subscribe to the "form following function" ideology. The USB 3 plug does look hideous compared to the clean microUSB plug, but I guess that shouldn't matter. Could we really not pass more power and data over a standard USB 2.0 connection/port? sigh
- DannyBee 13y ago
  Lightning is elegant precisely because it is not backwards compatible. This connector is. You can plug a usb 2.0 micro cable in it and it will work properly. If we are willing to throw everything out, you could make something brand new and shiny like lightning too.
  - CamperBob2 13y ago
    I'm not sure anyone cares about being able to plug a USB 2.0 Micro cable into a USB 3.0 device. Perhaps they should have asked somebody.
    - MichaelGG 13y ago
      Nobody except everyone with existing chargers, cables, etc. Have you never gone out with a phone and realised you're low on charge and need to plug in? Backwards compatibility is a major win here.
      - CamperBob2 13y ago
        Have you never gone out with a phone and realised you're low on charge and need to plug in? Sure, but for how many years should I expect to hold the world hostage to my obsolete phone?
    - Cymen 13y ago
      What about the millions who want to use the car phone charger they brought for their last phone?
      - CamperBob2 13y ago
        (Shrug) They can use an adapter. It wouldn't be any less clunky or awkward than this cable.
      - MBCook 13y ago
        I actually have a stack of 2 adapters on my car cable to let me use my iPhone 5. One handles conversion from the old FireWire voltage source to the more regulated ISB style, the other adapts the 30 pin to lightning.
    - sethhochberg 13y ago
      I would. I've got a decade's worth of USB 2.0, Micro USB cables laying around. So do all of my friends. If I'm out somewhere and need to charge my phone or (less likely) transfer a lot of data, I don't want to have to deal with a connector that can't help me because it isn't backwards compatible.
    - RobAtticus 13y ago
      I keep spare microUSBs everywhere -- my apartment, my bag, my office, etc -- to charge my various devices. Having to keep a completely separate set of a different cable would be annoying. I think most people have plenty of spare micros that this is useful for them.
    - GhotiFish 13y ago
      That feature, to me, guarantees USB 3's adoption, and massively boosts my confidence in the standard.
      - CamperBob2 13y ago
        That philosophy is going to wear a bit thin by the time USB 8 comes along.
  - melling 13y ago
    Yes, I am willing to throw out an old cable to get a much better solution. Is there a reason that most people shouldn't be willing? Life is too short to always be worrying about backward compatibility.
    - GhotiFish 13y ago
      Problem: We have 34 standards Is there a reason that most people shouldn't be willing? Problem: We have 35 standards.
      - melling 13y ago
        Apple had one connector for a decade and people complained when they changed. I guess if you randomly pick a number less than 100 and say if we add 1 then we have a bigger problem, it sounds convincing. I'll take a much more improved technology any day.
  - rdl 13y ago
    I'm willing to throw everything out as long as it is very infrequent, for a good reason, and known to be for a long lifespan before doing it again. Going from 30-pin to Lightning was acceptable, as it really does seem to be a 10+ year future standard, and Dock had been around for a long time (although it is a real pain for the car; I'd like to put in a lightning spec dock, but I need to find audi radio keys and either do it or find someone else to do it who won't screw up my electrical system this time (sigh) and really I just hope my car gets totaled and a Model S falls from the sky.) Going from MagSafe to MagSafe 2 was infrequent, but didn't feel meaningful. I got pissed when ThinkPads moved from 14.4V to 20V sometime around the T43p -> T60 series, which is when I moved to Apple, so there's always a risk.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]

toomuchtodo 13y ago

As an Android proponent, and someone turned off by the iPhone's proprietary nature, I must admit: Lightning is elegant compared to this. I understand there is the form camp and the function camp, and that I think (in my opinion) that most people on HN would subscribe to the "form following function" ideology. The USB 3 plug does look hideous compared to the clean microUSB plug, but I guess that shouldn't matter. Could we really not pass more power and data over a standard USB 2.0 connection/port? sigh

DannyBee 13y ago
Lightning is elegant precisely because it is not backwards compatible. This connector is. You can plug a usb 2.0 micro cable in it and it will work properly. If we are willing to throw everything out, you could make something brand new and shiny like lightning too.
- CamperBob2 13y ago
  I'm not sure anyone cares about being able to plug a USB 2.0 Micro cable into a USB 3.0 device. Perhaps they should have asked somebody.
  - MichaelGG 13y ago
    Nobody except everyone with existing chargers, cables, etc. Have you never gone out with a phone and realised you're low on charge and need to plug in? Backwards compatibility is a major win here.
    - CamperBob2 13y ago
      Have you never gone out with a phone and realised you're low on charge and need to plug in? Sure, but for how many years should I expect to hold the world hostage to my obsolete phone?
  - Cymen 13y ago
    What about the millions who want to use the car phone charger they brought for their last phone?
    - CamperBob2 13y ago
      (Shrug) They can use an adapter. It wouldn't be any less clunky or awkward than this cable.
    - MBCook 13y ago
      I actually have a stack of 2 adapters on my car cable to let me use my iPhone 5. One handles conversion from the old FireWire voltage source to the more regulated ISB style, the other adapts the 30 pin to lightning.
  - sethhochberg 13y ago
    I would. I've got a decade's worth of USB 2.0, Micro USB cables laying around. So do all of my friends. If I'm out somewhere and need to charge my phone or (less likely) transfer a lot of data, I don't want to have to deal with a connector that can't help me because it isn't backwards compatible.
  - RobAtticus 13y ago
    I keep spare microUSBs everywhere -- my apartment, my bag, my office, etc -- to charge my various devices. Having to keep a completely separate set of a different cable would be annoying. I think most people have plenty of spare micros that this is useful for them.
  - GhotiFish 13y ago
    That feature, to me, guarantees USB 3's adoption, and massively boosts my confidence in the standard.
    - CamperBob2 13y ago
      That philosophy is going to wear a bit thin by the time USB 8 comes along.
- melling 13y ago
  Yes, I am willing to throw out an old cable to get a much better solution. Is there a reason that most people shouldn't be willing? Life is too short to always be worrying about backward compatibility.
  - GhotiFish 13y ago
    Problem: We have 34 standards Is there a reason that most people shouldn't be willing? Problem: We have 35 standards.
    - melling 13y ago
      Apple had one connector for a decade and people complained when they changed. I guess if you randomly pick a number less than 100 and say if we add 1 then we have a bigger problem, it sounds convincing. I'll take a much more improved technology any day.
- rdl 13y ago
  I'm willing to throw everything out as long as it is very infrequent, for a good reason, and known to be for a long lifespan before doing it again. Going from 30-pin to Lightning was acceptable, as it really does seem to be a 10+ year future standard, and Dock had been around for a long time (although it is a real pain for the car; I'd like to put in a lightning spec dock, but I need to find audi radio keys and either do it or find someone else to do it who won't screw up my electrical system this time (sigh) and really I just hope my car gets totaled and a Model S falls from the sky.) Going from MagSafe to MagSafe 2 was infrequent, but didn't feel meaningful. I got pissed when ThinkPads moved from 14.4V to 20V sometime around the T43p -> T60 series, which is when I moved to Apple, so there's always a risk.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]