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USB inventor explains why the connector was not designed to be reversible (www.pcgamer.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 123 points 2 years ago (14 children)

About a decade ago or so, I found myself in a reddit argument with someone that claimed they had never attempted to plug a USB in unsuccessfully. They said that every single time they've plugged in, it was the correct way. Some people are insane.

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  • [–] 59 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Honestly, with high quality USB A plugs you could feel the logo on the side that was "up", and if you knew which side your motherboard or front panel considered "up", it'd be easy to always plug devices in correctly.

    Just that the vast majority of manufacturers stopped caring relatively early on, which meant you couldn't rely on it anymore.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The logo isn't that reliable but it's usually slim side up. Not sure about sideways ports though.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Only usually

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I say usually but it's basically the rule. Of all my things only the QNAP NAS has a slim side down port, and maybe that's some other convention I'm not aware of since it's for the copy-data port. That's among a random pile consisting of a Cisco networking equipment, Intel NUC, old macbook, new microsoft and HP laptops, a hdmi/usb switch, ps4, and a raspberry pi

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  • [–] 30 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    They're supposed to label the USBs so that you can tell which side is the top side and which side is the bottom side.

    The problem is that, A they often don't label them and, B I can't remember which way round it's supposed to go anyway, so it wouldn't help.

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  • [–] 25 points 2 years ago (1 child)
    1. Attempt to plug in the USB A device
    2. If you succeed. End procedure
    3. Otherwise, destroy the reality you currently reside in. All remaining universes are the ones where you plugged in the device on the first try.

    That wasn't so hard, was it?

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  • [–] 24 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (5 children)

    Perhaps a controversial opinion here, but the usefulness of reversibility is vastly overrated. It's not a game changer, just a tiny first-world luxury that's nice to have, but it does it by introducing a bunch of unnecessary complexity that I'd rather avoid. Not worth the trade off IMO. I can count on one hand the number of minutes USB-C has saved me by being reversible and I honestly don't care

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  • [–] 20 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I'm happier with how long usb c last before they start getting finicky than I am the reversiblity.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

    In theory, USB-C should be better, but in practice, the quality control is all over the place.

    All of my micro USB cables and ports have lasted just fine. I used one daily with my phone for 10+ years with no issues, and I've only had maybe two cables ever actually fail. Meanwhile, I've already had at least 5 USB-C cables or dongles that have fully failed, and plus the primary USB-C charging port on a laptop just completely die. I wish it was better, but it just isn't.

    Also if USB-C was just replacing just micro USB I'd be ok with that. But the problem is they're also replacing USB-A, and Type C is not nearly as durable as Type A since it's so small, it's just physically impossible. I wish they made a larger version of the Type C port. Same shape, same pins, just bigger in every dimension. As large as Type A, for durability.

    I'm not a big fan of Apple, but the lightning connector is just better, physically. It's way more durable in practice since it's just a solid piece. I wish USB-C was designed that way instead of what we actually got.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    USB C was designed so that the spring contacts that wear out/get damaged are in the relatively cheap cable, and the solid, more durable tang that the contacts slide on is in the expensive device.

    Now let's have a look at Apple's design for their lightning connector...... hmm I wonder why they designed it like that?

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The issue is that USBC was the first standard to really take the mechanical design process seriously in a consumer context. In doing so, it was made both way more ergonomic and way more durable. I'd argue that without the focus on some of these "small but marketable" consumer-oriented bits, we would not have gotten the great overall connector design we did.

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  • [–] -2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I’m not a big fan of Apple, but the lightning connector is just better, physically. It’s way more durable in practice since it’s just a solid piece. I wish USB-C was designed that way instead of what we actually got.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    If I recall correctly, Lightning connectors are designed in a way that makes the port more likely to wear out. USB-C is designed in a way that makes the cable more likely to wear out. I would rather replace my $5 charging cable than replace my $150 (or more!) phone.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    I am just laughing here because I spent the day dealing with ancient serial tech pigtails and DB9s. You people have no idea the pain of losing multiple days of your life trying to get RS-232 to work. Especially when stuff doesn't follow the standards it is supposed to follow.

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  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Well if you only plugged one USB in your life you have a 50% chance of never having plugged it in wrong.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    I mean if you tend to plug things in at the same computer a lot it's pretty easy to always plug things in right the first time, even when not looking because you just kinda know what way it's meant to be. And laptops usually have all theirs pointing the same way so you know one you know them all. If something has text on it, it's usually oriented in such a way that when plugged in you can read it. Or they have a little face and you know which way the face is meant to be facing

    I have a similar "power" and while I'm not flawless, it's only really new or unfamiliar devices/computers that trip me up. Or plugs that don't actually have any identifying features and/or unusual ones

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    Well, I rarely fail because I look inside the connector and see where the plastic is and then plug it properly. I tend to fail when I cannot see inside the connector because it's in a weird spot.

    I guess the redditor was either bragging about always looking inside or was a kid

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    That person is either a flat out liar, or they are incredibly anal and waste a lot of time looking at the connector and input every single time they connect a cable.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I don't really have a problem looking at the connector before plugging it in. I thought this was an overblown meme.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    I wouldn't say it's never happened to me but 99% of the time it works. I just look at the idents, face it right way up, and shove it in. Unless I'm drunk or it's dark, I've never been able to relate.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    If you can see through the two rectangular cutouts on the plug, it's the right way around. Unfortunately, this doesn't help if the plug is turned 90°, and also some computers have it upside down (looking at you, GPD).

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