Reversibility and bandwidth are great. It’s just too bad that it’s the least robust port ever conceived.
???
Its very robust. Take a look at mini and micro USB-b, the lightning cable, etc.
I’ve never used lightning but I’ve never had a problem with any mini or micro usb connections across many cables and devices.
USB C, though, always feels like it’s going to fall out if I move it wrong
You are absolutely an outlier then.
USB-C is superior to the connectors I listed in literally every way. The port must be broken or something.
Amazing coincidence that every usb c port I’ve used has been an outliet.
Also, you seem really invested in usb c.
a bit, reversable charging.
But how to select “the charger” and “the load”?
So far it’s a mess.
I still have Micro USB devices, so I need two cables or USB-C→Micro USB adapter.
I have PCs without USB-C ports, so another adapter needed USB-C → USB-A.
But, I can now “dock” my new-ish laptop with only one USB-C ↔ USB-C cable to a monitor.
Monitor gives power.If your PC has PCIE slots you can get a USB-C card for around $25
I’m still in the messy stage, but I’ve made preparations for C. Pretty soon I’ll get a newer used phone and tablet, and they’re both going to be type C.
Currently I have a few things that use C, so I’ve shad already got some cables and chargers for them. Once the transition is complete, I’ll get rid of a bunch of old cables.
Compared to USB-A, not really that much of a game changer (it’s still the most common for me). Though I do not miss the three rotations to get it in.
Compared to Micro-USB? Holy fuck, I almost refuse to buy anything still using Micro-USB ported now. Mainly because I can’t never find the fucking cable for it.
Though I do not miss the three rotations to get it in.
The holes point up or to the right.
But like… not always. Wall adapters (at least US ones) can be plugged in upside down, so if that’s upside down the holes face down. I have a 3d printer who’s motherboard is mounted on the top of the chassis, flipping the USB port so that it’s “upside down”. A lot of cheap dual-USB chargers that have the two USB ports right next to each other have them mirrored, so one faces up and the other faces down.
Granted, I’ve always found the “argh USB!!!” frustration to be more a meme than anything; when I’m plugging in a USB device, I likely know what orientation the male side is (flash drives and the like are usually oriented the same way), and it takes half a second of paying attention when going to plug it in to look at the female port to see what direction it’s meant to go in.
so many of my devices have the ports installed upside down
Not much. There was USB 3.0 even before the USB-C, so bandwidth-wise it’s hasn’t been a game changer. Over the years I’ve used a bunch of phones and other devices with Micro USB Type B and I’ve had one or two cables fail, but not at the connector. In fact the mouse I’m still using has Micro USB for charging and it’s been fine.
I like it, but not enough stuff uses it yet to be a true game changer. I still have to keep multiples of different types of cables to charge everything.
Last week I found out that there are off-brand batteries for my DSLR cameras that can be charged directly through USB-C so I don’t have to pack a different charger for every camera. Let that sink in!
Overall pretty great, in a pinch I can charge my laptop on a Nintendo Switch power supply. Now if I could just upgrade the last few remaining Micro-USB and Lightning devices without spending a fortune…
Not at all a game changer, for me.
I mean, it’s just another and one more type of cable. Sure, in theory it’s simpler than many various cables and it’s even less stupid than the previous USB types, but it’s still a mess.
At least, for non-geek me, those cables are a mess as I need to be able to distinguish between the exact same cable to find which one is USB-C or Thunderbolt, between the various versions of USB-C itself, and then between USB-C that comes with or without power delivery, and with what power limitation? And then, despite USB-C supposedly being a standard there are still too many cables that just won’t work with certain devices because reasons.
Add to that the many USB-C docks (and dongles) that work… more or less reliably and more or less as marketed (even more so under Linux, but those issues exist under Mac and under Windows as well).
Older cables and ports were cumbersome, and thick and whatever but, as far as I’m concerned, for the most part they just worked like they were supposed to. And I never had an issue knowing which cable to plug into which port as they all looked, you know, different.
Nowadays, I have to label each one of my USB-C cable with some masking tape so I can identify it in a glimpse without wasting my time trying them all one by one.
Edit: some clarifications.
No more than any other cable.
Fucking awesome, it is. When I travel, I take 1 laptop power cord. Charges my phone, laptop, Switch, and backup battery. (The backup battery’s output ports are USB-A, but it’s got a lil converter cable that stays in the lil bag that the backup battery is stored in.)
It’s the best. So much so that not having usb c, has become a deciding factor if i buy something or not. It also seems a bit of a quality insurance, even if it’s just a little. But electronics with micro or even mini usb is usually just some cheap shit or that old and they are still selling it.
Except maybe some devices (like IoT) that are powered up by an always plugged micro-usb, my cellphone is USB-C for a long time now, and my laptop has 3 USB-C/TB (no A), so it’s easier for a couple of stuff. But I have a usb-c hub with multiple USB-A outlet because I still have a couple of devices to plug like keyboard, trackball, webcam, headset, UPS, FTDI stuff, etc.
No more micro-USB plugging/unplugging for phones.
The prob with usb-c is mainly for powering hungry devices, you need 60W cable, 100W cable, 240W cable, etc.
JSAUX makes a great 240W cable that’s fairly priced and has 240W printed on the ends. It’s stiff but that’s because it’s actually gauged for 240W. I just decided to buy those in blue for anything that required more watts than mobile devices. Then I get at least 30W rated cables in red for all the mobile stuff. Super easy to know which is which at a glance.
Well, for me, the selling points are:
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Versus earlier versions of USB, it’s reversible. This isn’t a game changer, I guess, but it’s definitely nice to not have to fiddle plugs around all the time.
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I don’t know if it’s the only form of USB that does USB PD – I’d guess not – but in practice, it seems to be pretty strongly associated with USB PD. Having USB PD isn’t essential, but it makes charging larger devices, like laptops, a lot more practical. I can lug around a power station that doesn’t need to have an embedded inverter.
I still feel that it’s kind of physically small and weak compared to USB A. That’s an okay tradeoff for small portable devices that don’t have the space for larger connectors, but I’m kinda not enthralled about it on desktop. I worry more about bending connectors (and I have bent them before).
So for me, I’d say that it’s definitely nice, but not really in a game changing sense. I could do the things it can do in somewhat-worse ways prior to USB-C.
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Total game changer. Plug all my peripherals into my monitor. USB C from my monitor to my work laptop. After work I plug it into my home desktop. Also just having one charger and one cable for my phone, steam deck and laptop is amazing especially for work trips.
Not at all, its slightly more convenient.
If all cables were created equal then it’s kind of a big deal that laptops can now charge via USB-C. Proprietary chargers can suck my ass.
The game changer part is less e waste
