USB-IF posts first photos of new reversible Type-C connector

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Let's keep this discussion friendly shall we.

Lady Fitzgerald said:

The new C type USB connector is a great idea and eventually will allow consolidating cable types into fewer cables but will not be without disadvantages, such as being another type of cable we will have to keep knocking about until our hardware is C type compliant, more adapters and/or adaptor cables to mate old hardware to newer hardware, obsolescence due to new standards being adopted, etc.

That will work until the corrupt and/or stupid tech corporations get involved (Apple, Google, MS, etc.).
I have little doubt that one (if not all) of them will bring out their own "specially enhanced" versions.

Lady Fitzgerald said:

One thing I wish manufacturers would start doing is to quit permanently attaching USB cables to peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, hubs, external drives, etc. (the cheap *&^%$#@!s that put a useless 6-12" stub on some things should be shot). The cables are pretty much always too long or too short. Instead, just put a port on the peripheral and let us buy the correct cable for our needs so we don't have to find a place for extra cable length or hunt up extension cables. Also, if a permanently attached cable gets damaged, the peripheral is generally lunched whereas a separate cable can be easily replaced. If the peripheral died, a separate cable would probably be reusable. And including even separate cables is a bad idea since, again, they are highly unlikely to be the correct length. Because of that, I have a huge collection of USB cables yet rarely have the one I need.

I can't see that happening.
The reasons that you highlight as issues, are the very reasons they won't do it.

lehnerus2000 said:

Lady Fitzgerald said:

The new C type USB connector is a great idea and eventually will allow consolidating cable types into fewer cables but will not be without disadvantages, such as being another type of cable we will have to keep knocking about until our hardware is C type compliant, more adapters and/or adaptor cables to mate old hardware to newer hardware, obsolescence due to new standards being adopted, etc.

That will work until the corrupt and/or stupid tech corporations get involved (Apple, Google, MS, etc.).
I have little doubt that one (if not all) of them will bring out their own "specially enhanced" versions.

Lady Fitzgerald said:

One thing I wish manufacturers would start doing is to quit permanently attaching USB cables to peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, hubs, external drives, etc. (the cheap *&^%$#@!s that put a useless 6-12" stub on some things should be shot). The cables are pretty much always too long or too short. Instead, just put a port on the peripheral and let us buy the correct cable for our needs so we don't have to find a place for extra cable length or hunt up extension cables. Also, if a permanently attached cable gets damaged, the peripheral is generally lunched whereas a separate cable can be easily replaced. If the peripheral died, a separate cable would probably be reusable. And including even separate cables is a bad idea since, again, they are highly unlikely to be the correct length. Because of that, I have a huge collection of USB cables yet rarely have the one I need.

I can't see that happening.
The reasons that you highlight as issues, are the very reasons they won't do it.

Sadly, you are probably correct.

I've always wondered why it takes more than one flip of a usb connector to get it right:

alphanumeric said:

My keyboards and mice/trackballs are all wireless and cordless anyway. So is my printer. Speaking of printers, I've noticed some manufactures have stopped including the USB cable, and I'm not talking about wireless printers. Be careful what you wish for as you could end up buying a keyboard with "cable not included" written on the box. I don't see it happening. On a mouse, you'd have the possibility of the cable coming unplugged at the mouse end. That means an extra clip or something to make sure it stays plugged in. That's just more expense in manufacturing. Same with your keyboard, it just adds to the price with no real benefit. I wear the keys out long before I ever break a cord.

My mice and printer are wireless. I use a wired USB keyboard because I prefer ones that have backlit keys mostly so the characters on the keys won't wear off in a few months (because of my ADHD, I can't learn to touch type—believe me, I tried— and need those characters on the keys) but also because I can't get good wireless keyboards that have decent macro keys. Every wireless backlit keyboard I saw had permanently installed batteries that had to be charged with a USB cable; rather than horse around digging out a cable, routing it, then putting it away again, I just opted to use a wired keyboard. They cost less and the selection is better anyway. The keyboard I have now and the two before all had 6' cables which are a bit shorter than I like. 7' or 8' would have been better. I opted out of using an extension on that cable since I can get by without one but also because if I have to pull out the cable, it would be my luck it would pull out of the extension before it complete cleared behind my desk. I'm old, handicapped, and having problems with my right hip and just don't feel like digging around behind my desk if I don't have to. It would be a heck of a lot handier to be able to both be able to get the correct length of cable separately and to be able to just unplug the cable from the back of the keyboard than to have to route the entire cable when changing keyboards, not to mention not having to pay for the attached lengths of cables on every keyboard when one cable can be reused.

My scanners came with USB cables but I didn't use them. I used a longer cable with my ADF scanner on the left side of my desk and a shorter one for the flatbed scanner on the night stand on the right side of my desk immediately to the left of the computer itself. The two USB cables that came with the scanners were the same length and were the wrong length for what I needed. I had to pay for those unused cables and would have been better off not getting them.

The little two port USB 3.0 hub on my desk (one port would have been better but I didn't like the few one port hubs I saw) came with a lousy two foot stub of a USB cable attached to it, a hopelessly too short length. I was forced to get an extension for that one. I needed the hub because my computer is located close to where I have to walk when leaving the room (don't suggest moving it; there is no other place to put it) and a USB stick would be in danger of getting knocked off every time I left the room.

I can see the issue of a cable coming unplugged from a mouse when in use and don't disagree with you there. But, for pretty much everything else, I definitely wish manufacturers would stop attaching USB cables to their devices. Besides the length issue, I would have had to throw out a perfectly good HDD dock if I hadn't been able to replace the cable that came with it when it went bad.

MrWhoopee said:

I've always wondered why it takes more than one flip of a usb connector to get it right:

LOL! Good one! However, I still fail to see how which way to insert a USB connector is such a huge issue. All but rear ports on a computer can be seen and it only takes a quick glance to see which way to turn the connector. If one has to frequently plug and unplug a USB cable from a rear port and is having a problem doing so for whatever reason, one could always run an extension cable to where one can see it (I actually considered that instead of using a hub on my desk). My UPS usually has to have the USB cable disconnected and reconnected every time I reboot before the computer can "see" the UPS (I occasionally get lucky). I could disconnect and reconnect the cable at the UPS but the UPS is on the floor and my old back has serious objections to me bending over. It's actually easier for me to reach behind the computer, pull the USB connector there, then plug it back in. I can't see what it is I'm doing yet it isn't a problem.

I find myself working on lots of older computers. Many, if not most, are on the floor in a room with insufficient light. The older Dells, with the usb ports behind a flip-up door and angled downward are the worst! I can NEVER get a plug inserted without getting down on the floor, usually with a flashlight. Almost as bad are the ones in a recess at the bottom of the case. Again, I can't actually see the port without getting down on the floor. My sense of touch is also not a lot of help, a firewire port feels the same as a usb. I can usually get connected to the rear mounted ports by feel. Now that the front ports are being mounted higher up on the case, I don't have nearly as much trouble.

I, for one, am very pleased with the prospect of a reversible plug.

MrWhoopee said:

I find myself working on lots of older computers. Many, if not most, are on the floor in a room with insufficient light. The older Dells, with the usb ports behind a flip-up door and angled downward are the worst! I can NEVER get a plug inserted without getting down on the floor, usually with a flashlight. Almost as bad are the ones in a recess at the bottom of the case. Again, I can't actually see the port without getting down on the floor. My sense of touch is also not a lot of help, a firewire port feels the same as a usb. I can usually get connected to the rear mounted ports by feel. Now that the front ports are being mounted higher up on the case, I don't have nearly as much trouble.

I, for one, am very pleased with the prospect of a reversible plug.

I never said that a reversible USB plug wasn't a good idea. I just said that I feel the problems with non-reversible USB plugs is blown out of proportion. All the complaints I've seen so far will also apply to video cables, PS/2 cables, etc.