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

[Brink]

   Warning

Let's keep this discussion friendly shall we. :sarc:

 

[lehnerus2000]

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.

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.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

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.

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.

 

[alphanumeric]

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.

 

[MrWhoopee]

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

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

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.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

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

View attachment 313671

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.

 

[alphanumeric]

@ Lady Fitzgerald, I have a box full of various USB cables. When one of my devices finally dies I save the cable. My wireless laser printer came with a USB cable. Its really only good for doing the setup as its only about 2 feet long. My all in one didn't come with any cable but I already had an extra long USB cable that I used with its predecessor. It's on the opposite side of my desk from my tower. Other than a keyboard or mouse the only thing I have here with a permanently attached cable is my USB floppy drive. All my external drive enclosures have a detachable cable. Mine are all add your own drive versions so no surprise there. I have had a cable fail on a mouse many years ago, I think it was a PS2 mouse though. A wire broke right where the cable entered the mouse. There's a good and bad side to just about everything so there you go.

 

[MrWhoopee]

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.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

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.

 

[alphanumeric]

It's always fun when I have to take my tower out from under my desk for maintenance. Actually that's the easy part, the fun starts when I have to plug everything back in. Power cord, two DVI cables, an HDMI cable, two audio cables, network cable and umpteen USB cables. Don't want to mix those up either or you get umpteen new hardware found messages and loading driver messages. All while laying on my back with a flashlight in one hand.

 

[MrWhoopee]

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.

You are absolutely correct, I really wasn't pointing at you. The only difference (for me) is that I'm already resigned to being down on the floor if I'm dealing with video, ps/2, etc. It's when I'm just trying to plug in a flash drive from my chair that it irritates me. My latest irritation is a new all metal Cruzer that fits so tight it has scratched the metal. Today I nearly had to drive it into the port (once I was sure I had the orientation right).

 

[King Arthur]

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.

You are absolutely correct, I really wasn't pointing at you. The only difference (for me) is that I'm already resigned to being down on the floor if I'm dealing with video, ps/2, etc. It's when I'm just trying to plug in a flash drive from my chair that it irritates me. My latest irritation is a new all metal Cruzer that fits so tight it has scratched the metal. Today I nearly had to drive it into the port (once I was sure I had the orientation right).

Well, they are Made In China for a reason.

 

[Ricktalife]

I think the purpose of this new cable design can be summed up with "work smarter, not harder". Is there anything wrong with the old design? Not at all. Is there anything wrong with the new design? Not that we know of yet. Does the new design appear easier to use? For the love of all that is holy... yes.

So if people are interested in buying the product, then a company would be foolish not to produce it. Done deal.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

Pity Blue tooth transfer is as slow as molasses -- even playing a FLAC uncompressed audio file on blue tooth speakers can suffer from slow transmission.

However irrespective of the past - having a new single standard multi-purpose connector does make sense -- but what invariably happens is some new technology comes out where the existing connectors are not fit for purpose any more so a "new connector" has to be enabled.

My question is this -- can the USB 3 connector be upgraded -- the USB3 connector on the computer is backward compatible with USB2 (in that a USB2 device can be plugged into a USB 3 port) - if so then we don't really need a new connector at this time.

Cheers
jimbo