I think that maybe having two similar lightning bolt symbols that mean different things wasn't the best design decision that the USB guys could have made.
this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024
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Handy guide, but this whole USB situation is a cock-up, since it needs the freakin guide in the first place.
Meh, while there really could be less. At least they are all physically compatible. And backwards protocol compatible to the lowest common denominator. Which is a huge step forward.
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All they had to do was require stamped icons on the ends of the plugs in the spec, and instead we have the current cable mystery clusterfuck 🤦
USB in 1996: Let's make one connector that handles everything
USB in 2024: Let's make one connector do thirty different incompatible combinations of things
To be fair, the goal is the same.
- Not everyone needs the sheer CPU, power, and costs of a 40 GB/s connection.
- Higher wattage chargers cost more
- Not everyone needs a USB port that does video out (even if it should be standard now that virtually every new GPU should be compatible)
- Even if the CPU and GPU support a feature, the OEM can use a cheaper controller
- The controller firmware can lack support for a feature or be buggy
The USB forum can only solve points 4 and 5 without raising costs on the cheapest hardware.
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What about red USB-A ports, and USB-C ports with no symbol by them at all (like on phones and desktop PCs)?
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Came here disappointed to see no one said anything about Black D inside white P
Edit: yes, I have the humour of a 16 yo
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The standard might be complicated if you want the specifics, but for everyday use it's incredibly simple, and I love it. The number of times I needed this information is 1, even though most of my devices, including an external monitor, are USB-C.
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Well, except all the legacy symbols on devices older than current gen.
Why not label the ports and cables with:
- 10Gb/s
- 2.1Amps
- 1080p at 60hz
It's future proof and doesn't need a decoder manual other than basic literacy. It can be in whatever language the fucking keyboard is. If you want to be redundant but even more clear:
- Universal Serial Bus -> (this hole right here)
- Speed: 40Gb/s
- Power: 2.4Amps
- Audio/Video: 4K at 120Hz or 8K at 30Hz
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