8 mo. ago • 97%

Schrödinger's USB-C, you only know if it supports what you want after you plug it in

196 @lemmy.blahaj.zone Schrödinger's USB-C, you only know if it supports what you want after you plug it in

59 comments

On the plus side, no USB-A quantum mechanics.

84
- I thought it was a 4th dimension thing?
  
  11
  
  No fourth dimension needed
  
  8
- lies, sometimes I still need to flip usb-c to get it in. there's still a hidden dimension there, it's just better hidden than before
  
  9
Gotta love troubleshooting your data connection before you realize you grabbed a power only cable.

63
- Such things should not be allowed to exist.
  
  27
  
  No, there's a good reason for them to exist, but they should be marked as such.
  
  38
  
  They are afaik not allowed to exist with USB C. And except for some very few very sketchy manufacturers, it's also luckily not a thing in practice.
  
  3
It's not the cables that are the issue, it's the manufacturer that don't design their products to USB C specification so they don't charge via C to C cable like it should.

55
- see https://learn.adafruit.com/understanding-usb-type-c-cable-types-pitfalls-and-more/cable-types-and-differences for all the various things the cable alone can support
  
  what devices can support is definitely an issue too though.
  
  24
  
  I understand that, but I've had USB C devices for almost a decade. I only buy full featured cables so it hasn't been an issue, at least for me. Any time a device comes with a cable it goes into the trash.
  
  2
- The cables can also be an issue though.
  
  7
I just buy Anker for everything and as a result most of my cables do what I expect them to.

35
- I love baseus.
  
  5
Nah, pretty sure this one's usb2.0 just by looking at it

29
- It does look kinda sketchy for a full 3.0+ data cable. Could be one of those stupid charging only cables.
  
  11
dang theres a batman beyond meme format going around?

14
- Welcome to the Internet, have a look around
  
  27
  
  Anything that brain of yours can think of can be found
  
  7
It's just cable

13
- No, it's Batman.
  
  5
Either it's usb to wall or usbc to usbc with all the features. I don't own anything else out of pure fear.

7
- Do you throw away all your cables when new features are added?
  
  Only when you start to own a device that uses one of those new features?
  
  7
  
  The latter.
  
  I have 2 types of cables. USB 2.0 100w PD capable cables and USB 4 cables.
  
  The USB 4 cables are too heavy to travel with so I have many more USB 2.0 PD cables.
  
  I also have a sprinkling of USB 3.0 compliant A to C cables.
  
  I throw away all the included USB 2.0 A to B to avoid mixups.
  
  6
  
  The latter. New features don't matter till I get a new device with them
  
  2
I'm too lazy to label them. So, I usually keep the PDs connected to the charger and that's it.

But if it becomes a problem I'll probably use a wire labeler.

It would be nice if they came labeled from factory, though.

4
- Coloured electrical tape, way cheaper than wire labels if you only have a few to mark.
  
  5
I honestly have never had this issue with USB-C. A and Micro, absolutely. Mini, every day from like 2004-2007. But never C.

Have I just been buying all the right cables without knowing it?

3
Permanently Deleted

-3
- Doesn’t matter much. Is it a 7.5W cable, or maybe a 15W, 45W, 60W, 100W, 140W or 240W cable ? Does it support USB 2.0 (480Mbps), 3.1 gen1 (5Gbps), 3.1 gen2 (10Gbps), does it support Thunderbolt, and if so the 20Gbit or 40Gbit version ? Does it support DisplayPort alt mode?
  
  You can’t tell any of this from looking at the cable. It’s a terrible mess.
  
  46
  
  The worst part is, I could accept that as a generational flaw. The newer ones get better, the olds ones lying around do less. OK, that’s the beast of progress.
  
  But no. They still make cables today that do power only. They still do cables that do everything except video. Why? Save a couple cents. Make dollars off multiple product lines, etc. Money.
  
  What could have been the cable to end all cables…just continued to make USB a laughing stock of confusion.
  
  Don’t even get me started on the device side implementations…
  
  20
- This is absolutely not a “US under regulation thing”, that makes no sense. What “regulation” would dictate what a connector carries over its cable? That would be compliance with the spec, and the spec is a connector.
  
  USB-C can carry USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 4.0, PD, DisplayPort, wattages from 5w to 100w & Thunderbolt 4. No one cable would be required to carry all those or all cables would be $50/ft.
  
  Just because you’ve never encountered a USB-C power only cable doesn’t mean they don’t exist in your country. They’re made by the bucketload in China, and you’ll encounter one soon enough.
  
  20
  
  Modern problem: *exists
  
  thAt bEcaUse le USA baD
  
  5
- How long can that last? Only a matter Of time before the Gideons start leaving them in hotel rooms and then before you know usb power cables are out and about like an invasive species.
  
  2
  
  Actually, that leads me to another point:
  
  One upon a time, the concept behind a universal USB-C connector was so we could do exactly that.
  
  Laptop? Phone? Camera? America? Germany? Japan? Power? Connect the to TV? Internet?
  
  Wouldn’t matter anymore. USB-C to cover it all. Voltage high for the laptop, low for the camera, all available just the same in every country, universal. So yes, fill the airports and hotels with them. Use them for power and to play videos on the TV. Because we weren’t supposed to have to question the voltage or abilities of the ports and cables in use.
  
  Did/will that future materialize?
  
  2
- So, every cable can thunderbolt?)
  
  1

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