USB-C Was Supposed to Simplify Our Lives. Instead, It’s a Total Mess

[SeaBookGuy]

FYI, the travel case for my toothbrush, as well as my older mp3 players, require a trapezoidal "mini" connection.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

What do you do when you need to hook it up to a TV for a presentation or read data from USB thumb drive? Or use a traditional cordless mouse or keyboard? Or read an SD Card?

That's my problem with USB-C. All the dongles needed to make a USB-C only laptop compatible with all the external devices you used to hook up to via various built-in ports. I don't see the advantage.

Very well said!

[JSWolf]

So what do you do if you have USB devices to pug into USB ports and you find out that the computer that's being used only has USB-C ports? Do you think to bring adapters? Probably not unless you've encountered the problem or know of someone who has.

[Alex_Go]

I can appreciate the value of USB-C, however in many instances, everything else was phased out too quickly; no transition period whatsoever. I have a macbook pro that has only 2 USB-C ports; didn't think too much of it when I got it. The thing is, working from home now, the computer needs to be plugged in to power, i have an external display, what about a mouse and keyboard, I would like to hook it up directly to the router, but halas, no ethernet port.
Because 1 port can do it all doesn't mean that i only need 2 ports... it's a little like when apple removed the headphone jack from their phones, suddenly you couldn't listen to music when charging your phone without a little dongle. (i know, bluetooth and all. no need to tell me)
Then again, they do it cause they can. I complain about it but i have a phone without a headphone jack and a computer with only 2 usb-c ports.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Alex_Go

I can appreciate the value of USB-C, however in many instances, everything else was phased out too quickly; no transition period whatsoever. I have a macbook pro that has only 2 USB-C ports; didn't think too much of it when I got it. The thing is, working from home now, the computer needs to be plugged in to power, i have an external display, what about a mouse and keyboard, I would like to hook it up directly to the router, but halas, no ethernet port.
Because 1 port can do it all doesn't mean that i only need 2 ports... it's a little like when apple removed the headphone jack from their phones, suddenly you couldn't listen to music when charging your phone without a little dongle. (i know, bluetooth and all. no need to tell me)
Then again, they do it cause they can. I complain about it but i have a phone without a headphone jack and a computer with only 2 usb-c ports.

There's another way to charge your phone while listening to music. Use a wireless charger.

But as for the ports, you can get a smallish hub to be able to connect other USB devices. But yes, Apple is annoying by dropping ports that actually are useful. I'm waiting for Apple to drop all ports on the iPhones.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Alex_Go

I can appreciate the value of USB-C, however in many instances, everything else was phased out too quickly; no transition period whatsoever. I have a macbook pro that has only 2 USB-C ports; didn't think too much of it when I got it. The thing is, working from home now, the computer needs to be plugged in to power, i have an external display, what about a mouse and keyboard, I would like to hook it up directly to the router, but halas, no ethernet port.
Because 1 port can do it all doesn't mean that i only need 2 ports... it's a little like when apple removed the headphone jack from their phones, suddenly you couldn't listen to music when charging your phone without a little dongle. (i know, bluetooth and all. no need to tell me)
Then again, they do it cause they can. I complain about it but i have a phone without a headphone jack and a computer with only 2 usb-c ports.

One of those two ports can literally do all of what you want with a $30 adapter. Apple hasn't put an ethernet port on a laptop since 2012, so either way you'd be stuck using a dongle for ethernet even if they carried on as they did with 2015 models. You needed a dongle to connect a lot of macbooks to various displays over the years too, and since the most USB A ports Apple has ever put on a non-17" laptop is 2, a wired mouse and keyboard would keep you from using anything else without a hub. It's a shame Apple doesn't throw a decent adapter in the box, but the ports are way more flexible than what they had before.

There's also plenty of PC laptops that have transitioned slowly and it's not uncommon to find ones with USB C and A.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Alex_Go

I can appreciate the value of USB-C, however in many instances, everything else was phased out too quickly; no transition period whatsoever. I have a macbook pro that has only 2 USB-C ports; didn't think too much of it when I got it. The thing is, working from home now, the computer needs to be plugged in to power, i have an external display, what about a mouse and keyboard, I would like to hook it up directly to the router, but halas, no ethernet port.

Your complaint has nothing to do with USB-C and more to do with the number of ports on your laptop. You would have the same issue regardless of the ports being USB-C.

And you yourself know, you can use Bluetooth or a hub.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Alex_Go

I can appreciate the value of USB-C, however in many instances, everything else was phased out too quickly; no transition period whatsoever. I have a macbook pro that has only 2 USB-C ports; didn't think too much of it when I got it. The thing is, working from home now, the computer needs to be plugged in to power, i have an external display, what about a mouse and keyboard, I would like to hook it up directly to the router, but halas, no ethernet port.
Because 1 port can do it all doesn't mean that i only need 2 ports... it's a little like when apple removed the headphone jack from their phones, suddenly you couldn't listen to music when charging your phone without a little dongle. (i know, bluetooth and all. no need to tell me)
Then again, they do it cause they can. I complain about it but i have a phone without a headphone jack and a computer with only 2 usb-c ports.

The adapter mentioned by rcentros in post #8 can be considered a sort of docking station and I am sure there are many other similar adapters. Docking stations for laptops have been around for a long time and their main use is for commercial and home offices. they were often unwieldy and also expensive because of their proprietary electrical and mechanical connectors, which also kept them from being used with other laptops.

Without getting into how well these USB-C multiport adapters actually work, I think USB-C represents an advance in the docking station concept, a single standard hot-pluggable docking station possibly small enough to be portable with potential cost saving from competition and economy of scale.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

The adapter mentioned by rcentros in post #8 can be considered a sort of docking station and I am sure there are many other similar adapters. Docking stations for laptops have been around for a long time and their main use is for commercial and home offices. they were often unwieldy and also expensive because of their proprietary electrical and mechanical connectors, which also kept them from being used with other laptops.

Without getting into how well these USB-C multiport adapters actually work, I think USB-C represents an advance in the docking station concept, a single standard hot-pluggable docking station possibly small enough to be portable with potential cost saving from competition and economy of scale.

My first USB-C experience is coming with my new Onyx Boox Note 2, having a "docking station" with a number of features, for my 10.3" ereader might be kind of handy. I ordered one and will check it out.

Luck;
Ken

[crane3]

The usb-c can be plugged into a thunderbolt 3 port & be useful. Don't think that the usb-c cable will xmit at 40mbps much less than 20 mbps.

Will have to check how well usb-c works in a thunderbolt3 port when connected to the TV; will have to check it out later. A usb-c cable is much cheaper than a thunderbolt 3 cable.

[MGlitch]

I’m sorry but literally every complaint about needing to plug a non USB C cable into a USB C port is laughable. Y’all gonna go back to PS/2 connections?

Maybe instead of blaming the superior port in terms of functionality you should blame the manufacturers for not adopting it. It’s not like USB C is brand new and every single use that’s been mentioned here as only having previous USB connectors could instead use USB C. That’s why those dongles work.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I have a set of similar adapters which I tested to determine that I can transfer data fine, as well as Qualcomm fast charging for my phone, using them.

Yup, I have one attached to my pc for data transfer, and another to charge my phone. The cord that came with the phone is too short where I charge my phone, so I use my micro with the dongle to charge it.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I’m sorry but literally every complaint about needing to plug a non USB C cable into a USB C port is laughable. Y’all gonna go back to PS/2 connections?

Maybe instead of blaming the superior port in terms of functionality you should blame the manufacturers for not adopting it. It’s not like USB C is brand new and every single use that’s been mentioned here as only having previous USB connectors could instead use USB C. That’s why those dongles work.

Most of my gadgets are several years old before USB C became the "standard". I'm just not willing to purchase all new wires when there is a dongle that will let me utilize what I already have. But I only have the phone with a C plug, but only one cord for it.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by rcentros

What do you do when you need to hook it up to a TV for a presentation or read data from USB thumb drive? Or use a traditional cordless mouse or keyboard? Or read an SD Card?

You either buy a laptop with a bazillion different ports on it, or you buy one with a USB-C port and use an adapter.

Let's see, instead of USB-C you could buy a laptop equipped with USB, micro-USB, mini-USB, HDMI, mini-HDMI, VGA, DisplayPort, Lightning, ethernet, modem, SCSI, E-SATA, RS232, DVI, RCA, Composite, S-Video, joystick, SD, micro-SD, memory-stick, Compact-flash, PS/2, and 1" schedule 40.

[DiapDealer]

USB-C knocked an ice cream cone out of my hand once. We get along pretty well now, though.