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USB C vs USB A (szmer.info)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Are there any fields, where USB A surpasses USB C, or is C an absolute upgrade?

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago (4 children)

USB-C is clearly superior. You can plug them in either way

With USB-A it always takes three tries to get it plugged in.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago

Minimum three, if you happen to get it right the first time.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

USB C is harder to plug in than A when I can't see the port. If A was reversable I would prefer it on desktop computers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I know the whole USB-A super-state thing is a meme at this point, but you can easily plug in cables first try with these two points:

USB cables tend to have a logo on the upwards facing part.
If you know/can visualise how the PCB is mounted, you can identify which was is up on the port.

That being said, USB-C is definitely more convenient overall - but I do wish the cables were male and ports female (think Lightning), so that the most fragile part of the connector was on the cable and not the device. Because when that breaks, it’s easier to get a new cable than re-solder a port.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I do wish the cables were male and ports female (think Lightning)

There's a reason 99% of barrel connectors have power on the inside. I'd be nervous too fry a USB port or charger with the live end of a cable with power exposed.

Apparently lightning cables have an authentication chip in them, because of course they do. I'm guessing this chip also protects against short circuits between power and the other lines. I don't think the USB implementers forum would like to add that kind of over-engineering to their specification.

I've only physically broken one USB-C receptacle, and in that instance the whole port got ripped off the circuitboard.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

The slim side of a USB-A is always 'up'. That's the convention. For monitors 'up' is usually the side not facing you.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

If you can see the connector you'll get it right every time, they have an orientation you can easily see. Sometimes the port hidden though.