Usb-a Isn't Going Anywhere, So Stop Removing the Port
Posted4 months agoActive4 months ago
pocket-lint.comTechstory
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Usb-aUsb-CPort EvolutionTech Innovation
Key topics
Usb-a
Usb-C
Port Evolution
Tech Innovation
The article argues that USB-A ports are still relevant and shouldn't be removed, sparking a debate among commenters about the future of USB-A and the adoption of USB-C.
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> It seems pointless to spend money upgrading hardware, like mice and keyboards, to a new port when the benefits are questionable, and you probably won't notice a performance difference.
Not a very strong or convincing argument.
* e.g. keyboard with USB3 hub
(FWIW my mouse actually has a USB-C port, it's a dual wired/wireless Keychron M6. Really nice way of doing it IMHO.)
Btw, "port must handle reversal" is why USB-C -> USB-C + optional C-to-A adapter have the adapter fixed on so you can't rotate it. It's not just good UX, the adapter would also otherwise need to handle reversal.
My last 2 mice both died to microswitch failures, one hard failure (just didn't do anything), one soft failure (just became very mushy and annoying to use). Don't remember before that.
I have a Razer Blade. One USB-A and one USB-C on each side of the machine. It just makes so much sense.
Personally I'd rather use a USB C hub anyways. I don't want to plug in more than a cable if I don't have to.
Would I buy a Mac with USB-A? Absolutely.
It's just such a pointlesslly user hostile move for some Californian dude to make a point about progress.
So, how do you know that USB A won't have a lifetime of 63 years (the age of the RS-232 standard for serial ports)?
While there are a surprising number of devices that get this wrong, and I have never understood why, they are always wrong. It seems to be mostly cheap external hard drive enclosures and scanners I've seen using a type-A port for their upstream-facing port and shipping with the cursed A to A cable.
But a computer I bought new 22 months ago (on which I am writing these words) has 7 USB A ports, 1 serial port and 0 USB C ports.
It's hardly ever more than two, if that.
Most desktop computers have dedicated graphics or at least the ability to have dedicated graphics and don't have the input connectors to feed video from the GPU to the USB mux. Most desktop computers can't run off of USB power. Most desktop computers aren't installed in environments where a single cable running to a desktop dock is desirable. Most desktop computers aren't space constrained.
Also adapters that convert a type A port to type C are tiny, they stick out about as far as a mouse dongle making the whole assembly not much larger than a normal A cable. Cables with one A end and one C end are everywhere. Dongles just aren't as inconvenient in a desktop context where you plug them in and leave them.
If you don't actually need the extra data lanes in the connector, there's not really much advantage to using it and for a desktop that is likely to be replacing an existing one with a lot of A connectors plugged in that's a hard push.
IMO laptops should have one or two A ports and as many C ports as they can fit, but desktops I'm not against leaning towards A with just as many C ports as they need to support their USB3.2/4/TB capabilities.
…via USB-to-serial adapters plugged into the USB C port of my laptop.
Having two ports with one taken up for charging (so one usable) is inadequate. But I suppose the problem with adding more is now you need to offer all the things that could be connected on all of them. But you are not willing to provision the hardware to do that. Thats not sunsetting, thats being cheap.
The charger could have a USB C or A port on it easily.
Weird. The latest Mac Pro has USB A ports.
So does the Mac Studio.
I'd be fine with 2 of each even accepting 1 of the two USB-C ports will probably be for charging.
What a dumb comment. USB-C has been available for over a decade now. Just drop type A and force everyone to use adapters for their remaining type A devices since we’re all forced at this point to use them anyway.
Just kill it off already.
USB-A had a long life. It's time to move on.
Then I've got dozens of charging cables, peripherals, storage devices, and such that I've collected across the past 25 or so years, and still want to use.
https://a.co/d/8OieM1k
They don't really call them USB-C "Hubs" like they do the old USB-A ones. Mostly I just use a big old USB-A dock and a ton of adapters now.
I have female-A-to-male-C cables, I have male-A-to-female-C cables. Some of them have the USB 3 pins (which has kind of been a niche case for C in my life), all of them are safe up to 5A power.
All my computers that didn't have C now have at least one, and all of my C-only computers have an A they can use if they need one.