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0 pointsthreeseed4y ago0 comments

Just buy a USB-C to USB-A adapter and leave it permanently attached.

USB-A is a legacy connector and needs to just die already.

0 comments

Like just constantly have a dongle hanging off the side of your laptop, waiting to get bent? Possibly damaging to port?

Then don't get the dongle. Just upgrade your accessory to use USB type C. Having a bulky USB A port just to appease the 1% of users who spend $2000 on a shiny new macbook but cheap out on a mouse they've been using from the 90s? I exaggerate, but if you really want to keep your old accessories then leave the dongle permanently attached to the accessory. You can get like a 10 pack for like $5 probably.

bee_rider4y ago

It isn't really a matter of cost, so much as the inconvenience of replacing all the peripherals I've accumulated over time (ignoring the fact that there isn't even a USB-C version of my favorite keyboard).

Yes adapters are possible, however an even better solution (in that it doesn't require remembering to bring an adapter everywhere) is just to buy a different brand of laptop.

obscuren4y ago

Just buy a couple of these [1] (can probably find them cheaper even) and leave them attached to the peripheral (not your Mac)

- [1] https://satechi.net/products/aluminum-usb-c-to-usb-a-adapter...

1 more reply

macintux4y ago

How many peripherals do you take with you when you leave the house?

I've found a single, compact USB-C hub does fine for me, but of course YMMV.

1 more reply

goosedragons4y ago

Find a new wired mouse with a USB C connector. USB A isn't dead just yet. Also doesn't really help in the scenario where maybe you need to grab files off a client or colleague's flash drive...

bombcar4y ago

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/accessories-and-software/keyb...

They’re out there.

Would a USB A be nice? Probably.

1 more reply

threeseedOP4y ago

That's because no one even makes them anymore e.g. Logitech has ZERO normal wired mice.

So of course you're seeing USB-A mice because they are probably old models from the 2000s.

2 more replies

leipert4y ago

More like: constantly attached to the cable. Only USB-A device I use is a printer and I have an adapter permanently attached to the cable.

bee_rider4y ago

That's a solution I guess. It could result in an annoying edge case if you wanted to for example bring your laptop somewhere else, and borrow a peripheral there. (I'm sure someone will be along to correct me, with the information that using a laptop as a portable device is some niche use-case that Apple shouldn't care about).

dfinninger4y ago

I keep one of these in my laptop case: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVX3516/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8Q...

It’s worked great for years.

mattl4y ago

Why does it need to die?

ghshephard4y ago

There is absolutely zero need for USB-A. None. It does nothing whatsoever that USB-C can't do, and there are ton of things that USB-C can do better. There is no need for two USB "mid sized" plug standards - and obviously USB-C is now the dominant. Almost every single peripheral, device, component, that can run on USB-A runs on USB-C. And there is a huge contingent of devices that could never run on USB-A. As soon as everyone has agreed that USB-A is dead, completely dead, people will cease manufacturing USB-A peripherals, which further enhances the value of a port that almost everyone is now using for everything.

Honestly - the USB-A port should have been wiped out a couple years ago - the only reason it didn't is that everyone has this massive legacy of USB-A ports (Hotels, Airports, Airplanes, etc...) that people plug into, which kept them holding onto those legacy peripherals longer than they should have. Also - some weird hardware dongles that haven't been upgraded to USB-C.

What we need to do is start seeing how quickly Hotels/Cars/Airplanes/Airports/... start switching over to USB-C. When that happens there will be this massive cascade effect - it will be exponential:

   2022 - ~0% of legacy is USB C
   2023 - 1% legacy USB-C
   2024 - 2% legacy USB-C
   2025 - 4% legacy USB-C
   2026 - 8% legacy USB-C
   2027 - 16% legacy USB-C
   2028 - 32% legacy USB-C
   2029 - 64% legacy USB-C
   2030 - 90% legacy USB-C
   2031 - 95% legacy USB-C

I'm guessing by 2032, nobody will be carrying legacy USB-A peripherals anymore. Only wildcard will be if there is a USB-next that will replace C. Please don't let that happen before USB-C takes over the world.

tzs4y ago

> There is absolutely zero need for USB-A. None. It does nothing whatsoever that USB-C can't do, and there are ton of things that USB-C can do better.

What's the USB-C story nowadays if you have N USB-C peripherals and M USB-C ports where N > M?

Most USB-C hubs seem to have one USB-C for connecting to the computer, one USB-C for connecting to a peripheral, and then a bunch of USB-A for connecting to more peripherals.

To get something that actually increases the number of USB-C peripherals, especially if more than one of your peripherals needs more than low power, and is reliable it appears that you have to get a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 dock and it is pretty pricey.

Until there are cheap reliable 1 to many USB-C hubs USB-A is not going to go away.

kingcharles4y ago

Also, it always takes three tries to get a USB-A plug into the socket.

mattl4y ago

I have a USB-A Yubikey and I prefer it to the crappy USB-C one that’s just too small.

ghaff4y ago

The argument is that it's legacy and it will die because USB-C is better is a variety of ways. And in true Apple fashion, Apple is killing it somewhat aggressively. Though it's not just Apple. Something like a Google Pixelbook is USB-C only as well.

rnk4y ago

The same thing can be said for the unnecessary apple lightning plug - it serves no purpose other than apple selling adapters and blocking usb-c use. Yet it keeps being used. Lots of companies have things with only usb-c but the real problem is not new use, it's the billions of devices with usb-a plugs on them. In my house there are probably 10 usb-c plugs across several computers and 100 usb-a things to plug in.

tinus_hn4y ago

The Lightning connector was introduced in 2012 while USB-C was introduced in 2014.

My theory is that Apple made commitments to keep supporting the Lightning connector on their phones for a number of years to get manufacturers to create devices with it.

Say whatever you want, when it was introduced it was clearly a big improvement over the micro USB connectors everyone else was using. By now it’s holding them back though.

ghaff4y ago

The main purpose lightning serves is that it removes a barrier to Apple customers upgrading to the next iPhone. Apple will get to USB-C--probably sooner rather than later; I wouldn't bet against this year--but that's actually a case of getting onto a standard even though there's no real advantage right now for Apple customers and some pain.

1 more reply

dekhn4y ago

because inferior tech that lasts a long time has a constant tax on productivity.

mattl4y ago

I think I’m less productive with a dongle to use a USB type A device on my laptop than I would be with a single port.

moralestapia4y ago

o-rly? Aside from my phone, every single thing I have in my home is using USB-A.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

bee_rider4y ago

Like just constantly have a dongle hanging off the side of your laptop, waiting to get bent? Possibly damaging to port?

chrischen4y ago

bee_rider4y ago

Yes adapters are possible, however an even better solution (in that it doesn't require remembering to bring an adapter everywhere) is just to buy a different brand of laptop.

obscuren4y ago

Just buy a couple of these [1] (can probably find them cheaper even) and leave them attached to the peripheral (not your Mac)

- [1] https://satechi.net/products/aluminum-usb-c-to-usb-a-adapter...

1 more reply

macintux4y ago

How many peripherals do you take with you when you leave the house?

I've found a single, compact USB-C hub does fine for me, but of course YMMV.

1 more reply

goosedragons4y ago

Find a new wired mouse with a USB C connector. USB A isn't dead just yet. Also doesn't really help in the scenario where maybe you need to grab files off a client or colleague's flash drive...

bombcar4y ago

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/accessories-and-software/keyb...

They’re out there.

Would a USB A be nice? Probably.

1 more reply

threeseedOP4y ago

That's because no one even makes them anymore e.g. Logitech has ZERO normal wired mice.

So of course you're seeing USB-A mice because they are probably old models from the 2000s.

2 more replies

leipert4y ago

More like: constantly attached to the cable. Only USB-A device I use is a printer and I have an adapter permanently attached to the cable.

bee_rider4y ago

dfinninger4y ago

I keep one of these in my laptop case: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVX3516/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8Q...

It’s worked great for years.

mattl4y ago

Why does it need to die?

ghshephard4y ago

What we need to do is start seeing how quickly Hotels/Cars/Airplanes/Airports/... start switching over to USB-C. When that happens there will be this massive cascade effect - it will be exponential:

   2022 - ~0% of legacy is USB C
   2023 - 1% legacy USB-C
   2024 - 2% legacy USB-C
   2025 - 4% legacy USB-C
   2026 - 8% legacy USB-C
   2027 - 16% legacy USB-C
   2028 - 32% legacy USB-C
   2029 - 64% legacy USB-C
   2030 - 90% legacy USB-C
   2031 - 95% legacy USB-C

tzs4y ago

> There is absolutely zero need for USB-A. None. It does nothing whatsoever that USB-C can't do, and there are ton of things that USB-C can do better.

What's the USB-C story nowadays if you have N USB-C peripherals and M USB-C ports where N > M?

Most USB-C hubs seem to have one USB-C for connecting to the computer, one USB-C for connecting to a peripheral, and then a bunch of USB-A for connecting to more peripherals.

Until there are cheap reliable 1 to many USB-C hubs USB-A is not going to go away.

kingcharles4y ago

Also, it always takes three tries to get a USB-A plug into the socket.

mattl4y ago

I have a USB-A Yubikey and I prefer it to the crappy USB-C one that’s just too small.

ghaff4y ago

rnk4y ago

tinus_hn4y ago

The Lightning connector was introduced in 2012 while USB-C was introduced in 2014.

My theory is that Apple made commitments to keep supporting the Lightning connector on their phones for a number of years to get manufacturers to create devices with it.

Say whatever you want, when it was introduced it was clearly a big improvement over the micro USB connectors everyone else was using. By now it’s holding them back though.

ghaff4y ago

1 more reply

dekhn4y ago

because inferior tech that lasts a long time has a constant tax on productivity.

mattl4y ago

I think I’m less productive with a dongle to use a USB type A device on my laptop than I would be with a single port.

moralestapia4y ago

o-rly? Aside from my phone, every single thing I have in my home is using USB-A.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse