# What the hell is with USB cables? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 15, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997 "2011-05-15T16:01:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/21 "2011-05-16T02:20:12Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > Or, you know, you could look at the link Silenus provided that I said “Yes, that’s the one” to and see for yourself. Believe it or not, those posts weren’t there when I started, and slipped before I hit “Submit.” (What can I say, I’m doing 10 things at once.) ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/22 "2011-05-16T02:23:17Z")
An hour fucking later? If you’re taking that long to write a post, perhaps it behooves you to use the “preview” button to see if anything has been added in to the thread before you actually hit submit then. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/23 "2011-05-16T02:28:59Z")
Yeah, how _dare_ you look away from the Dope?! Happens to me all the time–I’ll open several threads in new tabs, hit the front page of another sub-forum and open several more (wash, rinse, repeat). Then I go hunting for a USB cable to plug something in, which we all know takes at least an hour (with a stop for a sandwich too), and I’ll slowly read through the tabs between plodding away at other things. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/24 "2011-05-16T02:38:45Z")
[another Belkin product.](http://www.yourcablestore.com/Belkin-F3U149-3-in-1-USB-Adapter-Kit-wStorage-Pouch_p_516.html) sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/25 "2011-05-16T02:41:52Z")
> [@DarrenS](#): > > They should have designed it so it would work when plugged in either way. But, there is kind of a work-around: almost all USB plugs go in with the “trident” logo facing upwards. Not much use if the trident logo is not present, or is only in relief and it’s a dark space, or the slot is vertical. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/26 "2011-05-16T02:46:16Z")
Sorry, the product I actually have is this… [GoldX](http://www.goldxproducts.com/product/show-product.asp?pid=GXQUC) And this[…](http://www.goldxproducts.com/product/show-product.asp?pid=GXQU) _won’t even bother going into just how hard it is to flip a plug cuz_ ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/27 "2011-05-16T03:03:38Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Yeah, how _dare_ you look away from the Dope?! > > Happens to me all the time–I’ll open several threads in new tabs, hit the front page of another sub-forum and open several more (wash, rinse, repeat). Then I go hunting for a USB cable to plug something in, which we all know takes at least an hour (with a stop for a sandwich too), and I’ll slowly read through the tabs between plodding away at other things. It’s got nothing to do with looking away from the dope, and everything to do with realising that the thread’s not going to wait for [the generic] you to get your thumb out of your ass, so if a substantial amount of time has passed between hitting “reply” and hitting “submit”, the preview button can be a useful tool to employ. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/28 "2011-05-16T03:09:30Z")
What I don’t understand is, even the genuine USB standard cables are confusing. Why did they switch from “mini” to “micro”? The micro-USB connector doesn’t actually seem to be smaller than the mini-USB connector, it’s just harder to plug in! ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/29 "2011-05-16T03:11:20Z")
buncha whiney babies ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/30 "2011-05-16T03:16:27Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > It’s got nothing to do with looking away from the dope, and everything to do with realising that the thread’s not going to wait for [the generic] you to get your thumb out of your ass, so if a substantial amount of time has passed between hitting “reply” and hitting “submit”, the preview button can be a useful tool to employ. What’s worse is when you open a thread, then get distracted, then later come back and continue reading, and find a post you want to reply to, so you type it in the “Quick Reply” box, forgetting that you opened this thread two days ago and that the post you’re replying to which is at the bottom of the thread on your screen has now been buried by 178 subsequent posts and your point was made by someone else ages ago. Or, worst of all, you spend a lot of time composing a Quick Reply and hit “Submit Reply,” only to be confronted by a message telling you the thread was locked or disappeared. ARGH. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/31 "2011-05-16T08:06:02Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > The EU’s a toothless tiger outside their own borders. They can force apple EU to use non-proprietary plugs, but Apple in the rest of the world will just go “Lulz, losers” and carry on carrying on. Why on earth would you expect the EU to have any interest in, or power over, what connector Apple use outside their borders? Get your government to follow suit - it’ll be easier because they’ll already be making the universal ones. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/32 "2011-05-16T08:17:35Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Why on earth would you expect the EU to have any interest in, or power over, what connector Apple use outside their borders? Get your government to follow suit - it’ll be easier because they’ll already be making the universal ones. Frankly I don’t give two fucks whether apple use proprietary plugs or not, given their products all come with chargers, so whatevs. I was responding to silenus who thought it somehow prudent to mention that the EU was trying to force Apple to play nice, and pointing out the fact that that means precisely jack shit to the rest of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/33 "2011-05-16T08:56:16Z")
A million? The only ones I see commonly are USB-A, USB-B, Mini, and Micro. Most things use A and most portable devices use a mini/micro to A. Pretty simple stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/34 "2011-05-16T09:03:53Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Aside from size, what’s the technical difference between connectors? Can the mini/micro not deliver the same power as a full sized connector? Are there fewer pins/connectors in the smaller ones? Or is it just smaller size for smaller devices? All connectors handle the same data; I’m not sure about the power. Mostly it’s smaller size for smaller devices. Note that there are [6 different, incompatible shapes.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus) It does seem like an odd design decision to have so many. > [@silenus](#): > > You mean [this thing](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GUXJ6S/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i5?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1WT6XZF2Q2KT5D6C33BE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846)? Just a note: that handy hydra gadget is only a charging adapter, not for data transfer. I’d like to put in a plug for [monoprice](http://monoprice.com), my source of cables and adapters. Their prices are really good and the quality, excellent. It’s hard to beat rugged adapters priced in _cents,_ not dollars. My only complaints are shipping is slow to the US East coast since they are West coast based, and their product search function is piss-poor like many sites; you have to know the jargon to know what to search for. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/35 "2011-05-16T09:27:32Z")
> [@DarrenS](#): > > They should have designed it so it would work when plugged in either way. But, there is kind of a work-around: almost all USB plugs go in with the “trident” logo facing upwards. Yep, and the damned USB cables are all molded out of one color of freaking plastic. How do you figure out which way is which crawling under a desk in the half dark? I got metallic gold paint that I dab on the trident side of all my USB plugs so I can see at a glance which is the trident side. Also dab it on all the microphone miniplugs on all my headsets so I know which damned miniplug goes where so I can hear shit and talk on my headsets, because industry cant be arsed to use a single plug any longer [the last 3 freaking USB headsets I bought were fucked right out of the packaging. I gave up and went back to the damned miniplug ones.] Why do they have to keep _updating_ technology that works to shit that is halfassed? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/36 "2011-05-16T16:36:17Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > A million? The only ones I see commonly are USB-A, USB-B, Mini, and Micro. Most things use A and most portable devices use a mini/micro to A. Pretty simple stuff. I think the OP is talking about the 10+ different shapes of micro connectors. Kudos to HTC and Motorola for keeping it simple. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/37 "2011-05-16T17:34:59Z")
> [@Mister\_Owl](#): > > buncha whiney babies No kidding. Back in my day we had a variety of different interfaces. A generation before _that_, the engineers had to do their own pinouts, as there were NO standard interfaces. Now get off my cyberlawn. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/38 "2011-05-16T17:57:49Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Just a note: that handy hydra gadget is only a charging adapter, not for data transfer. Specs say “data transfer.” Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![silk1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@silk1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silk1976)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/39 "2011-05-16T18:27:03Z")
So much for the U in USB meaning ‘Universal’. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997/40 "2011-05-16T20:06:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Specs say “data transfer.” > > Just sayin’. My hydra connector does data transfer. At least I think it does. I plug in my iPod or my harmony remote, and I transfer data back and forth. I could be imagining things. Maybe my iPod’s empty and I’m just listening to the music in my head. BUT HOW DOES THE REMOTE WORK THEN, SYBIL? [Edit]: > [@silk1976](#): > > So much for the U in USB meaning ‘Universal’. It’s universal on the computer’s end. The computer doesn’t give a hairy fuck what’s on the other end. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-with-usb-cables/581997.md?page=3)