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Comment by netsharc | Hacker News Reader

Before USB, different devices have different cables and sockets. With USB-C, the sockets and cables now look all the same, but the functionality is all different!

"Will this port allow charging? Can I plug in my display and get an image on it in this port? Is this PD? Does the cable support PD?"

Yay for progress!

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Some of you haven't blown out a mobo because PS/2 was a shit standard or were force to buy a new shaver because non of the 20 power bricks you kept for 10 years actually fit anything and it shows ;)

My almost 80yo mum doesn't have a clue about PD or DP or what is exactly usb-c, lightning and micro usb; but she can use it perfectly fine. She understands that 'some cables charge slower' and a dedicated power brick can deliver more power than her laptop usb port. I dunno, I think it is a net improvement

Except when you get that one device that can only charge via a USB-A to USB-C cable, and not via USB-C PD. Those throw all logic and simplicity out the window.

And crucially don't actually conform to the standard. I don't think you can hold manufacturers being especially cheap against USB-C. As I recall it's a the lack of a single resistor that causes the issue.

I'm sure many people will try to connect a monitor to this e-bike.

But what would you have rather seen? Different connectors for all the different combinations of use cases? USB-C ports on electrical tooth brushes supporting DisplayPort?

Complaining is easy, coming up with something better isn't.

I think it is progress that with a single small cable I plug my laptop in and get 65W of power, multiple monitors, wired networking, and multiple USB devices. Everything that previously required a beefy big proprietary docking station just gets delivered by a single small cable. I can use that with my work laptop, my personal laptop, my wife's work computer, my wife's tablet, my handheld gaming device.

I think it is progress that now practically all my portable electronics are charged with the same charging cable, I don't need to bring several different chargers to keep my laptop and my phone and my e-reader charged when travelling.

The answer to the "is it PD?" question is increasingly becoming "yes". I recently needed a Qualcomm Quick Charge USB-A charger, and finding one for sale took some effort because most chargers now use PD over USB-C, with their USB-A ports (if any) being plain 5 volts only.

Well, it's idiot proofing. Can't burn a laptop if the plug didn't go in. Or the jet fighter flashed red 3 times and refused to take fuel.

I actually had done it once. It was a 9V adapter into a 12V device. It worked for ~180 seconds, then LCD inverter melted dead from overcurrent.

To add on to what others are saying:

USBC is a big upgrade for this device because you aren’t likely to carry your proprietary charger around with you. If your battery is running low you could use a laptop charger borrowed from a friend. That’s pretty huge.

and the vast majority of people have no idea what PD even is, or what to buy.

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