
With USB 4, Thunderbolt and USB will converge - HillaryBriss
https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/04/with-usb-4-thunderbolt-and-usb-will-converge/
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Causality1
I hate how when I see a USB port now I have no idea what it's capable of. Used
to be if it was on a beige box it was 1.1. If not it was 2.0. If it was blue
it was 3.0. Now if I see a type C port I have no idea what I'm getting. Maybe
it'll be USB 2 or 3 5gbs or 3 10gbs or 3 20gbs. Maybe it will charge the
device. Maybe it won't. Maybe it'll do USB hosting, maybe it won't. Maybe
it'll support MHL or Slimport or Display Link or it won't.

I already received a hard lesson in this concept earlier this year when I
bought a OnePlus 6 only to find out it only supports Display Link for video
out, a standard version hich not only requires an expensive adapter and
doesn't support charging, but consumes so much power the phone dies in less
than two hours.

Just color code the damn things so I can keep up. Make charging input ports
purple and video output ports green and otg ports yellow or something.

~~~
Causality1
While you're at it patent the port design and enforce licensing requirements.
We're all tired of chargers, cables, and devices that don't obey standards.
You have to go to a third party to find a type C cable on Amazon that works
correctly. You have to buy specialized chargers for the Nintendo Switch
because it violates the USB specification in two dozen different ways that can
brick your device if you use the wrong accessory.

This kind of fragmentary bullshit isn't good for anyone.

~~~
majewsky
> You have to buy specialized chargers for the Nintendo Switch because it
> violates the USB specification in two dozen different ways that can brick
> your device if you use the wrong accessory.

Huh? I used my Thinkpad charger with the Switch and it worked as designed.
Just me being lucky?

~~~
zimpenfish
I've used an official Apple USB-C charger, an Amazon USB-C charger, and my
Anker battery pack combined with an official Apple cable, an Amazon cable, and
one of those "keyring" USB-C cables to charge the Switch and none of them
caused any problems.

But it does seem that there were issues -
[https://bgr.com/2018/04/06/nintendo-switch-charging-
cables-w...](https://bgr.com/2018/04/06/nintendo-switch-charging-cables-
warning-bricked/)

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JadeNB
I don't know the etiquette for these things, but would it be appropriate to
merge this with the other USB 4 post
([https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19304857](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19304857))
currently on the front page?

~~~
maxerickson
Typically if there are ~0 comments the repeating post just gets suppressed.

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merricksb
Active discussion:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19304857](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19304857)

