
The Foolproof Dock Connector - dwynings
http://itsmorereal.tumblr.com/post/29480903669/the-foolproof-dock-connector
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jaysonelliot
The current dock connector does more than just make a power and data
connection for an iDevice. It's about ergonomics, usability, and usefulness.

Ever try plugging in a USB connector, or god forbid, a micro-USB connector in
the dark? In a moving car? In the pocket of a jacket? Matching up a small plug
with a small hole, especially when you can't see what you're doing, is
maddening. The 30-pin dock connector's size and shape, and the forgiving
nature of its connection to a device, make it exceedingly easy to connect,
even when you're fumbling with it out of sight.

Another benefit the current dock connector has is the locking mechanism. It's
easy to squeeze the sides and unlock it, but when it's in place, it's strong
enough to lift the weight of an iPhone or an iPod—something that's useful when
your small device falls behind a table, or a desk, or the center console of a
car.

It could do with being symmetrical, that's true. I'd like to see that
improvement. I hope whatever new connector arrives to make all our existing
accessories obsolete, at least it maintains the physical benefits of the
current 30-pin.

~~~
elithrar
> Another benefit the current dock connector has is the locking mechanism.
> It's easy to squeeze the sides and unlock it, but when it's in place, it's
> strong enough to lift the weight of an iPhone or an iPod—something that's
> useful when your small device falls behind a table, or a desk, or the center
> console of a car.

The locking mechanism is long-gone on recent Apple cables. It just "clicks"
in, but not as strongly as the old style connector with the squeezy sides. I
certainly wouldn't try to hold my phone up by it.

~~~
checker
Just tested it with a 3G. I can shake the cord around a good bit without any
loosening.

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pedalpete
I was always amazed that USB wasn't either dual sided or at least designed
with a recognizable top and bottom (without having to look inside). Even
micro-usb isn't easily recognizable which direction it is supposed to go in.

It's a small detail, but an important one. I completely disagree with
everybody who raves about the importance of the mag-safe connector, I've never
had a problem with the standard round port connector of my pc's, but this
design is a huge improvement.

~~~
pwg
> I completely disagree with everybody who raves about the importance of the
> mag-safe connector, I've never had a problem with the standard round port
> connector of my pc's

The advantage to the mag-safe connector is not evident at first. It only
becomes evident when one day you are using your laptop while it is connected
to the power cable, and someone else trips over/steps on/moves a chair in a
way that eventually yanks on the far end of the power cable. Only once you see
that happen in real life (to yourself or someone else) do you truly appreciate
the advantage of the mag-safe connector.

~~~
nmcfarl
In 2002, a coworker who was late to a meeting and running through the office
caught his leg on the non-MagSafe power cable for my iBook resulting in it
slamming against a filing cabinet so hard that it both cracked the case, and
started breifly, but literally, smoking. That was the end of that laptop.

I firmly believe in MagSafe.

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jschuur
Long term, the main point of failure for me is always the outer rubberized
cable layer starting to fray near the connector. It happens to my iPhone
connectors, and annoyingly even on my more expensive power adapter cord.

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sschueller
Why do we need another connector? This is a FU to existing apple dock device
owners and an FU to ETSI (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETSI>).

It's like Sony with Memory Stick, minidisc, betamax, blueray (the exception)
etc.

~~~
Gring
It's probably several things:

\- USB plugs are not double sided, leading to confusion when plugging them in,
and often resulting in material fatigue because people force to plug them in
the wrong way (iPhones are plugged in much more often than - say - a USB mouse
that stays connected most of the time).

\- USB plugs are either a host or slave, not both. On an iPhone, the dock
connector needs be both: slave (when connected to a PC) or host (when a USB
camera is connected through the camera connection kit).

\- expected functionality through form factor: this plug will provide audio in
+ out, video in + out, playback controls etc. Normal USB plugs don't guarantee
that functionality. Some cars have a generic USB plug to connect to generic
USB storage devices to play MP3s from - now those owners might expect the next
iPhone to be compatible with them - but these cars with the generic USB plugs
might not understand audio over USB. Other cars in the future might contain
your proposed next generation iPhone USB plug, leading people to expect that
they can connect any USB device and transfer audio over it.

~~~
cliang
Why can't the circuit be smart enough to detect the orientation of how the
plug is inserted without the need to double the number of pins? Manufacturers
are looking to cut costs wherever they can and given the choice between
whether to make these things easier to handle for consumer or making them buy
a new cable that wears out faster, I'm sadly going with them leaning towards
the latter.

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rbf
With new wireless technologies like NFC and Wi-Fi Direct, shouldn't we be
moving away from proprietary connectors?

~~~
willyt
You need to charge it. Wireless inductive charging is less efficient due to
the power lost through resistive heating. Heat dissipation is already a
problem when charing batteries. Also, cables are still much faster than wifi
for transferring lots of data.

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jpswade
#d7e8e0

