The charger itself is a usb charger, the cable on the other end has a 30 pin connector. Nobody is stopping you from using the iPhone charger to charge other things via standard usb cable.
Am I missing something here? The reason they use this non-standard 30 pin connector rather than a standard USB connector is because their connector /does a lot more/.
Looking at a pin-out table, it seems it also does (or can do) video (composite / s-video), audio, and has pin(s) for adapters.
USB doesn't do that. I have an Android phone, which is perfectly nice, but it's just not as capable as the iPhone - it doesn't have these capabilities, because it just has USB.
Apple solve the manufacturing problem by having one port on the device to do the job. This also serves an aesthetic purpose. The adapter that Apple have produce to ensure compliance with the EU regulation as actually an excellent solution to the problem. I would also argue that the regulation suffers from typical political myopia in that it only really considers the notion of charging a device.
I don't understand how a hard to plug in 30 pin connector solves an aesthetic problem when the alternative is smaller, at least somewhat shaped for differentiation and can/does do the same things at the protocol level (or via MHL via the same connector...).
Smaller != better/prettier and the 'hard to plug to plug in' comment is your own opinion. The micro USB format does not do the same thing. It does a few similar things. I don't understand why an adapter from Apple is inadequate.
> the 'hard to plug to plug in' comment is your own opinion.
Sure. Right on, man.
>The micro USB format does not do the same thing. It does a few similar things.
I never claimed they do the same thing. I said it's capable of doing the same things with MHL wired to it.
>I don't understand why an adapter from Apple is inadequate.
Didn't say it is, I just find it funny that there are excuses for Apple not going with the interoperable standard and instead going with something that only they produce and can gouge you for.
There is a legitimate argument to be made that there is simply more bandwidth available in their connector, but I don't know of any peripheral that utilizes it that wouldn't work perfectly fine with USB.
Please. Continue downvoting, it makes you right. Don't dare tell me why I'm wrong, especially when it's apparent that sbuk was missing the point as he didn't even know what MHL was or that it uses the same port at the USB host.
Sorry for questioning the genius of Apple following NIH policy. I won't question them in the future or wish they would go with industry standards and interop.
The 'v' button does not mean, "I disagree". It doesn't mean "This makes my opinion right over his, without needing to justify it". Assholes.
I know what MHL is. I suspect that the majority of HN reader know what it is. It doesn't change the fact that the Apple 30 pin dock connected offers Apple a greater scope in terms of future proofing that a potentially shortsighted standard.
As to the votes, I personally don't have the karma to do it and wouldn't if I did. I guess they are coming because of the petulant and rude tone of your comments.
