[gattis]

any device that doesnt need a 20gbps or higher link is better off connected to your motherboard via a usb-a to usb-c cable. the "a" connector has not been deprecated. in some ways it is the superior connector, higher mating cycles, less fragile, less likely to get ripped loose, much more torque required to bend, and so on. the "c" connector is more useful on the opposite end where you will be plugging in and out more frequently.

[stkdump]

> the "a" connector has not been deprecated.

Actually, it is:

> The three sizes of USB connectors are the default, or standard, format intended for desktop or portable equipment, the mini intended for mobile equipment, which was deprecated when it was replaced by the thinner micro size, all of which were deprecated in USB 3.2 in favor of Type-C.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_hardware#Connectors

[stephenr]

> the "a" connector has not been deprecated

I mean... usb 4 literally doesn't define a type-a connector (or type-b). Usb3.2 is the "best" a usb-a port is ever going to deliver.

So while it may still be popular and in-use, from the view of usb as a standard, it is deprecated: it's not present in the latest version.

[lxgr]

> higher mating cycles

It’s the other way around.

USB-C sockets are much more robust than their A counterparts, since the spring is in the plug for C, as opposed to in the socket for A.

[gattis]

perhaps. but thats why you have the C at the other end because it doesnt make sense to be frequently plugging things in and out of the motherboard and and wearing down those connectors.

but i doubt you will get more cycles out of C in real life. that might be what the spec says but given the pitch of the pins on the C connector compared to the A, you have a world of greater tolerance to work with

[lxgr]

If you don't frequently plug things into your mainboard, does it even matter?

> but i doubt you will get more cycles out of C in real life

You're free to doubt the designers of the USB specification and/or the manufacturer's compliance with the specification, but just logically, the part about having the springs in the plug, not the port, makes sense to me.

I've seen many broken USB-A ports in airplanes and other public charging ports with the spring connectors bent beyond recognition.

[gattis]

manufacturer's compliance with the specification has always been a total joke heh. i see what you're saying about the springs, but i shouldn't have brought mating cycles into the discussion. the side plugged into the motherboard should just be secure above all else. i can easily ruin any usb-c connector with just my thumb and index finger. the thickness of the A shell and its square profile prevent it from bending under torque pretty darn well.

[gattis]

furthermore, ive never even seen a usb-c connector at an airport or for any public use and i doubt i ever will. hell, even IEC can barely withstand that use case,i usually have to bend my prongs for the plug to stay in. usb-c not gonna make it 3 days.

[lxgr]

I've seen a few already, both in airports and elsewhere (e.g. in rental cars and I believe even in an airplane once).