USB 3.0 - A Missed Opportunity
USB 3.0 is here. And while it is a technical marvel that will become the standard, I have to ask: Why didn’t they fix the most annoying flaw that plagued USB 2.0??
That flaw being the need to check the orientation of the USB plug as well the USB socket itself prior to plugging in. Because USB only plugs in one correct way.
With so many devices enlisting USB 2.0, we are constantly plugging-in. And each time we have to inspect the cord and socket to ensure it will connect, or we endure some trial-and-error.
I would have designed 3.0 to be symmetrical and able to plug-in both ways, so you don’t have to check. Just plug it in effortlessly. It would look something like this:
I don’t want to insult the gurus behind the 3.0 design, but this should have been addressed.
We already have precedent with the USB 2.0 mini, which has a distinct shape which really takes the guesswork out of plugging-in. The same approach should have been taken with 3.0.
Guess we’ll have to wait for 4.0 or the USB successor.
EDIT: Some people were confused by this idea, and I apologize, I thought I was being pretty straight-forward. First off, ignore the Pentagon shape. I was just being stylish. But for the sake of continuity I will enlist it here:
Basically my design was to enable the USB 3.0 plug to be plugged in either of the two possible directions, and operate normally. Think of the two-pronged plug from your vacuum. You can plug it in either way in the wall without thinking and the vacuum will operate. That is what I am striving for here.
To drive the point home, I made this diagram above. The port would have two sets of contacts (laid out in a mirrored fashion) so the USB can plug in either way.
I don’t mind elaborating on my idea if you don’t understand, feel free to e-mail me and I will do my best to update my post.
Posted on January 14, 2011, in Appliances, Computers, Electronics and tagged Computers, Electronics, Technology. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
Wow… GENIOUS! I hate plugging in USB like that and not knowing the direction.. That said, I think they wanted to have a backwards compatible slot so usb 2.0 devices will still work. BRILLIANT idea though.
Similarly, I’ve always thought “why dont they make credit card readers with mag sensors on BOTH sides so know matter how you put your card in it will be read.” No one listens to common sense though.
BTW - Awesome blog! Youve got some way out of the way ideas but mostly VERY cool ones
Thanks Bobby!
I did not know 3.0 was backward compatible - the internal connectors looked very different. Thanks for the intel!
Still, this is a major evolution for USB. I am of the opinion that both 2.0 and 3.0 can reside together on a PC, and that people can adopt and make the transition to 3.0, even if that means dealing with adapters for their older gear.
It really should have been treated like a next-gen console launch. A complete upgrade!
As for your mag reader, I think having two opposite one another would cancel each other out or perhaps lead to an inaccurate reading. They should put the band on both sides of the card, as there is more than enough real estate for it.
Here in Canada, they are starting to put these microchips on the cards (debit and credit) that you have to insert and keep locked in the reading device, much like you would an ATM machine. You enter a PIN for all transactions, even for a credit card, which is nice because you don’t have to sign anything doing it this way.
I think it’s a matter of time before the chip-reading is the only way to ‘swipe’. Right now the chip resides on the face of the card on one side - I would like it to sit in the middle on both sides of the card, or on both ends of the face.
Thanks for reading and your subscription, and I hope you enjoy the many crazy schemes and ideas I post, many of which are admittedly pie-in-the-sky, but that rarely stops me!
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