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posted by Fnord666 on Sunday December 03 2017, @08:06AM   Printer-friendly
from the stand-on-your-head dept.

So that's why:

The USB paradox is one of the most familiar experiences of the digital age. Every time you try to plug in a USB cord, it seems like you always get it wrong on the first try. It doesn't matter how much attention you pay to the plug or the cord or the icons on the cord. It's always wrong.

And there's a good reason for that! In an interview published Thursday by DesignNews, Intel's Ajay Bhatt spoke at length about why the ubiquitous technology has been so infuriating for so long. Bhatt was a member of the team that developed USB technology. Even at the start of development, they knew that making the connector flippable would be a better user experience in the long run. But doing so would require twice the wiring and more circuitry, which would increase costs.

"If you have a lot of cost up front for an unproven technology it might not take off. So that was our fear. You have to be really cost conscious when you start out," Bhatt said.


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by jimtheowl on Monday December 04 2017, @05:42AM

    by jimtheowl (5929) on Monday December 04 2017, @05:42AM (#604923)
    So now I have a name to curse when this happens. As others have pointed out, no need to make it flippable - just obvious tactically that one is holding it wrong. It is very unfortunate that you were able to convince whomever you needed to for this mistake we all have to put up with. I'm going to guess these were managers and not engineers. It is also possible that Intel knew it was poor design but wanted to later sell the solution to the problem they created - then inertia set in. In any case, fuck you Ajay.
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