Microsoft Defends Decision to Not Include USB Type-C in Surface

[Bees]

Like a fallen tree in an empty forest for no one to hear, the relevance of a new hardware standard is questionable if manufacturers fail to include it with their designs. One of the latest conundrums in the technological forest is Microsoft’s decision to preclude USB Type-C ports from their latest Surface Laptop iteration. The specification for Type-C was finalized way back in August 2014 and has made its way to consumer devices and components such as motherboards, phones – including Microsoft’s own Lumia 950, peripherals, and competitor laptops, so what is the concern? Apparently, consumer confusion with potential charging ports, and the “maturity” of the standard itself. Previous reports of this newest Surface version mentioned two Type-C ports in the prototype, with the decision to remove them based on cable issues and concerns with market adoption.

Adding to the confusion, Type-C ports are sometimes used to charge their host devices. Customers could essentially grab the wrong Type-C charger and quickly run out of battery juice because the charger was not up for the task.

Adding to the curious tale of Microsoft’s Surface is their high-end market price for an educationally targeted product. Including only one USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A port, one Mini-DisplayPort connector, a headphone jack, and their proprietary Surface Connect port, one must purchase an additional dock (like the one Microsoft sells for $199) to add further connectivity. That seems potentially problematic if a student or instructor desires the use of multiple flash drives, or an external hard drive. A situation like that could have been avoided if say, another USB port had been added to the final design. At least they were kind enough to not require a dongle to listen to music and charge the computer.

Thanks to Kyle for this story.

 

[dgingeri]

I agree with them The Type-C connector was great, for USB and for other connectivity. Perhaps it is good for charging phones. However, the choice to use it to power laptops was stupid. It should be an OUTPUT port for PCs, and an INPUT port only on phones. The fact that Apple started using it for the power adapter, while preventing users from using it while the laptop was charging, was a HUGE indicator of their idiocy. This trend needs to be stopped.

 

[FrozenSteel]

Its a good thing there are competitor products out there that are more innovative. Doing this makes the decision that much easier to stray away, especially since Microsoft seems to be going the way of Apple lately... I have no issue understanding that my USB Type-C charger for my phone may not work with my Surface tablet.

 

[heatlesssun]

I've got 1 device out of dozens of USB thumb drives, hard drives, etc that has USB C, my phone and so you get a A to C cable instead of a C to C. I don't get the big deal about this until there's a LOT more things out there with male C connectors. ThunderBolt though I get is an issue.

 

[gxp500]

Adding to the confusion, Type-C ports are sometimes used to charge their host devices. Customers could essentially grab the wrong Type-C charger and quickly run out of battery juice because the charger was not up for the task.

At least you'll have access to a charger, while it might be slow it'll still charge the laptop. Who wants to lug around a proprietary charger microsoft? You know where you can stick that proprietary charger right?

 

[Spire3660]

" Customers could essentially grab the wrong Type-C charger and quickly run out of battery juice because the charger was not up for the task."

You mean exactly like my USB charged Surface 3 does... Still better than having to keep a specific 'unicorn' charger for every laptop.

 

[Semantics]

Well wouldn't have minded a thunerbolt port usb is usb if it lacks type-c is no skin off my back barely anything uses it. Thunderbolt has quite a bit of versatility so it's a good w.e you need port

 

[Gigus Fire]

microsoft makes a lot of bad decisions. That's really not news worthy.
Their current charger for the surface is ass. If you decide to use the usb on the charger to actually charge something, it interferes with the charging of the surface.

 

[heatlesssun]

If you decide to use the usb on the charger to actually charge something, it interferes with the charging of the surface.

I've never seen that problem charging a phone a tablet with my Surface chargers though it may not charge the Surface device as fast.

 

[Hitti2]

My USB c aka thunderbold3 cannot be updated unless a device is connected to it. On this laptop.

Although, here are the speeds.

 

[Spidey329]

" Customers could essentially grab the wrong Type-C charger and quickly run out of battery juice because the charger was not up for the task."

You mean exactly like my USB charged Surface 3 does... Still better than having to keep a specific 'unicorn' charger for every laptop.

Your Surface 3 is charged via USB? Mine uses the proprietary adapter. Not easily confused. I'm always running out of ports (reason I carry a low profile USB3 hub), if I had to give one up to be a charge port, I'd be pissed.

 

[shad0w4life]

The hunt for C cables when I bought a G5 was a damn chore, and pricey as all hell. I ended up buying the micro to C adapters just so I could charge my phone at GFs/In Her Car etc. Finally they are a bit more affordable for longer ones(the ones I originally bought were 6" and cost about $7 from mono price) and now you can get C to C chargers for car which are amazing with the much higher output.

Up until about a month ago though, USB-C was a pretty big pain. My Laptop has one in the back but not quite sure what it is for since it is near the power input.

 

[jeremyshaw]

Your Surface 3 is charged via USB? Mine uses the proprietary adapter. Not easily confused. I'm always running out of ports (reason I carry a low profile USB3 hub), if I had to give one up to be a charge port, I'd be pissed.

AFAIK, the Surface 3 could charge using USB. The Surface Pro 3 could not.

I really like the Surface 3 concept, and wished MSFT continued it further. But I ended up with a Surface Pro 4 instead. I ended up not liking the Surface Pro 4 after 2 months, and someone else got it.

 

[Deleted member 243478]

I agree with them The Type-C connector was great, for USB and for other connectivity. Perhaps it is good for charging phones. However, the choice to use it to power laptops was stupid. It should be an OUTPUT port for PCs, and an INPUT port only on phones. The fact that Apple started using it for the power adapter, while preventing users from using it while the laptop was charging, was a HUGE indicator of their idiocy. This trend needs to be stopped.

Yeah bull... The Macbook Pro has 4 USB-C ports and even if it had one, it can be daisy chained...

USB-C is the future, Microsoft just have no backbone unlike Apple to push the industry in that direction, instead we are left with another product that will split the market leading to more confusion about what connectors should be used going forward and hold everyone back. If everyone just went to bloody USB-C at the same time, the impact would be minimal and the benefits huge... Not being able to plug in a portable HDD etc is just a simple cable swap.

USB-C charging is great as you can share it between various devices with no dedicated chargers and no most devices still support a lower rate of charge or float charging if power isn't sufficient for full charging.

Just imagine a USB-C standard world where you take your laptop to work or Uni and you want to plug it into a monitor or charger and its the same dam connector everywhere you go, no carrying a proprietary charger or "dongles". Dongles are just a short term solution until everyone catches up but people are too stupid to see anything other than what is in front of them today.

 

[dgingeri]

Yeah bull... The Macbook Pro has 4 USB-C ports and even if it had one, it can be daisy chained...

USB-C is the future, Microsoft just have no backbone unlike Apple to push the industry in that direction, instead we are left with another product that will split the market leading to more confusion about what connectors should be used going forward and hold everyone back. If everyone just went to bloody USB-C at the same time, the impact would be minimal and the benefits huge... Not being able to plug in a portable HDD etc is just a simple cable swap.

USB-C charging is great as you can share it between various devices with no dedicated chargers and no most devices still support a lower rate of charge or float charging if power isn't sufficient for full charging.

Just imagine a USB-C standard world where you take your laptop to work or Uni and you want to plug it into a monitor or charger and its the same dam connector everywhere you go, no carrying a proprietary charger or "dongles". Dongles are just a short term solution until everyone catches up but people are too stupid to see anything other than what is in front of them today.

I was meaning this:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/new-macbooks-single-port-scare-away/

...and dongles aren't just "a short term solution until everyone catches up." They never are. People have claimed this in the history of computers repeatedly. The "one port for everything" never happens. As soon as something begins to catch on, it runs out of steam in one area and is replaced with something else. In my 20 years in IT and 26 years building my own machines, I have seen it happen four times. Serial connections couldn't handle the bandwidth laser printers needed, and they got replaced with parallel. PCI couldn't handle graphics card bandwidth and got replaced by AGP, and then later couldn't handle gigabit ethernet so it got replaced with PCIe. USB 2.0 connectors couldn't be upgraded for the next generation, so they got replaced with USB 3.0. It is just NOT going to happen.

On top of that, it isn't a matter of being "too stupid to see anything other than what's in front of them." I happen to know for certain that one single USB 3.1 connector could not possibly handle everything I need connected to just my main desktop PC at home, let alone if I were to use a laptop that needed charging at the same time. For one, it can't handle the bandwidth of a USB 3.0 hard drive, 1Gb network, a monitor, and charging at the same time. There simply isn't enough pins in the connector, unless the user is stupid enough to use USB 3.1 for display (DisplayLink), network, and USB storage at the same time. DisplayLink is NOT good enough for gaming, and it would use up FAR too much bandwidth to allow for decent storage and network traffic at the same time.

I find it insulting and mildly amusing that you throw around "stupid" so easily when you can't even conceive that 20 pins isn't enough for those three tasks.

 

[Deleted member 243478]

I was meaning this:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/new-macbooks-single-port-scare-away/

LOL it was released 2 years ago and was Apples first attempt at it. Its was not really in the same class as the surface being a no compromise thin and light laptop. Regardless you can still daisy chain USB-C.

 

[geok1ng]

AFAIK, Surface line has the best dock in the market- wanna drive 3 monitors with a laptop? and type C is a PITA. Too bad i am poor and must look for chinese surface clones, which lack miniDP out, a must have for those looking for 4k 60hz.

 

[jnemesh]

You answered the question right in the write up. Since Microsoft has a PROPRIETARY dock for the Surface, they have no desire to let people use the multiple USB-C docking stations that are available. It's no mystery. They want you to buy THEIR proprietary bullshit!

 

[Deleted member 243478]

AFAIK, Surface line has the best dock in the market- wanna drive 3 monitors with a laptop? and type C is a PITA. Too bad i am poor and must look for chinese surface clones, which lack miniDP out, a must have for those looking for 4k 60hz.

So you are saying an open standard USB-C connector that does absolutely everything is a pain in the ass but a giant brick proprietary dock that only works with the surface isn't? The Macbook Pro can drive many displays off its USB-C ports including FOUR 4K displays or DUAL 5K 60hz...

I guess Surface users are a special type of special.

 

[jnemesh]

I was meaning this:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/new-macbooks-single-port-scare-away/

...and dongles aren't just "a short term solution until everyone catches up." They never are. People have claimed this in the history of computers repeatedly. The "one port for everything" never happens. As soon as something begins to catch on, it runs out of steam in one area and is replaced with something else. In my 20 years in IT and 26 years building my own machines, I have seen it happen four times. Serial connections couldn't handle the bandwidth laser printers needed, and they got replaced with parallel. PCI couldn't handle graphics card bandwidth and got replaced by AGP, and then later couldn't handle gigabit ethernet so it got replaced with PCIe. USB 2.0 connectors couldn't be upgraded for the next generation, so they got replaced with USB 3.0. It is just NOT going to happen.

On top of that, it isn't a matter of being "too stupid to see anything other than what's in front of them." I happen to know for certain that one single USB 3.1 connector could not possibly handle everything I need connected to just my main desktop PC at home, let alone if I were to use a laptop that needed charging at the same time. For one, it can't handle the bandwidth of a USB 3.0 hard drive, 1Gb network, a monitor, and charging at the same time. There simply isn't enough pins in the connector, unless the user is stupid enough to use USB 3.1 for display (DisplayLink), network, and USB storage at the same time. DisplayLink is NOT good enough for gaming, and it would use up FAR too much bandwidth to allow for decent storage and network traffic at the same time.

I find it insulting and mildly amusing that you throw around "stupid" so easily when you can't even conceive that 20 pins isn't enough for those three tasks.

I find it amusing that you don't understand that USB-C has the bandwidth for all of your tasks...and that you insult others who DO know!

 

[RedWagnum]

... and concerns with market adoption.

Well if Silverstone is any indication, I'd say market adoption is moving forward!

 

[Deleted member 243478]

I was meaning this:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/new-macbooks-single-port-scare-away/

...and dongles aren't just "a short term solution until everyone catches up." They never are. People have claimed this in the history of computers repeatedly. The "one port for everything" never happens. As soon as something begins to catch on, it runs out of steam in one area and is replaced with something else. In my 20 years in IT and 26 years building my own machines, I have seen it happen four times. Serial connections couldn't handle the bandwidth laser printers needed, and they got replaced with parallel. PCI couldn't handle graphics card bandwidth and got replaced by AGP, and then later couldn't handle gigabit ethernet so it got replaced with PCIe. USB 2.0 connectors couldn't be upgraded for the next generation, so they got replaced with USB 3.0. It is just NOT going to happen.

On top of that, it isn't a matter of being "too stupid to see anything other than what's in front of them." I happen to know for certain that one single USB 3.1 connector could not possibly handle everything I need connected to just my main desktop PC at home, let alone if I were to use a laptop that needed charging at the same time. For one, it can't handle the bandwidth of a USB 3.0 hard drive, 1Gb network, a monitor, and charging at the same time. There simply isn't enough pins in the connector, unless the user is stupid enough to use USB 3.1 for display (DisplayLink), network, and USB storage at the same time. DisplayLink is NOT good enough for gaming, and it would use up FAR too much bandwidth to allow for decent storage and network traffic at the same time.

I find it insulting and mildly amusing that you throw around "stupid" so easily when you can't even conceive that 20 pins isn't enough for those three tasks.

Mind blown.... you know absolutely nothing about USB-C... or that fact that most implementations also carry Thunderbolt 3. It is literally the port to end all ports, it supports everything aside from analogue audio and ethernet (dongles required) and means you can configure a laptop any way you want it to be with I/O. You can daisy chain it, you can charge with it, you can plug a monitor into it, you can use it as a USB or thunderbolt port, you can run an external graphics card off it. You can dock a Macbook Pro to a 5K 60hz monitor, charge it and have I/O expansion to the monitor with 1 tiny cable.

Yes people are stupid, they see this alien connector which they don't have devices for and freak out and reject it, rather than see its future potential to unify all devices and connections. Meanwhile Apple make the Macbook Pro USB-C only, bitch about them doing it only for money and selling dongles. In reality Apple have adopted an open standard for one of the first times ever future proofing their product meanwhile Microsoft are forcing you to buy a $200-$300 proprietary dock and apparently they are in the right? Yup people are stupid.

Next thing that will happen is Apple will move the iPhone to USB-C then everyone will loose their shit about Apple just trying to sell cables. The only reason the lightning cable exists in the first place is because micro USB was an inferior connector in every way.

 

[dgingeri]

Mind blown.... you know absolutely nothing about USB-C... or that fact that most implementations also carry Thunderbolt 3. It is literally the port to end all ports, it supports everything aside from analogue audio and ethernet (dongles required) and means you can configure a laptop any way you want it to be with I/O. You can daisy chain it, you can charge with it, you can plug a monitor into it, you can use it as a USB or thunderbolt port, you can run an external graphics card off it. You can dock a Macbook Pro to a 5K 60hz monitor, charge it and have I/O expansion to the monitor with 1 tiny cable.

Yes people are stupid, they see this alien connector which they don't have devices for and freak out and reject it, rather than see its future potential to unify all devices and connections. Meanwhile Apple make the Macbook Pro USB-C only, bitch about them doing it only for money and selling dongles. In reality Apple have adopted an open standard for one of the first times ever future proofing their product meanwhile Microsoft are forcing you to buy a $200-$300 proprietary dock and apparently they are in the right? Yup people are stupid.

Next thing that will happen is Apple will move the iPhone to USB-C then everyone will loose their shit about Apple just trying to sell cables. The only reason the lightning cable exists in the first place is because micro USB was an inferior connector in every way.

No, most don't carry Thunderbolt 3. Macbook Pros do, but they're one of maybe a dozen models that have that, nearly all of which are over $2000. It's extra circuitry and cost that most people can't afford. Even with Thunderbolt 3, it costs a TON more money to implement a thunderbolt interface on a monitor. Plus, TB3 may use the same connector, but it needs an external adapter (a dongle) to give USB 3.1 connectivity.

So, no, it CAN'T handle all that at once, unless you want people to all spend $10,000 on a stupid laptop setup that can't even game properly. (A $300 dock is NOTHING compared to the extra costs involved in Apple's stupid design of TB, DP, and USB in one connector. Then add on the extremely overpriced Apple "approved" dongles to try to use all that crap. The adapter chips on the devices would alone add up to more than Microsoft's dock.)

On top of all that, you expect average users to keep track of a chaining connection of devices in order to use one port for all that crap? Most users can't handle that level of complexity. In addition, supporting such a thing would be a huge headache, as one device goes partially down, it affects most of the chain, if not all, and would be extremely time consuming to find which is causing the problem.

The reason it isn't getting adopted isn't because people can't handle this "alien connector". (With the changes I've seen in IT over the last 20 year, I can definitely assure you this is NOT the case.) It IS a matter of cost, including the cost of support, especially since that cost is not just a cost in money, but also in TIME, the most valuable commodity of all.

I'd love the connector, if I had anything to use with it. I have just one USB 2.0 connection to my PC for all my outside devices except monitor and USB 3.0 backup drive. I'd love to be able to plug my backup drive into another hub to join all my other devices (bluetooth, keyboard, mouse, gaming controller, USB audio, and UPS) to remove another cable from the back of my PC. It's just most of my USB 2.0 devices won't work connected to a USB 3.0 hub. I've tried. My monitor will just have to stay separate, as TB implementations that work on my PC can't handle the 3440X1440 res I use, oh, and I can't divert the DP feed from my GTX 980 Ti into a TB port.

 

[nutzo]

You answered the question right in the write up. Since Microsoft has a PROPRIETARY dock for the Surface, they have no desire to let people use the multiple USB-C docking stations that are available. It's no mystery. They want you to buy THEIR proprietary bullshit!

Sounds about right.

At least this gives me one more argument against the surface and in favor of Dell. (Beside the better selection of laptops, better pricing, better warranty service, etc.)

Surface books are the new Mac Books. People want them because they are then new fashion trend.

I especial like how it's difficult to find any details on what model CPU the Surface Book uses, that the i7 is only a dual core, or even what speed the memory runs at.
Had more than one employee who insisted that they needed a Surface Book, because it was so much faster than what Dell was offering, and it was worth the 50% higher price.
Except I could get the Dell with an i5 quad core that was about 60% faster that the i7 dual core (why oh why Intel).

The latest Dell's have a docking station that connects via a USB C cable that also charges the laptops.
When not connected to the docking station they still have the older power adapter and connection for charging.
Besides Microsoft, what's so difficult about having a simple message come up on the computer screen when your computer is drawing more power than the low power USB charger can provide? My Note 4 phone already does this when I'm run some high CPU games while connected to an old USB charger.

 

[Deleted member 243478]

No, most don't carry Thunderbolt 3. Macbook Pros do, but they're one of maybe a dozen models that have that, nearly all of which are over $2000. It's extra circuitry and cost that most people can't afford. Even with Thunderbolt 3, it costs a TON more money to implement a thunderbolt interface on a monitor. Plus, TB3 may use the same connector, but it needs an external adapter (a dongle) to give USB 3.1 connectivity.

So, no, it CAN'T handle all that at once, unless you want people to all spend $10,000 on a stupid laptop setup that can't even game properly. (A $300 dock is NOTHING compared to the extra costs involved in Apple's stupid design of TB, DP, and USB in one connector. Then add on the extremely overpriced Apple "approved" dongles to try to use all that crap. The adapter chips on the devices would alone add up to more than Microsoft's dock.)

On top of all that, you expect average users to keep track of a chaining connection of devices in order to use one port for all that crap? Most users can't handle that level of complexity. In addition, supporting such a thing would be a huge headache, as one device goes partially down, it affects most of the chain, if not all, and would be extremely time consuming to find which is causing the problem.

The reason it isn't getting adopted isn't because people can't handle this "alien connector". (With the changes I've seen in IT over the last 20 year, I can definitely assure you this is NOT the case.) It IS a matter of cost, including the cost of support, especially since that cost is not just a cost in money, but also in TIME, the most valuable commodity of all.

I'd love the connector, if I had anything to use with it. I have just one USB 2.0 connection to my PC for all my outside devices except monitor and USB 3.0 backup drive. I'd love to be able to plug my backup drive into another hub to join all my other devices (bluetooth, keyboard, mouse, gaming controller, USB audio, and UPS) to remove another cable from the back of my PC. It's just most of my USB 2.0 devices won't work connected to a USB 3.0 hub. I've tried. My monitor will just have to stay separate, as TB implementations that work on my PC can't handle the 3440X1440 res I use, oh, and I can't divert the DP feed from my GTX 980 Ti into a TB port.

Again wrong...

Lets have a look at the super long list of devices that support Thunderbolt 3 shall we... oh and many of them are affordable?

http://www.ultrabookreview.com/10579-laptops-thunderbolt-3/

How about you bury your prejudice against the Macbook Pro, I was just using it as an example as it has the best implementation of USB-C... Apple devices don't need "approved" dongles but they do need dongles that support their hardware and not bargain basement chinese shit that is about to catch fire. There are plenty of breakout dongles available for the Macbook Pro now that have full support.

and no you don't need a dongle for a full size USB port long term, when all devices are USB-C or you dock the device with a display that also has full size USB ports. A laptop is a portable device, if you are out and about the most you will usually want to plug in is a USB HDD or USB key, both of which are easily adapted or purchased in USB-C format now. When you are sitting at a desk you dock it with a monitor...

Like I said, people are stupid, all they see is what is infront of them... a shitload of legacy devices they don't want to buy new cables for. USB-C is the future, get used to it, the sooner people accept it, the smoother the transition will be.

There is no complexity to USB-C aside from edge cases like 5K monitors etc which had problems with display port anyway so its a redundant argument. It is simple for an end user, plug a device in wherever it reaches to, doesn't matter if its through another device. Once the dust settles and compatibility issues go away from companies trying to do their own thing.

 

[geok1ng]

Type C docks are a plug and pray gadget. Dell marketed one that did not worked properly with Dell hardware.
proprietary docks sucks? certainly! spending $ on a generic port, only to find out that it won't do what you want or worst, brick your stuff is even worst.
call me when USB-C shit is done, and done right. as it stands i suffer enough with the terrible mini USB connector, that i hate with a passion. i do not need another shitload of adapters.

 

[Chaos Machine]

At least you'll have access to a charger, while it might be slow it'll still charge the laptop. Who wants to lug around a proprietary charger microsoft? You know where you can stick that proprietary charger right?

Charger has a USB port on it so I can drop the phone charger, pretty decent trade off imo. Also that magnetic break away cable has saved my surface from an early grave on at least 3 occasions now.

 

[Deleted member 243478]

Type C docks are a plug and pray gadget. Dell marketed one that did not worked properly with Dell hardware.
proprietary docks sucks? certainly! spending $ on a generic port, only to find out that it won't do what you want or worst, brick your stuff is even worst.
call me when USB-C shit is done, and done right. as it stands i suffer enough with the terrible mini USB connector, that i hate with a passion. i do not need another shitload of adapters.

All branded docks suck, there should be no need for a "Dock" in the USB-C generation, only a monitor that provides USB-C to connect it / charge it and interface the I/O.

 

[nutzo]

All branded docks suck, there should be no need for a "Dock" in the USB-C generation, only a monitor that provides USB-C to connect it / charge it and interface the I/O.

If you only have a monitor connected to your docking station, then why do you need a docking station?

The typical docking station at my office has 1 or 2 displays, a keyboard, a mouse, and GB Ethernet connection. A few are also connected to a TV in the office.
I have dozens of the older Dell docking stations in the office and have had no problems with them, even though some are 6 years old. I like that they worked over several generations of laptops.

Type C docks are a plug and pray gadget. Dell marketed one that did not worked properly with Dell hardware.
proprietary docks sucks? certainly! spending $ on a generic port, only to find out that it won't do what you want or worst, brick your stuff is even worst.
call me when USB-C shit is done, and done right. as it stands i suffer enough with the terrible mini USB connector, that i hate with a passion. i do not need another shitload of adapters.

Dell's older (about 2 years ago) USB dock didn't work too well. Plus you still needed to plug in a separate power connection to the laptops. Luckily I only have a couple of these Inspiron laptops/docking station.

However, I've in the process of rolling out new Latitude laptops, and they only support the new USB docking station. I've had no problems after several months. My only complaint is that they dropped the DVI port and replaced it with HDMI, and mini display port. Most the existing office displays either use DVI or standard display port, which requires my to buy new cables or adapters, or downgrade them to them to VGA.

 

[Deleted member 243478]

If you only have a monitor connected to your docking station, then why do you need a docking station?

The typical docking station at my office has 1 or 2 displays, a keyboard, a mouse, and GB Ethernet connection. A few are also connected to a TV in the office.
I have dozens of the older Dell docking stations in the office and have had no problems with them, even though some are 6 years old. I like that they worked over several generations of laptops.


Dell's older (about 2 years ago) USB dock didn't work too well. Plus you still needed to plug in a separate power connection to the laptops. Luckily I only have a couple of these Inspiron laptops/docking station.

However, I've in the process of rolling out new Latitude laptops, and they only support the new USB docking station. I've had no problems after several months. My only complaint is that they dropped the DVI port and replaced it with HDMI, and mini display port. Most the existing office displays either use DVI or standard display port, which requires my to buy new cables or adapters, or downgrade them to them to VGA.

Docking stations were a thing before USB-C, they really don't have a place anymore with USB-C and daisy chaining. All you need is a monitor that adopts USB-C with ethernet and some I/O expansion. As for connecting other monitors, well you just connect them to each other daisy chaining them. 1 cable into the laptop and job done, hell you can even put a GPU into a monitor and run it off USB-C.

Essentially the monitor becomes the dock or a better word would be an expansion hub

 

[mtrupi]

Knowing there was a plan to include type-c I was disappointed to see it didn't make it. I was further disappointed with only one USB port. It looks so nice either of those two things would have made it a difficult choice over the other options available. The battery life sounds great, but it must also have the other features I need.

 

[geok1ng]

Docking stations were a thing before USB-C, they really don't have a place anymore with USB-C and daisy chaining. All you need is a monitor that adopts USB-C with ethernet and some I/O expansion. As for connecting other monitors, well you just connect them to each other daisy chaining them. 1 cable into the laptop and job done, hell you can even put a GPU into a monitor and run it off USB-C.

Essentially the monitor becomes the dock or a better word would be an expansion hub

kindly point us towards such monitor, and remember to specify which Type C devices can you connect to such a monitor without bricking.

OR

i could get the laptop i want, spent money on a proprietary dock and be free to use it with any monitor.

For F sake, i can barely find good gaming monitors with a USB 3.0 hub and you want to limit my monitor choices to USB C??

 

[Deleted member 243478]

kindly point us towards such monitor, and remember to specify which Type C devices can you connect to such a monitor without bricking.

OR

i could get the laptop i want, spent money on a proprietary dock and be free to use it with any monitor.

For F sake, i can barely find good gaming monitors with a USB 3.0 hub and you want to limit my monitor choices to USB C??

There are a few USB-C monitors on the market that incorporate full size USB and charging already, no ethernet yet. Problem is USB-C monitors are USB-C monitors so adoption needs to speed up so more development happens.

Your dock argument is irrelevant unless you are going to carry it everywhere you go. The idea of USB-C is you can go anywhere and dock your laptop.

Don't know what people think is going to happen lol USB-C is the future and will replace all other ports. It is a superior connector, it is a universal connector, we will start seeing it on graphcs cards very soon with adapters for displayport.

 

[geok1ng]

It is a superior connector, it is a universal connector,

In Portuguese we developed the expression " Dejà cù", the feeling that you have been fckd up the a$$ before on a similar situation.

Type C launch was messed by stuff that did not worked as intended ou literally bricked your hardware.
It will take some time before a safe Type C ecosystem convince me to adopt it: i survived without firewire, thunderbolt and USB 3.1.

 

[naib]

obligitory XKCD

Saything that though, USB-C is very,very good. I personally hate USB and have done for quite some time for a number of reasons

1) USB-A mechanical dimensions are comparable to RJ45 ... I have had someone screaming at me that a piece of usb hardware I designed and maintain didn't work when they reached behind their laptop & "plugged it in" ... guess where they plugged it in

2) The hardware layer and protocol layer cannot be separated. I did make use of the hardware layer of firewire (before fully migrating to base100). This might not be a concern for "IT people" but as a hardware designer this an annoyance

3) Produces lazy "hardware"... rather than utilising HID, CDC is used producing overly complex drivers... the number of times I have had windows and linux eating cpu due to poor drivers due to "cheap usb" is disgusting

4) insertion cycles of USB-mini

5) blooding quantum usb insertion


But USB-C solves alot of these.

 

[gunbust3r]

I would rather see them comment/defend the continued use of the horrible Avastar WiFi/Bluetooth.

 

[bot2600]

I love the USB-C connector on my XPS. I plug in one cable that connects me to an eGPU dock and adds a Titan-X, three monitors, more ports, cat5 and charges my laptop. One cable. I was sold the first day I used it.

 

[nutzo]

Docking stations were a thing before USB-C, they really don't have a place anymore with USB-C and daisy chaining. All you need is a monitor that adopts USB-C with ethernet and some I/O expansion. As for connecting other monitors, well you just connect them to each other daisy chaining them. 1 cable into the laptop and job done, hell you can even put a GPU into a monitor and run it off USB-C.

Essentially the monitor becomes the dock or a better word would be an expansion hub

So, should spend even more replacing perfectly good LCD monitors I already have with special USB-C monitors that cost 2-3 times the price? No thanks.

 

[Deleted member 243478]

So, should spend even more replacing perfectly good LCD monitors I already have with special USB-C monitors that cost 2-3 times the price? No thanks.

You seem more than happy to spend stupid money on a dock that will only last that generation of laptop meanwhile you are getting monitors in larger sizes and high resolutions that can support many different laptop configurations and replacements.