How to Navigate Apple’s Shift From Lightning to USB-C

The New York Times ^ | 12th September 2023 | Brian X Chen

[Dr. Sivana]

Apple using a standard cable. The horror, the horror.

Apple's record is mixed. The original iMac was the first mass market computer with OS to use USB at all. The Desktop PCs of the era had USB, but Microsoft didn't really support it in Windows 95, and poorly in the first iteration of Windows 98. Hence, there were no peripherals.

When the iMac came out, nuking SCSI, RS-232/422, ADB, leaving only RJ-45, RJ-11 (dial-up modem), USB 1.1, IrDA, and AC power. That is about as standard any any desktop gets. This market dictation also jumpstarted the USB peripherals business that the Wintel desktops/laptops piggy-backed on.

[bigdaddy45]

It will to some extent. If everybody is going to a single cable, that means we don’t need to buy as many. But just how much environmental waste do lightning cables make up. Not much.

[Dr. Sivana]

The problem with standardization is that it crowds out innovation.

Not so much with computers. USB and Firewire co-existed nicely until Firewire was made obsolete by newer iterations of USB.

I remember buying a motherboard with both EISA and local bus.

The Mac IIfxhad both Nubus and PDS (Processor Direct Slot, typically for video).

[Swanks]

There’s an “etguuns” brand on Amazon with 46,000 reviews; 4.6 stars. I got em to bridge the gap for car charger and some old but still good battery packs for when power goes out. They seem fine

[HamiltonJay]

Apple needed to either go completely wireless or change their connector anyway, their current connector ports wear out in 2-3 years tops. We’ll see how their USB-C’s do