The power issue is a minor temporary inconvenience. I did the same as OP and just got a bunch of cables from Cable Matters that cover basically everything. And the USB-C to USB 3.1 Type B on my hub means I don't have to change any desktop accessories. I just changed a single cable and it was compatible with my home setup.
The ability to "upgrade" an accessory just by switching from a 5Gbps cable to a 40Gbps cable is incredible.
Other manufacturers are already following. A year from now the fact that this was ever an issue will seem silly.
I just wish they would scrap Lightning and the 3.5mm and just go 100% USB-C.
Just buy the high speed/high charge capable ones and you're set. That's how it's better.
>I remember reading one description of this that went something like this: prior to USB-C nothing fit but everything worked. Now everything fits but nothing works.
Yeah, I read the same. That's why I stopped reading such things. Now everything works, with USB-C, and I don't have to worry about some writer's hysteria to drum up views.
That would seem to be true except for connecting a Thunderbolt 3 monitor. From the parent's linked article:
> Thunderbolt 3 runs longer than 18-inches can be passive or active. The passive ones have lower speed, with the max data rate hitting about 20Gbit/second at two meters of cable length. However, active cables contain transceivers to regulate the data transfer through the cable. At the same two meters, speed is still at the maximum of 40Gbit/second. Passive cables maintain USB 3.1 type-C compatibility. Active ones do not. [emphasis added]
That seems like a valid issue to me, not "hysteria".
Still sounds better that what it was to me.
Not to mention that if there's a cable that's stationary and stays at home/office it's the monitor desktop. Unless one regularly takes their 24/27" monitor with them, they can just buy ONCE, the appropriate cable, and live it connected for ever.
It's not like people will mess their monitor cables up while on the road.
So a USB-C port and cable is capable of one or more of the following:
- Providing power (at different wattages)
- Data transfer of varying speeds
- Display transport
So cables are visibly the same and have a different set of capabilities. For example, Apple's USB-C cables that come with the new Macbooks aren't capable of high speed data transfer. Some cables are capable of charging at 87W. Others much less.
How is this better?
I remember reading one description of this that went something like this: prior to USB-C nothing fit but everything worked. Now everything fits but nothing works.
But consider a practical matter: if each port needs to be capable of power, data transfer and display, it's either going to be more expensive to produce or some ports, like the cables, will have different capabilities with no indication as to why.
Honestly it's just a horrible idea.
EDIT: example of this insanity:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/08/15/psa-thunderbolt-3-...