USB-A is not 'just fine'. It's uni-directional. Which is an insane design for something being constantly plugged in and out. It's also low-bandwidth and low-power. Most devices these days have bluetooth, so it isn't really needed except for power and monitors. USB-C is a step-up in everything and I'm happy with only USB-C.

Not everything needs to be constantly plugged. My desktop doesn't even have Bluetooth in it. I'm quite happy with the USB A ports on my PC when it comes to plugging in mice, keyboards, USB storage, etc. If you use USB devices on a regular basis, you'll remember which way USB ports are oriented, and you can just look at the end of the USB cable to see which way it needs to go in.

Having said that, I will say the USB C connector on my phone is far superior, as I plug/unplug it daily.

Power and bandwidth aren't even related to connector type.

> If you use USB devices on a regular basis, you'll remember which way USB ports are oriented, and you can just look at the end of the USB cable to see which way it needs to go in.

You shouldn't need to remember orientation or look at it! You're apologising for a bad design.

> Power and bandwidth aren't even related to connector type.

Not true! For example the max bandwidth you can currently put through USB-A is 10 Gbps with USB 3.1. Through USB-C it's up to 50 Gbps with Thunderbolt 3.

The asymmetry of the USB-A connector is at worst a minor inconvenience. Definitely not in itself a good reason to break compatibility. And most USB devices are not frequently plugged in and out (indeed, for those that are, Bluetooth is a better choice!)

Growing pains, we'll get over it. USB-C fixes the problem everyone complained about forever of turning the plug over three times before getting it to be rightside up, and gives us enough contact points for modern video streams. I feel like making it compatible with the older USB standards by just connecting a subset of pins is super useful, and it's about as much backwards compatibility as we can expect with major sacrifices in other regards. I've got a phone with two USB-C ports, a hub that gives me two USB-A ports, an ethernet, and another USB-C, and a separate USB-C to HDMI adapter. I wouldn't trade either of my USB-C ports for a dedicated USB-A.

Absurd tragedy? Maybe for you. For me, it's been a good life since the 2016 MacBook Pro. I got a decent dock, and connect everything with a single cable.

I would assume you paid a good $150 for one, given that the others either don’t supply enough power or can’t do 4K@60.

More. I paid 250 euros for a CalDigit TS3 Plus. Thing is amazing.

When I first got my MacBook Pro, I just got USB-C cables for my external monitor and my (USB-A) hub. That was very cheap, but I love the convenience of Thunderbolt and shelled out the cash.

I am struggling to find good info - does usb-c support more than one display on one cable at 4k@60?

Yup, all Thunderbolt 3 docks support two 4K displays @ 60 Hz.