Damn USB Connectors
In my current job, I’m part of a team where I have to deploy 100s of computers. This involves setting/hooking up computers (monitors, keyboards, mice, network and power), and one of the most annoying things has got to be the USB connector. Not just in this job, but generally speaking.
USB connectors
The normal rectangular USB connectors, male and female, both being almost identical with half of the insides solid… goddamnit, why am I explaining this thing, just look at the image alongside to remind yourselves.
What I’m getting at is, how annoying is it when you’re trying to plug in your USB device and it’s the wrong way around. Grr, it’s bloody annoying. 
You then look at your device’s USB connector, then look at the USB slot on the PC, then plug it in correctly. It’s even more annoying when you’re trying to plug it in in the back of the PC. Who the f**k designed these things? (Answer to that is Apple, HP, Intel, Microsoft, etc.)
God knows how many people have destroyed the connectors on their USB devices in this way.
FireWire connector
So how come industry leaders come up with such an un-user-friendly design? I mean, look at Apple’s FireWire. Granted, it’s slightly larger and isn’t anywhere as successful as the USB, but the connector is a beauty… with its amazing two angled corners. 
All the USB designers had to do was make at least one corner angled or make it obvious which way it’d go in.
That’s all folks, rant over. Hope you enjoyed my first blog entry. 
- Cøbra
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
That’s so true!
Luckily though, most USB things I use are quite tough and survive me jabbing them in the wrong way.
It’s probably too late now, seeing as how USB is so widely used now.
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Ah-fucking-greed. I have probably 5-10 broken Wireless Adapters that have been broken while I attempted to jam it into the USB port. It’s irritating as fuck.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:49 am
I use permanent marker to mark the one I use often, for testing.
http://i35.tinypic.com/34ja9m8.jpg
It must been invented in America
September 26th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Actually, it’s quite easy to see the correct way to insert the male end into a USB port: there is always a seam in the metal on the BOTTOM. Just make sure the seam faces down, and …voila!… it goes in every time.
I can’t say if there’s a trick for figuring out which side of a FEMALE connector of a USB extension cord goes up. I would imagine the USB Logo always faces upwardly; that seems to be convention.
October 14th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Haha, I broke the two front USB ports on my computer but putting them in the wrong way multiple times. And it’s always a bit hard to coax them in there softly.
November 8th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Hah you are so d*** right Cøbra. I can picture your frustration since i feel the same way every time i need to plug an USB cable or key in.
And somehow even if i look at it before even trying to put it in, i end up trying the wrong way first
November 30th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
i have usb flash drive when i want to format my usb message says usb is write protect, i havent any Write-protect switch
what can do to solve this problem
thanks for all