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

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