

If the average user were to pick up a new keyboard off-the-shelf, and got it home to find a USB-C connector, they’d be completely out of luck – and likely quite furious. Meanwhile, it’s still possible to buy laptops that come without a single USB-C port. Even in 2020, the average computer comes with a bunch of classic USB-A ports, sometimes 10 or more on a well-provisioned desktop. They’re primarily aimed at the laptop market, as desktops lag in implementing USB-C.įundamentally, it all comes down to peripherals. What gives? Peripherals Are Where It’s At USB-C peripherals are hard to find, but they are out there.

However, it’s yet to truly send USB-A packing, especially on the desktop. Its first major application was on smartphones like the Nexus 5X, and it has come to dominate the smartphone market, at least if you leave aside the iPhone. In late 2014, the USB Implementers Forum finalised the standard for the USB-C plug. Offering an interface with good speeds and a compact connector, it became the standard for hooking up interface devices, storage, and even became the de-facto way to talk old-school serial, too.

Developed in the mid-1990s, it undertook a slow but steady march to the top. USB is one of the most beloved computer interfaces of all time.
