I hate USB IF with a burning passion of a thousand supernovas.
I don't understand this at all. Without such consortiums consisting of key
members from across the multitude of industries within (and outside) the industry of IT, there would be no common industry standard I/0 protocols. No common voltages. No industry standard connections. No common anything. Every maker would have their own proprietary method of communication and connection with motherboards, or anything else.
There would be no external hubs, no common cables. It would be a HUGE mess - at the consumers expense!!!
Yes, "universal" may be a bit of a misnomer as there certainly are many exceptions out there. But for the vast majority of devices, "universal" fits.
Much of the problem is self-inflicted by us consumers. "WE" have demanded smaller and thinner when it comes to our laptops and cell phones and other devices. This is one reason the old, standard, mini-stereo connector went away.
I said "outside" the industry of IT? I note my Garmin GPS uses USB for power. Even the
little light set and
JBL speaker for my bike charge via USB. My flashlight uses USB to charge. The wireless charging pad for my cell phone uses USB.
I could list a dozen more.
We also demanded USB ports not be keyed so we didn't have to fumble with which way is up or down. I love this!!!!
My point here is, I would need separate "proprietary" cables for each if there wasn't a standard connector, established by the USB IF.
Wireless USB is obsolete, dead and abandoned.
I don't understand this either.
I love my wireless keyboards and mice that work via a USB dongle. Wireless USB certainly is NOT obsolete, dead, or abandoned.
how scuffed of a spec USB has been lately.
I don't disagree but I think the latest "standard" is working to remedy that. The problem is three-fold. (1) There are millions and millions of devices still in use and working just fine with past standards still out there. (2) There are 1000s of manufacturers of 10s of 1000s different products, each with their own idea (often great ideas) on how to implement I/0. And (3) - and perhaps most impactful - the state-of-the-art in hardware and software is advancing across and throughout these industries at different rates.
That last point makes developing a truly "universal" "one-size-fits-all" standard nearly, if not completely, impossible.