You know how every home seems to have a junk drawer?
Every home also seems to have a box or container full of cables. Charging cables, adaptor plugs, connection cables. For cameras, headphones, toothbrushes, computers, phones, televisions, printers, powerbanks, games. No one seems to know what they belong to and they don’t have the energy to sort through the knots to find what they are looking for, so they often just buy a new one.
I have often thought how easy it would be if every phone and computer used the same cables – one cable to rule them all, so to speak. It would be cheaper, easier and there would be less e-waster. I suppose companies make a lot of their money selling chargers for their particular devices.
I thought the broad introduction of USB-C to USB-C cables would reduce e-waste and frustration. Many of my and my husband’s devices used the same cables so when we were travelling we could share. I was so happy that I could use the same cables for different devices. I have one in the bedroom and one in the living room. My husband also carries a spare charger in his work bag, though I don’t.
Alas, for some reason, Apple’s new computers have gone back to the Magsafe-3 magnetic plug. I suppose it was requested. Maybe for safety reasons – it pulls away if you trip over it. It does still have usb-c ports so I guess you could use the usb-c to charge, though I am hesitant to try that.
I found a post on all the different connectors that MacBooks have had, I recognised almost all of them!
I have never had a junk drawer in any of the houses I have lived in. I think it would drive me crazy if I was looking for something that is in there. And the dust it might collect!
As for cables, I agree that we tend to have too many. I have a charger in the lounge and one in my study that I use for both my tablet and my smartphone and my hubby keeps all his cables in his study. We try to stay organised and we share the cables if necessary.