Windows 10: How to use these different types of USB 3.1 ports & Optical Drive

I am checking out some Windows 10 laptops on-line
Without regard to Make/Model at this time, please help me understand these USB 3.1 ports
Ports: 1 USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 (data up to 5Gb/s) • 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (data transfer only).

USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 (data up to 5Gb/s)
--- What description are they?
--- How is it best used?

2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 (data transfer only)
--- What description are they?
--- How is it best used?
--- Are they limited to how they are used?
--- What does data up to 5Gb/s mean?

Some laptops don't include an optical drive. Why?
--- Could it be because Media drive: Multi-format digital media card reader can do the job of what an optical drive can do?

:)

 

USB 3.1 Type C not working on ASUS X556UQ Win10

This port does not appear to be working. Plugged in a WD My Passport Ultra USB 3.0 external drive using a USB 3.1 Type C adapter on the computer's port. It does not seem to recognise it all.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Asus USB Type-C Monitor, no signal Windows 10

What you say about checking compatibility is the key!

I assumed that having a USB 3.1 Type-C port on the computer was enough to run the Asus USB Type-C Monitor MB169C+, but that is not the case and the Asus support in Sweden does not seem to have knowledge about this, as they replaced the monitor with another
one - still with the same problem.

The USB 3.1 Type-C port must support DP Alternate (Alt) Mode or DisplayPort and you can normally see the DP-logo next to the port if this is the case.

I have successfully tried the monitor on an Apple MacBook and it look great. The monitor is not the problem, but I can´t use it as I was fooled by the "no problem-functionality" with the USB 3.1 Type-C port.

 

Hi MeAndMyComputer

USB Type C is the newest USB configuration. It is fast and it does not have to be plugged in with a certain orientation. Are you sure it is a Gen 1 and not a Gen 2. All USB ports prior to this you had to get the proper side up which drove people crazy. The ability to connect older devices should be checked. It might be an adapter, or a new cable. Having this port will help future proof your device.

USB 3.1 (Type A, rectangular) ports look like all the USB ports in the past but the little tongue within is usually blue. It is backward compatible as should be the Type C.

The 5Gbps is how fast the data moves through the port. Not an issue to copy one or two pictures but let's say you wanted to image your 200GB drive, the faster data moves the shorter the process will be.

USB ports can be used for keyboards, mice, watch connectors, printers, data drives, little lights, drawing tablets and the list goes on and on. Most of these don't need the speed. Data transfers, large data transfers want speed.

Not sure why your two USB 3.1 Gen 1's are listed as data transfer only as I thought all USB ports put out a nominal amount of power. Like when you connect one of those enclosed backup drives.

DVD / CD are slowly going the way of the dodo. Software vendors usually sell you a box with a license key in it or just a plastic card, you download the software, people stream music or they outright download it. Then there is the issue of how much data you can get on a disc, USB Thumb drives hold magnitudes more data. This keeps cost down and the space can be re-purposed. If you need a CD there are plenty of small externals on the market for around $35 or less.

Now if you have a vast collection of blue-rays or DVD's you might want to play on trips, the market place says rip it.

Let see what other members add.


Ken

 

Guess I've been lucky with USB of the last 10+ years [at least since Win98SE which was the first to give support for USB 2.0 drivers], all the ports on a computer have been indexed so the devices would plug in only one way. USB 3.0 ports [blue centers] mostly will fall back to USB 2.0 but have seen issues with printers losing communication if plugged into USB 3. Some Thumb drives and External HDDs have issues but the last few years have been better with those.

As to power, some External HDDs provide their own supply but if in doubt or have issues I always use a Self-powered Hub to assure smooth operation.

 

USB 3.1 is relatively new and very little hardware to connect to it, as yet. All these USB version transitions have taken years, good thing as most people use a mix of old and new hardware.

The speed of USB is the speed of the slowest hardware component in the route, that is why it's "up to". The port itself may in theory deliver data up to 5 Gb/s. But that is meaningless for say a Mouse or a cheap USB key drive.

"Some laptops don't include an optical drive. Why?"
A lot of people have problems burning Optical Disks, thus they are auto-rejected for spurious reasons. It also adds weight and size to a Laptop. It is one of personal choice and how your Laptop is used. If it sits almost permanently on the desktop then size weight does not matter so much.

I use CDs/DVDs as another backup 4+ copies onwards, to other backups for important stuff, cheap and easy (for me anyway), my oldest disks are about 16 years old. No HDD, floppy disk has lasted that long.
An Optical Drive has no need for the speed of any of the latest iterations of USB 3.1.

 

The type C that do not need a certain orientation sounds good to me.

The information I posted is from the list of specs for one of the computers I was checking out on-line.

I was wondering if optical drives are on the way out. I create system image backups using Macrium Reflect Free and use DVD-R to create their rescue media but I'll try to use the USB method next.

 

@Berton, you reminded me of when I had a Windows 98SE computer. I believe it was originally Windows 98 and then became 98SE probably via a Service Pack? I even extended its use by a year beyond it's EOL date and thought I was accomplishing something especially because I used safe computer practices. But I don't do that anymore, when my subsequent computers reached EOL I just moveD on to the next OS.

 

That makes sense to me. I'm glad I asked the questions I did because I appreciate comments on what specs computers go by in todays world.

 

As for the Optical discs/drives, could be and it's similar to floppy disks and Zip disks, insufficient capacity. But maybe the Blu-Ray will catch on with their 25GB and 50GB discs? And costs of External USB HDDs are within reach of lots of folks.

As for the cable plugs, the standard USB 2 and USB 3 plugs can go only one way but the problem is that there's a 50-50 chance the wrong way will be chosen first and some research way back showed that a person has a 90% probability of making that wrong choice first.

 

The main plus of usb C is a more robust connection at the device end. I have lost count of devices that get worn out connections. Downside is too few devices have embraced it needing a conversion cable which rather defeats point of it.

 

I just noticed a couple of my USB's have Red "alignment tabs". What are the Red ones for?

 

Red ports can be ports you can charge from or they can be Type A USB 3.1 Gen 2. These are very fast and are capable of higher power requirements.

The only real way to confirm is to look up your device online and find manual. It should be very specific.


Ken

 

Thank you Ken

 

I hope they are Gen 2's. Would be very nice for moving data.

Good luck with this new device.