Whatever way you put it in the first time is always the wrong way.

[Edited on February 11, 2008 at 5:53 PM. Reason : thats what she said.]

2/11/2008 5:53:04 PM

This problem is different with horizontal slots because... ?

2/11/2008 5:55:14 PM

because it's pretty obvious with most things what way it goes... the usb symbol on the plug is suppose to be facing up

dur de durr

2/11/2008 5:58:55 PM

well if your computer is standing right side up the top of your usb device goes up.

Unless you cant tell which side is up. In which case, same problem.

Its like when you have something you've compiled 10000 times and you go to compile it on a new machine but no matter how many times you do it you always forget 1 dependency

2/11/2008 5:59:59 PM

The only truly bad kind were the ones that Dell used to have on the front of their cases. The one that was hidden and the plug went up at an angle. You had to have that case up on a desk to make the USB ports useful.

I'm still not sure how that idea made it past day 1, hour 1 of user testing.

[Edited on February 11, 2008 at 8:06 PM. Reason : -]

2/11/2008 8:06:08 PM

^Those cases used to be (and sort of still are) everywhere, I get pissed off every time I have to use the USB port and I can't fit the angle right or I have to get down on the floor to plug it in. Although by now I've just about got the aiming of the stick mastered and don't have to look anymore.

2/11/2008 8:15:35 PM

gateway had a version of that too actuallly...

it just so happens to be that model we bought when we bought every single (salaried) employee a new computer...

2/11/2008 8:28:49 PM

Quote :

"The only truly bad kind were the ones that Dell used to have on the front of their cases. The one that was hidden and the plug went up at an angle. You had to have that case up on a desk to make the USB ports useful."

i have a dell like this

i had something plugged in and my roommate didnt see the cable

broke the ports

[Edited on February 11, 2008 at 8:47 PM. Reason : 

2/11/2008 8:46:44 PM

Those are heinous, yet Dell used them across all 3 desktop product lines for about 3 years. The computer on my desk here is one of those, and I have enough trouble plugging anything in; impossible when they're on the floor.

That was just a bad case design altogether though; rear-opening clamshell FTL. The new ones are much better, with an honest-to-goodness removable side panel, but they do have vertical USB ports. :-\

2/12/2008 5:56:34 PM

Are you referring to the Optiplex GX-150 - GX-280's? I hate those too ! Unfortunately I have to deal w/ those every day.

2/12/2008 6:47:58 PM

i'm hoping that i'll be able to get rid of most of these out of the unity labs by this fall. the gx 250-280 cases were not well designed, and we pay for that every day.

2/12/2008 8:31:50 PM

on a somewhat related note. one of the dell desktop server cases i have has 2 usb ports behind the front cover... but no access to them. i can see them through the holes in the front of the case, but you can't actually get to them.

2/12/2008 10:18:28 PM

yea my desktop is a poweredge 400sc. Its the same case/mobo/etc... as the dimension desktops at the time. The only real difference was the front panel which you could either replace with a dimension one if you had it, or just dremmel a whole to get to the usb ports (and mic/headphone jacks). The other thing you could do it unhook the assembly from inside the case and have internal usb if you wanted it for some reason. Also I imagine if you could extend the cable connecting the mobo jumpers to the usb/audio connector assembly you could put it anywhere you wanted.

2/13/2008 9:54:35 AM

Quote :

"Are you referring to the Optiplex GX-150 - GX-280's? I hate those too ! Unfortunately I have to deal w/ those every day."

Those, and the Precision 340 - 370, and a variety of Dimensions. My desktop in one of my offices is a Dimension 4400, which sucks for oh so many reasons, that crappy case design being one of them.

2/13/2008 10:29:30 AM