The USB connection between your Android phone and computer doesn’t need to be so difficult, but it is.
It’s a case of a common technology ailment I call, “Let’s make it easy by giving the user way too many options.” The whole notion of too many options being easy is ridiculous of course.
Microsoft is expert at giving users too many options, all in the name of making it “easier.”
For example, the last time I counted there were about 9 different ways to copy a file from hither to thither using Windows:
1. You can drag the file’s icon from one folder to another.
2. You can use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste the file; or Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V to move the file.
3. You can use the menu commands for Copy/Cut and paste.
4. There are various F-key shortcuts for the Copy/Cut commands.
5. There are Copy To Folder and Move To Folder commands, though I forget where they are is.
6. You can right-click a file and chose Copy or Cut.
7. You can right-click a file and choose the Send To command.
8. At the command prompt there are the COPY and MOVE commands.
9. At the command prompt there is the XCOPY command.
There are probably more.
My point is that it doesn’t make it easier for the user to have multiple ways to do things. It’s much better to have a single way to do something, even if it’s “complex,” and just let the user deal with it.
As an example, consider the way most Android phones make the USB connection to a computer.
The USB connection is simple — on the hardware side: You plug the phone in the USB cable. You plug the USB cable into the computer. It’s easy because the two ends of the cable are different and, if you screw up, you simply try the other end. Simple. Simple. Simple.
On the software side, after you connect the USB cable to your computer your phone displays a prompt asking you to choose the USB mode for the computer connection. Sometimes there are two options, sometimes there are four. On the HTC Thunderbolt, there are six options!
Generally speaking, however, there are three key options:
Charge Only. In this mode, the USB connection is used only to recharge the phone’s battery. As far as communications is concerned, the phone is not talking with the computer and its storage isn’t mounted into the computer’s storage system.
Disk Drive. In this mode, the phone acts as an external storage device. Making this USB connection is similar to treating the phone as a removable storage device, like a thumb drive.
Media. In this mode, the phone acts like a portable media player, an MP3 music gizmo or a digital camera.
The idea here is for the connection to work best with your computer’s software: Disk Drive USB mode is great for swapping files — if you’re brave enough to do that. Media USB mode is ideal for synchronizing pictures and music. That makes sense, but does there really need to be so many options?
