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This is a problem. It’s not the biggest problem in the world, but it’s a just such a dumb, thoughtless, annoying design flaw that it bears mentioning. Apple’s doing headphone jacks wrong. Actually, no, everyone’s doing them wrong.
In short: Headphone cords almost uniformly insert into the left cup. Some still connect to both, but most good pairs will connect to just one. And the headphone jack on iMacs is on the right side as you face the screen, as do most other all-in-ones (Lenovo, Samsung, et al—though HP and Acer do get it right). That means when you’re wearing your headphones at your desk, you’ve got to either wear your headphones backwards or drape your cord across your workspace.
Again, this is not a Huge Deal. It is a sort of tiny deal. But it’s not like they don’t know that’s where the jack is supposed to go, either. Basically all laptops have the headphone jack on the left side. And for machines that are built with such attention to detail, especially Apple’s famously rigorous design team, this is basically inexplicable. So please, Sir Ive, could you take a moment to disembowel someone and make this right?
Teaching Computers to Find Your Good Side
If You're Blaming Computer Problems on a Virus, You're Probably Wrong
Single-Sided Headphones Let You Cheat Death By Keeping One Ear Open
Ha! Win! My 17″ Samsung Chronos has it left side…do I win a prize?
My shure SH440s have a long cable (and left ear connection), my laptop has a right side port. Solution? Drape around the back of computer.
Gets rid of some of the slack so it doesn’t fall on my lap, and doesn’t go across my workspace either.
That was rocket science, right?
+1 for Shure 440s
This is just silly. My Sennheiser headphones have the cable on the right side. And my MacBook Air has the headphone plug on the left side. There is no standard. Deal with it.
Deal with it by lobbying to have a standard?
And what? End up with two standards? One for the left and one for the right.
Probably. They could label them left and right handed laptops/headphones.
you must be wearing them wrong
HD25′s connect to the right ear. MBP jack on left. Nothing’s perfect..
You’re right, this isn’t a huge deal… so why write an article about it?
Three words: “Paid Per Click” :p
Three more words:
Adblock for Chrome
please can you tell me which one you use? when i search ‘ad block’ in extensions, there are quite a few options. ta
Just regular “Adblock” – https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom
50% filler, 50% hey isn’t that weird that two things designed specifically for each other should be created in exactly the opposite of the optimum way?
It’s a massive deal
I use a Wacom tablet, so if I need to have my headphones in I end up having a wire draped not only across my keyboard, but my tablet too. It’s a fucking massive pain in the arse.
p.s OMG FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS
It’s annoying. You are trying to get that one perfect shot lined up, but because your headphone wire happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, your mouse gets stuck and your shot goes wild.
#s
Laptops normally left no? Mine is. Anyhow, just wear your headphones the wrong way round, I can’t see why you’d notice.
Wouldnt work if you played games or watched films
Oh yea, I was jus thinking of music weren’t I. Can you not inverse stereo on most sound cards?
My Dell laptop has the audio ports on the right. Workable space is probably more of a concern in laptops though.
*Move tower to other side of desk*
*Problem solved*
Any other major life conundrums to work out, Mr Wagner? I’m available any time.
I still use my old Audigy 2 ZS soundcard cos I have the exceptionally lickable front panel.
It means there’s less chance of me tearing all the cables out of my PC/telly when I’m smashed out of my mind.
Mmmmmmmmmm, nice.
http://img.allabout.co.jp/gm/article/204593/03.jpg
i have one of those too, but a rarely use my desktop any more
i tend to use my laptop for well everything really.
yeah, i always have a focusrite saphire plugged in, which then goes into a headphone amplifier with four headphone outputs. i had forgotten people even plug headphones straight into computers LOLZZ.
Would also be more convenient on the left to avoid getting in the way of any wired parts for right-handers (mouse for someone who doesn’t like batteries…) etc
More to do with human Handedness. Headphones tend to have the cord on the left as people are predominantly right handed so the cord doesn’t interfere. On the flip side because you are right handed the ports on laptops tend to the on the right hand side. There are plenty of exceptions though, and if you have a desktop its not an issue, the trend towards massive headphones with mobile devices is pretty new. In the past big headphones lived with your PC and smaller earphones went with your mobile kit.
I have had right corded headphones before and they do get in the way, its a pain. Its much easier to loop them round the back. Also I have seen left ported systems from lenovo and samsung.
I use a good old fashioned large tower for my gaming PC, it stays on the left side of my desk.
Just checked and my Vaio P has the jack on the left.
My old Dell XPS has it on front, my new XPS has it on the right.
Wait… people still use headphones with wires?
Ok, somebody has to say it. I thought tech people were meant to be smart?
Just invert the L/R in settings and turn the damn headphones around.
Plus, MOST computers (not laptops or iMacs, remember the PC still outnumbers these in user base) can be PUT ON EITHER SIDE of the monitor.
You may have well as just asked for a left handed screwdriver, congrats on making yourself look like a stupid moaning twat.
Well somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
Use a cheap USB external soundcard or mixer – your plugs can be wherever you want them to.
My Toshiba laptop has the socket in the middle of the front. Just to be different.
Has anyone suggested an audio extension cable that runs behind your machine to the other side? Cheap and you can run that thing wherever your little heart desires.
Must be a slow news friday.
You could run the headphone cord around the back of the stand or through the hole in the stand which is there to tidy cables. If you do that then it will do interfere with your workspace.
technics dh1200 / macbook pro… win…
side note… no-one thought it was a problem till you mentioned it