Women in Technology

Article:		A Developer's Perspective on Apple's 12-inch PowerBook
Subject:		USB 2
Date:		2003-03-29 20:35:22
From:		bumppo
Should Apple uncharacteristically reverse course and add USB 2 support, or add a PC Card slot for your USB 2 card, where do you expect to find OS X drivers for USB 2 devices? USB 2 support doesn't exist on the Mac, not because it poses a threat to Firewire, but because it's redundant in a product line that's featured Firewire from top to bottom for years. It was inconceivable that they'd roll out any USB 2 support before Firewire 800 was released, and now it's merely not-bloody-likely.

Showing messages 1 through 7 of 7.

• USB 2
  2003-03-30 07:58:59  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  You're wrong.
  
  If USB 2 is "redundant" why bother having USB ports at all? Just load up 3 FW ports. If it isn't redundant, why wouldn't Apple support the fastest version of a technology? It would be like saddling this machine with a video card that's two generations old. Oh wait, they do that too.
  
  Apple's users need USB 2.0. Politics are stupid.
• USB 2
  2003-03-30 09:41:16  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  USB 2 is redundant, because there is firewire. USB 1.1 is not because it would be silly to have a Firewire mouse, or keyboard, or anything that is USB 1.1 (except those things that have no business being USB 1.1 like HD's). Apple is doing a good job of promoting slow USB (kinda like ADB) and fast Firewire (Kinda like SCSI)
• USB 2
  2003-04-01 15:15:47  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  UBS 2 would only be redundant if every device that could take advantage of the speed boost also supported Firewire. However, that is simply not the case.
  
  Many UBS 1.1 devices are starting to support USB 2 or will support it as the only protocol in the near future. Most digital cameras fall into this category. Not supporting USB 2 as a "digital hub" is ridiculous.
  
  Feel free to talk about the advantages of Firewire while transferring your 5MP photos over USB 1.1. I'll instead take the speed boost!
• USB 2
  2003-04-02 13:25:56  dwightk [View]
  
  
  That would be a problem except for devices like this:
  
  Firewire Smart Media Reader
• USB 2 actually is available for power macs
  2003-04-03 09:21:34  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  I have a PCI USB 2.0 card in my crusty ol' beige G3, and it works fine in OS X 10.1 and 10.2 without any special drivers. I just plugged it in and it worked fine!
• USB 2 -- Here's why I think it's important
  2003-03-30 08:08:34  Derrick Story | [View]
  
  
  I'm actually using USB 2 on my TiBook with an IOGEAR PC Card and the latest drivers from Orange Micro. The reason why I think Mac users should have access to USB 2 is because its important to be able to use any external device you want. If there's a USB 2 hard drive at a great price, then why shouldn't you be able to buy it and save a few bucks? I'm against anything that makes Mac users second class citizens in the computing world.
• USB 2 -- Here's why I think it's important
  2003-03-30 15:33:25  dwightk [View]
  
  
  This is like the 1 button mouse issue. If you want a 2 button mouse, buy one, if you want USB2, get it. But Apple uses USB as it did ADB, and Firewire as it did SCSI.