Microsoft on Friday released USB 2.0 drivers for its Windows XP operating system. The drivers are designed to enable third-party USB 2.0 add-in cards to work with XP, which originally shipped without support for the connectivity standards. The drivers can be downloaded using the “Windows Update” feature. USB 2.0 transfers data at 480mbps, which is much speedier than USB 1.1’s rate of 12mbps for exchanging information between PCs and peripherals such as external hard drives and CD-rewritable drives. USB 2.0 is also backwards compatible with USB 1.1.
Microsoft Releases USB 2.0 Drivers
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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What’s insanely stupid is how there’s now 2 competing “high speed” external interfaces: USB and Firewire. You’d think they’d come together and push one or the other, but noooooo.
Boy am I glad there’ll be only one SerialATA to tidy up those hideously hideous IDE cables. Can’t wait for that one.
So there is two competing technologies. Firewire/i.link/1394 was developed by Apple and Sony respectively. I like it but not every company wants to license the use of the technology. That’s the down side. USB was developed thru a standards process that is much more open for development and the licensing is inexpensive by comparison. They will both live on for a while but I predict USB will catch up and they will drop firewire altogether. But who really cares anyways. There are things you can do with both and it’s your choice whether you want to choose to use them ultimately.
On a positive note. Remove the floppy drives and replace with Sony memory stick port. Infrared ports are a waste. I don’t know anyone who uses them or cares to. Add more USB ports. Make firewire a standard option too. Remove parallel ports. Don’t need them because we have USB. On laptops this would allow manufactures to make them 1/2″ thick or less. Also look into incorporating LED technology to make computer screens. The cost savings would be enormous and the power savings would be too. Add wireless tranmission technology into laptops too. Then all one would have to buy is a wireless hub. As a matter of fact, make the wireless transmitter an open standard technology so all manufacturers could development around the standard so it would maintain compatible technology and help keep the price of the technology down.
IEEE-1394 (FireWire/iLink) is a device to device protocol. Since it uses it’s own processing chip, it can be used independently of a computer. That’s why it’s used in the prosumer video market. It’s also why you can link two PlayStation 2 machines together.
USB (both 1.x and 2.0) is a computer to peripheral bus. It requires a computer on one end and since it does, it doesn’t require the type of processing chip 1394 does. That makes it cheaper. Downside is that it’s slower overall, since it requires some CPU activity when a USB device is passing data to the host computer.
I see them both co-existing, since they both have strengths and weaknesses and one can’t do all the tasks the other can.
Personally, I like my parallel and RS-232C serial ports. It’s the best link to the computers and printers and other devices of the past. Disk formats of yesteryear get harder and harder to read, but as long as my machine can interface via RS-232C serial, I can retrieve my old data …
After my dad’s x86 system died, I gave him the iMac I had sitting around in my closet. However, his printer only had a parallel port plug. The solution? He picked up a USB port to parallel plug adapter. Surely such adapters exist for other types of connections. I say move forward with the technology and use adapters for any older devices left over.
>> Personally, I like my parallel and RS-232C serial ports. It’s the best link to the computers and printers and other devices of the past. Disk formats of yesteryear get harder and harder to read, but as long as my machine can interface via RS-232C serial, I can retrieve my old data …
They are easier to program for too and are much more simpler. Why change
when they are getting the job done
Dano.
So there is two competing technologies. Firewire/i.link/1394 was developed by Apple and Sony respectively. I like it but not every company wants to license the use of the technology. That’s the down side. USB was developed thru a standards process that is much more open for development and the licensing is inexpensive by comparison. They will both live on for a while but I predict USB will catch up and they will drop firewire altogether.
Actually, Firewire was developed through a standards process (or is now, anyway), hence that 1394 number there, for IEEE 1394, the standard for Firewire. USB is cheaper because it’s cheaper technology with more limitations on speed and capabilities. I predict USB will stick around for the low end stuff it’s currently used for (mouse/keyboard/printer/scanner), and firewire will stick around for networking, external storage, etc. There are just too many things you can do with Firewire that’s impossible with USB (connecting 2 firewire devices without a computer to transfer data between them).
On a positive note. Remove the floppy drives and replace with Sony memory stick port. Infrared ports are a waste. I don’t know anyone who uses them or cares to. Add more USB ports. Make firewire a standard option too. Remove parallel ports. Don’t need them because we have USB. On laptops this would allow manufactures to make them 1/2″ thick or less.
I don’t know what the point would be of using a Sony (proprietary) memory stick port, but removing floppy drives (and their controllers) is already part of MS/Intel’s recommendations for PCs, as of 2000/2001. It’s just a matter of time until the OEMs and motherboard manufacturers decide to follow the recommendations. Same thing with more USB ports and firewire ports, plus the specs include placing at least 1 USB and firewire port on the front of the computer, and removal of parallel, PS2, and serial ports. As for infrared ports, I would use them if I had a notebook that properly supported it. The only real use for it currently is printing to a printer that has an infrared port, as you don’t have to go through the hassle of plugging into the network or parallel port.
Also look into incorporating LED technology to make computer screens. The cost savings would be enormous and the power savings would be too. Add wireless tranmission technology into laptops too. Then all one would have to buy is a wireless hub. As a matter of fact, make the wireless transmitter an open standard technology so all manufacturers could development around the standard so it would maintain compatible technology and help keep the price of the technology down.
I’m not sure about LEDs as a technology for computer monitors, the thought takes me back to the old green-on-black displays. However, various companies are working with a lot of different technologies for new displays. As for wireless technology, look into getting an 802.11/WiFi card or something for your laptop, or go buy an iBook.