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Recent Macs Have Built-in USB 2.0
RalphBNumbers writes "According to a forum thread at CreateMac, a Korean Mac community, the newer MDD 1.25 and 1.42 GHz dual G4s actually use a NEC PD720101 USB 2.0 controller for their built-in USB. Apple's drivers only support USB 1.x, but you can apparently enable USB 2.0 functionality by using the drivers for a USB 2.0 card from Orange Micro that uses the same NEC controller. YMMV." Is there a translation of any of this, somewhere?
It's about time the Macs support USB 2.0. Both my external 200 GB hard drive and my external DVD+RW use USB 2.0 and I have been putting off getting a Mac because of it. Now that I know I can hook these up to a Mac, maybe I'll think about it....
seriouslyexcited.net
No you won't.
Here's a translation..[clicky].
But there isn't really much text anyway....
Rejoice Rejoice ! One time where you don't have to RTFA ! WooHoo!
Moderation: +4. Modded 70% Funny and 30% Overrated. 100% Saturated.
I used BabelFish to translate it and here is how the title came out:
Power in Mac the up-to-date USB 2.0 internal organs?
It's alive!
...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
A lot of manufacturers, including Apple, seem pretty pretty close-mouthed on the 1.1/2.0 issue. I don't recall ever seeing an ad for a complete system that specified which version of USB the system supports. I guess everbody has an inventory of motherboards with built-in USB 1.1 that they need to use up. Not that big a deal if you've got an extra PCI slot for a $20 USB 2.0 card. But what if you have an iMac or some other system with no "legacy" ports or slots?
My guess is apple don't support usb 2 because it would kill firewire 800, a standard that doesn't seem to be adopted by many manufacturer yet.
Dell is currently number 1 seller of personal computer systems in the world, and so far there have been no plans for Dell to produce any Apple notebooks or desktops. Oh, and by the way, for $700 I can get a 2 GHz, 14.1 inch screen machine with integrated network and stuff. For $700 you can probably buy half an Apple machine, and that's on eBay.
Those Macs do have a USB 2.0 controller, but it doesn't really matter. I read the technical documentation for the NEC uPD7020101, which is the controller used in those Macs. The USB 2.0 portion of the controller is trivial to disable and yet still leave the USB 1.1 portion functional. It is also possible to make the USB 2.0 portion permanently disabled in hardware or disabled in hardware, but possible to enable with a hardware hack. Or for that matter disabled, but possible to enable with a new system BIOS or a new driver. Any of these are possible. Anyone care to guess which one is the case? Knowing Apple any could be the case.
Impersonating Tycho from Penny Arcade since before there was a PA.
My Powerbook's got a DVD-R drive that apparently could be a 2X writer and support DVD-RW, but Apple's drivers only support 1X writing and no RW whatsoever. Now this. Why does Apple deliberately cripple its hardware?
"A witty saying proves nothing." --Voltaire
...the 2.0 chip isn't wired. Apple, like other OEM'simply bought boards with dual capability, since 1.0 only boards are no longer available in the quantities that Apple needs at this time. It takes another step to enable 2.0 circuitry, and that step has not been taken by Apple at this time.
The 2.0 drivers are already in the OS, so anyone that thinks they can buy a new Mac, add drivers, and have 2.0 is a bit of a chump.
- 9-pin twisted pair copper (standard for FireWire 800)
Apple also has an interesting and informative FireWire 800/IEEE-1394b tech briefStandard CAT-5
Step-index plastic fiber
Hard polymer-clad plastic fiber
Glass fiber
Also, to the person who responded saying FireWire 800 isn't twice as fast as USB 2 because USB 2 operates at 480 Mbps: you should look at the real life performance of USB - both 1 and 2. It's far short of the theoretical maximum; in the case of USB 2, often well under 400 Mbps. So FireWire 800 is more than twice as fast. Even 400 Mbps FireWire is often faster than USB 2.
However, it's really beside the point if FireWire 800 is faster than USB 2 if the device you wish to connect only has a USB 2 interface. FireWire may be the superior interface and technology for many high-speed tasks, but many consumer devices feature USB 2. It certainly can't hurt to be able to connect to the widest variety of devices possible. FireWire - not only because of speed, but because of features and the flexibility of the standard - will continue to be chosen for high end audio, video, specialty storage and networking, smart home interconnectivity, etc. Look at plasma HDTVs and DVD-A players: you won't see USB 2 on those. But it would be nice for Mac users to pick up a third-party USB 2 scanner, DVD recorder, camera, etc., and be able to take full advantage of the peripheral's connectivity (many of these devices may even have FireWire versions, or versions with both USB 2 and FireWire. But the item in stock and on the shelf at Best Buy always seems to be the USB 2-only version...that's what it really comes down to for some).
This pseudo-hack doesn't work for the iMac. It's for the current Power Macs.
Can't you read?
This is a DMCA violation and could land you in jail.
MacNN's got a story with a link to unofficial drivers that enable the USB 2.0 functionality. Some comments there indicate they really work, though I can't verify this myself (I have neither an MDD G4 nor any USB2 devices)
Donate free food here
If you want to go to Iraq I believe you'll find your govt does grant you those 'additonal rights'. You are simply discouraged from doing it at home. Of course your govt also reserves the right to kill you - at home or abroad. Lucky you eh.
I used to have a better sig than this, but I got tired of it
That's beautiful!
I am a homosexual. I bought an Apple computer because of its well earned reputation for being "the" gay computer. Since I have become an Apple owner, I have been exposed to a whole new world of gay friends. It is really a pleasure to meet and compute with other homos such as myself. I plan on using my new Apple computer as a way to entice and recruit young schoolboys into the homosexual lifestyle; it would be so helpful if you could produce more software which would appeal to young boys. Thanks in advance.
with much gayness,
Father Randy "Pudge" O'Day, S.J.
Thanks for your letter. Being Catholic myself, I know exactly what you're talking about! It has always been our plan here at Apple Computer Inc to revolutionize personal computing with our high-quality and highly gay products.
I'm happy to answer your letter by letting you know that YES we will be releasing an entire hLife ("homo-life") software line. You'll be able to recognize it in stores by the small stylized logo depicting a large cock entering a tight anus with an Apple logo on it. ("Suddenly it all comes together" indeed!).
Anyway, I hope you and other members of our community will join us on our mission, and purchase the exciting new hLife boxed set. Only the boxed set comes with translucent cock rings!
Sincerely,
Harry Rodman
Vice-president
Homosexual Liaison Services
Apple Computer, Inc.
That menu option in the Windows XP help menu is enough to make my Mac worth it regardless of any other considerations. The message is "we think you're a criminal".
There are no such things in Mac OS X.
Oh yeah, and my iBook is the most rugged, best value piece of hardware I've ever bought. There just isn't anything to touch it in the PC laptop world, and I've taken apart my fair share of PC laptops (usually to repair them). The build quality just isn't there. Perhaps with the IBM Thinkpads, but they are still a class below the iBook and Powerbook.
Go and get your hands on an iBook and you'll see what I mean. There's no creaking when you pick it up for one thing, and it doesn't feel like a tacky ABS plastic chassis (probably because it isn't - it's a mixture of polycarbonate and magnesium/aluminium alloy).
From OS X I can manage my FreeBSD box from the terminal while working on an Office document (yes, yes, I had to get Office v.X for work purposes). I can run X11, Virtual PC (if I wanted to - I have no need since I have a w2k box as well). iTunes is far and away the best mp3 software player I have ever used.
There's just no comparison. I've used PC laptops and I'm always disappointed in them. Even new, expensive ones. I always feel content when I get back to my "slow, expensive" iBook. It's priceless to me.
Now, mind you, I've seen some pretty bad translations from babelfish, but read this one poster's thoughts: ccep ~ Only one day inquiry possibility 1,000 times it goes over, ni the imagining outside it won and the bedspread which is not the minute when bay anyone it does as a favor the answer writing... Right ing ~ nem it does, the bedspreads ~~~ I honestly had tears in my eyes from laughter for a good five minutes. But maybe that's just me.
"Freedom is letting people do things that you don't like." -Linus Torvalds
At least the drivers didn't work any magic in my hands. I installed the Orange 3.1 drivers for Jaguar, rebooted, and tested the read rate on a dual fireware400/usb2 drive connected to a PM1.42 GHz running 10.2.5. The drive is peppy over firewire (30 MB/sec) but a regular slug over USB (830 KB/sec).
I just saw some sad news on CNN - popular childrens' figure Easter Bunny was found dead on a Georgia road this evening. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work, there's no denying his contributions to popular culture. Truly an American icon.
Off-topic tirades get +4 and up, while a report about an actual field trial only merits +1? How many people are going to buy a Mac because they believed the ridiculous babelfish - which is given an element of credibility by being posted on Slashdog with the moderator's own interpretation of what the babelfish actually means - and didn't read about the negative hands-on results?
And I don't give a shit about USB 2.0.
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Another thing that is bugging me on migrating over to OS X from a PC environment is the lack of decent scanners for the Mac. Most Firewire based scanners are $399 and up. HP doesn't make any of their decent consumer grade scanners with Firewire ports. It ceases to amaze me since a good majority of HP consumer PC's have Firewire ports. Instead, they just offer USB 2.0. I don't want to use USB 2.0; USB is too processor-intense. I'm not even asking for Firewire800 support, just plain-and-simple IEEE1394a. And HP doesn't even have a good excuse. What does Firewire licensing cost per port, 25 cents? On a $130 scanner that probably costs less than $20 to manufacture? The retail markup is $30 at best. Do the math. And in my case, it is inmaterial whether Apple offers USB 2.0 support, I want a decent Firewire scanner. Quit being so cheap, HP, and make a decent product! And while I'm at it, I'd like to see drives use internal Firewire ports. Why should a CD/DVD drive use Serial ATA? Leave Serial ATA for the hard drives on their own dedicated channels.
"Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*