New USB Plug Standard :)

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

I was kidding, Calvin! Perhaps reading the XKCD strip quoted a few posts ago left me sounding a Hank too deadpan.

I was kidding too, somewhat. But it wasn't the comic strip that left me sounding deadpan-I've been told that I'm always that way.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Shane R

The working group released a statement that says: “This new industry standards-based thin connector delivering data, power and video is the only connector one will need across all devices.”

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The different ends of the USB standard are intended to prevent people connecting devices in a way that won't work. USB is a host/client standard. By having host devices with one plug/socket and clients with another, people can't connect host to host or client to client.

Perhaps people are now familiar enough with USB that this won't be a problem, but I anticipate lots of people trying to connect two client devices together and wondering why nothing happens.

So why do they sell us those M/M F/F adapters?

Helen

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

So why do they sell us those M/M F/F adapters?

Perhaps some manufacturers haven't used the correct connectors, leading to a need for weird connections.

USB is a host/client system. There can only be one root host in a USB chain, and every connection is from a host-type port (either the root host, or a hub port) to a client port.

It should never be necessary to connect two USB host ports, not two USB client ports. Indeed, not only not necessary, but most unwise.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

So why do they sell us those M/M F/F adapters?

Helen

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Perhaps some manufacturers haven't used the correct connectors, leading to a need for weird connections.

USB is a host/client system. There can only be one root host in a USB chain, and every connection is from a host-type port (either the root host, or a hub port) to a client port.

It should never be necessary to connect two USB host ports, not two USB client ports. Indeed, not only not necessary, but most unwise.

There is certainly no mainstream use for them. I doubt you'd see such adapters in Best Buy or Walmart. But tech types do encourage innovation, so who knows what some hackers have cooked up a need for.

[PeterT]

Actually there was a common use for a PC to PC USB cable, copying data from an old to new PC using a product called LapLink. Originally it would have been a serial to serial, or parallel to parallel but as USB grew in popularity a USB to USB option was also available.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Actually there was a common use for a PC to PC USB cable, copying data from an old to new PC using a product called LapLink. Originally it would have been a serial to serial, or parallel to parallel but as USB grew in popularity a USB to USB option was also available.

Like other USB networking products, those Laplink cables had some sort of 'thing' in the middle, and I always assumed that was some embedded device that both PCs connected to. Was it really a pure software solution that could have used a generic A-to-A cable?

[pholy]

Was it really a pure software solution that could have used a generic A-to-A cable?

No. Not the big slot A type you've shown. You need that lump in the middle.

[PeterT]

No; for a start the "thing" would have had to electrically isolate the two USB ports to avoid frying motherboards.

You're right .... this was not really an example of a PC to PC USB cable

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by ApK

There is certainly no mainstream use for them. I doubt you'd see such adapters in Best Buy or Walmart. But tech types do encourage innovation, so who knows what some hackers have cooked up a need for.

Hmmm.... Only in the Dollar stores then? I must confess if I can buy it for $1.25 I rarely pay $7.99 unless it is for something really critical. Best Buy sells them for $1.98 but the store is not close and the dollar store is a block away.

Helen

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by pholy

No. Not the big slot A type you've shown. You need that lump in the middle.

That lump in those cables normally contains two network cards (one for each computer) and a crossed network cable. These things were made in a time when not all computers came with inbuilt LAN.

Those cables cost like $100 here at the time. You could do the same with two USB to LAN adapters of $10, and an $2 crossed LAN cable. The only thing the software did was installing the LAN drivers, and sharing drives on one computer, and provide a file browser on the other.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

That lump in those cables normally contains two network cards (one for each computer) and a crossed network cable.

That's exactly the kind of thing I had imagined.

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Hmmm.... Only in the Dollar stores then? I must confess if I can buy it for $1.25 I rarely pay $7.99 unless it is for something really critical. Best Buy sells them for $1.98 but the store is not close and the dollar store is a block away.

Helen

Bestbuy.com lists some as "marketplace" items, ie not sold by them, but listed for third parties. I don't see that Best Buy themselves carry any such things even online, and I'd bet money that they are not wasting retail shelf space on such things. Certainly not in the one by me. I can't even get a simple right-angle adapter there.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by ApK

That's exactly the kind of thing I had imagined.



Bestbuy.com lists some as "marketplace" items[/URL], ie not sold by them, but listed for third parties. I don't see that Best Buy themselves carry any such things even online, and I'd bet money that they are not wasting retail shelf space on such things. Certainly not in the one by me. I can't even get a simple right-angle adapter there.

Only in Canada I guess.
http://www.bestbuy.ca/Search/SearchR...ce&sortDir=asc
Strangely enough they seem to sell several here. But as you say not on the shelves. They are on the shelves in several other stores though, including the aforementioned dollar stores, so I assume someone buys one occasionally. I did and only needed it twice, but at $1 or $1.25 seemed a reasonable thing to do.

Helen

[Katsunami]

These are quite normal adapters, to change a normal USB-connection into a mini or micro-USB, to change a PS/2 mouse to USB, or a USB-mouse to PS/2. Not hard to find here.

I still have to try it some day: change a PS/2 mouse to USB to PS/2 to USB using two (or more) adapters and see if it works

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Hmmm.... Only in the Dollar stores then? I must confess if I can buy it for $1.25 I rarely pay $7.99 unless it is for something really critical. Best Buy sells them for $1.98 but the store is not close and the dollar store is a block away.

Helen

I'm not immune from buying 3rd party add-ons except when it come to Apple products. I've been burned in the past by buying 30 pin to USB connectors that don't work with Apple products as advertised. I decided that Apple wizards must cast some kind of magic spell on their cords and connectors before the leave the farm that enables only genuine Apple cords to operate with genuine Apple devices. Alternately, perhaps their miniaturization program has reached an even greater stage of development than they admit, and they have miniature cameras at all their connector ports that scan for the Apple logo before allowing any cords plugged in at those ports to function.