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cambolo · Sep 10, 2003, 11:59 AM

Was doing a search on PowerBook and USB 2.0 and found only comments that TiBook did not support 2.0 using PC cards. This link Orange Micro suggests that 2.0 is available for PowerBooks. Costs from manufacturer is about $79 and includes a cable. Might be worth it for devices like mid-range scanners, etc. that don't support firewire.

todrain · Sep 10, 2003, 12:37 PM

Not sure if you really get much faster scanning from USB 2.0. I don't have one, but I'd be surprised if it was much diffent.

Earth Mk. II · Sep 10, 2003, 03:07 PM

Originally posted by todrain:
Not sure if you really get much faster scanning from USB 2.0. I don't have one, but I'd be surprised if it was much diffent.

~12 Mbps for USB 1.1 vs ~480 Mbps for USB 2.0.

yeah, it's a pretty significant difference.

PB2K · Sep 11, 2003, 03:43 AM

A friend of mine told me the USB port of the 17" is already USB2 but lacks the drivers so is limited to 1.1.

Sounds very weird but maybe someone over here can verify it?

nobitacu · Sep 11, 2003, 04:10 AM

Originally posted by PB2K:
A friend of mine told me the USB port of the 17" is already USB2 but lacks the drivers so is limited to 1.1.

Sounds very weird but maybe someone over here can verify it?

That would be one bad ass find if that is true. But.... I really don't think so, because if that is true, people would of found out about it already and maybe a driver would of already been written for it as well by someone.

Ming

PB2K · Sep 11, 2003, 04:27 AM

Well, the friend does have some important connections and knows quite a lot about the latest apple-computers. i wouldn't be surprised if he was right about this. In the past he made some bold claims which nearly all were true

Spheric Harlot · Sep 11, 2003, 05:18 PM

Well, the last-version PowerMac G4 desktops did indeed have the USB 2.0 chipset, but the software drivers only support 1.1.

It is not terribly unlikely that something similar is the case on the 17" Alubook (or the 12" Powerbook? Please? Just for laughs?). But I've not seen the rumors substantiated yet.

-s*

Naz · Sep 11, 2003, 05:27 PM

Originally posted by PB2K:
A friend of mine told me the USB port of the 17" is already USB2 but lacks the drivers so is limited to 1.1.

Sounds very weird but maybe someone over here can verify it?

we need to spread this rumor a bit more to see if someone can look into it deeper

that would be great if true

IronPen · Sep 11, 2003, 08:13 PM

I don't have any USB 2 devices, but if this rumor is true, this would be very cool news.

PB2K · Sep 13, 2003, 03:44 AM

Well, let me tell you this. Production of the USB 1.1 chipset has stopped since the introduction of USB 2.0. You cannot buy USB 1.1 anymore.

So the chipset of the powerbook MUST BE 2.0

slugslugslug · Sep 13, 2003, 04:01 AM

Originally posted by PB2K:
Well, let me tell you this. Production of the USB 1.1 chipset has stopped since the introduction of USB 2.0. You cannot buy USB 1.1 anymore.

So the chipset of the powerbook MUST BE 2.0

Yeah, but production stopping isn't necessarily coincident with inventory running out. Maybe when USB 1.1 production stopped there were massive piles of the chipset around on the cheap, so Apple bought lots to stick 'em Macs for months to come... Anyone know any specifics on when Apple definitely couldn't have had any 1.1 chips available?

It'd be great if someone could get to the bottom of this. Though I suppose it's too much to hope for that my GHz Ti's got the 2.0 too..