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To USB or not to USB, that is the question!
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: May 2007
Status:
Offline
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I have a 1 Ghz Titanium Powerbook, and a 722 Mhz Quicksilver. I had a couple of spare laptop and ipod drives so I bought some cheap USB2 enclosures for them on Ebay so I could use them for backup, extra storage, portable storage, etc.
Of course the stock USB 1.1 on the Powerbook and Quicksilver got old *really* quick! So I bought a couple of USB ?2.0? PCI interface cards as well.
I've discovered a lot of problems using this USB equipment.
First off, you can't (usually) boot Mac OSX from it. (I have 10.4.9 on both computers)
Second, sometimes they will work, and sometimes they won't show up on the desktop, or in the System Profiler. I have this problem using the drives on newr iMac and iBooks as well.
Third it seems that these PCI cards, plugged into the Quicksilverdon't provide USB power to the drives. plugged into the PCI card, the drives won't work; plugged into a powered hub into the USB2 PCI card, they will usually work. It boggles my mind to think that these PCI cards aren't supposed to supply power to the drives!!!
The first card I got was a combo card, supposedly supported under Mac OSX, but I have my doubts. It's a combo 4 USB port 3 SATA1 ports, one ATA133 port. As a bonus, it should allow me to use faster larger drives then my Quicksilver will support!!! Well, the ATA port doesn't recognize any drive plugged into it, and the USB ports will recognize work with a USB1 powered Radio Shack HUB connected to it.
It's a no name PCI card labeled SATA+USB VIA Combo PCI. General Features: Serial ATA (SATA) Host Controller chip with 32-bit addressing; Compliant with Serial ATA 1.0 specification; Supports two independent Serial ATA ports with data transfer rate up to 1.5GB/s; Built-in 256 byte FIFO per port for fast read/write operations; Supports Microsoft generic IDE operation and Intel bus master DMA operations; RAID Function Optional: Supports RAID function 0 & 1; Adjustable stripe size for RAID 0; Supports co-exist RAID set and non-RAID HDD; Allows HDDs with different sizes to be configured in a RAID set. Apparently it uses a VIA Technoligies chipset PCI Vendor ID 0x1106, device ID 0x3038 and 0x3104.
I get the same bull from the other two USB cards I've tried. More later.
Many Thanks for any and all input!
Jim.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2006
Status:
Offline
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Just get Firewire enclosures and be done with it.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: May 2007
Status:
Offline
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Yeah, Firewire is a lot simpler. But the new iPods don't come with Firewire anymore!
And I want to understand what the hell is going on with this stuff!!!
Jim.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Status:
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USB 2.0 on older Macs is something of a minefield. I have installed two PCI cards in G4 towers. One was a 6 port and the other a 5 port. Both into MDDs. The 6 port stops the tower from waking from sleep, but otherwise they are 100% OK. These were both USB 2 only however.
I find PCMCIA cards are much less reliable. I have used several in an effort to add USB 2 and firewire to powerbook G3s. They have all been ropey at best.
I also find that even built in USB ports are a bit random when it comes to what they will and won't power. Moreso on laptops.
Your combo card sounds a bit too good to be true. Pity it doesn't seem to work so well.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The deep backwoods of the PNW
Status:
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There are a number of 2.5" and 3.5" hard drive enclosures that are hybrid - USB 2.0 and FireWire. I'd recommend getting one and just forget about trying to use USB 2.0 on your older Mac.
As far as the iPods are concerned, the lack of FireWire support is one reason why I will not upgrade my iPod. USB-to-FireWire data adapters don't exist - my research shows it's physically impossible.
It's unfortunate that third-party hardware support is so flaky on Apple computers. Makes upgrades more expensive (limited hardware choices).
<edit>
And my post count just put me to grizzled veteran. score! 
</edit>
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Sell or send me your vintage Mac things if you don't want them.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: May 2007
Status:
Offline
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I found a Mac OS X USB Driver for the Via Technology Chipset!
It's made a big difference. It will actually run & power a USB drive connected directly to the PCI card!
It wasn't easy to find, even through it was on the Via Technology (non) Support Page!
http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx...0&SubCatID=122
Now if I can only get the PATA and SATA interfaces on the card to work!
Jim.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: May 2007
Status:
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