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USB 1 or 2 on powerbook 17" rev a &b???
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Netherlands
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Fast FireWire 800 and USB 2.0
The PowerBook G4 features FireWire for connecting external hard drives and DV cameras, and USB for connecting graphics tablets, digital cameras, printers and scanners. With more than 30 times the bandwidth of the popular USB 1.0 peripheral standard, FireWire 400 has become the gold standard for high-speed data transfer. And now Apple has upped the ante yet again, effectively doubling data throughput with FireWire 800. The new 17-inch PowerBook G4 has two FireWire ports � one for the hundreds of FireWire 400 peripherals already available, and the other for the coming generation of FireWire 800 peripherals.
Apple.com is a freakin mess. What kind of USB is there on the new powerbooks? You tell me
i think that if the 17" revB powerbook is delivered with 2.0, then the drivers will enable the so-called 1.0 to 2.0
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: England
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I don't see what the problem is. It says USB 2, so it's reasonable to assume that it has USB 2!
Amorya
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What the nerd community most often fail to realize is that all features aren't equal. A well implemented and well integrated feature in a convenient interface is worth way more than the same feature implemented crappy, or accessed through a annoying interface.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Netherlands
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I made this claim before, the powerbook 17" revA has USB 2.0 but lacks drivers, when I get my hands on the 17" revB drivers, I might get 2.0 on a revA
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Originally posted by PB2K:
I made this claim before, the powerbook 17" revA has USB 2.0 but lacks drivers, when I get my hands on the 17" revB drivers, I might get 2.0 on a revA
What if the drivers don't work with Rev As because Apple doesn't like to add functionality to old models in order to entice people to upgrade?
What version OS are the new models running?
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Dec 2000
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You know, I am really surpised 10.3 hasn't been released yet, but according to the imacs, ibooks and pmg4's I receive dayly, I would say no higher than 2.6
I have a powerbook 15" install dvd that's 2.6
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Senior User
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Golden, CO
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Originally posted by PB2K:
I made this claim before, the powerbook 17" revA has USB 2.0 but lacks drivers, when I get my hands on the 17" revB drivers, I might get 2.0 on a revA
What makes you think that? Apple System Profiler offers no details on what sort of USB bus is in there, so I don't see how you can know this. If you are correct, Apple will never release a firmware update for the older machines. Look at the last generation of G4 PowerMacs. Those are confirmed to have USB ports that are crippled by firmware and there's no update in sight.
OT: Has Apple even released a firmware update you could install in OS X? The original Ti PBs had a firmware update, but it only worked in OS 9.
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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According to the 17" tech spec sheet ( http://a240.g.akamai.net/7/240/51/0d...S_09162003.pdf )
The PB comes with "Two USB 2.0 ports at up to 480 Mbps" that would make me think they are hi-speed USB 2.0.
Just saying "USB 2.0" is not sufficient in describing the ports. Through some odd form of wisdom, ALL USB is 2.0. There is "USB 2.0" and "Hi-Speed USB 2.0" Some genius decided that having "USB 1.1" and "USB 2.0" was confusing and made people feel they had inferior ports. Well, that's true...so they cleared it up by added the little "Hi-Speed" tagline. Seems just stupid to me.
Check out http://www.usb.org/info/usb_nomenclature for more info.
-Jake
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Too many Apple/Mac products to even bother listing!
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 2003
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I think there is some confusion about USB 2.0. These days, as pointed out by SoBayJake, all USB is 2.0. USB 2.0 HiSpeed is 480Mbs and USB 2.0 FullSpeed is 11Mbs.
Now about enabling the chips...
Even if you have USB 2.0 HiSpeed chips, USB 2.0 HiSpeed has an actual controller too. If you just have the chips without the (physical chip) controller, then you cannot get HiSpeed out of the chips. From the block diagrams on ADC, the old books do not have the controllers, so no amount of firmware will "uncripple" these chips though it is probably true that the chips themselves are USB 2.0 (it's pretty hard to source USB 1.1 chips these days)
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: 46 & 2
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I believe, and I'm probably wrong  , that all the 12" and 17" PBs (both rev A and B) have USB 2.0 (480Mb) capabilities. The thing is that USB 2.0 isn't supported in 10.2... that is until 10.2.7, which is shipping with all G5s and the new 12,15, & 17" PBs. MY theory is that if someone were to install 10.2.7 on one of the rev A AlBooks, they would "magically" get USB 2.0 speed. Hell, it may not even install on the rev A machines, but it may work.
Hmmm... maybe I'll try it on my 12 when I get to work tomorrow. We do have a new 17"er waiting for a customer to pick it up... and I DO have to install a memory upgrade in it... 
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