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From: pjgtech@cix.compulink.co.uk ("Peter Gagg")
Subject: Re: USB Question, Is it a different port?
Message-ID: <F60w0A.9zG@cix.compulink.co.uk>
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References: <78ae9k$76c$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 17:16:58 GMT
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In article <78ae9k$76c$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, ccavin@my-dejanews.com 
() wrote:

> I'd like to find out what the deal is with USB.  Is a USB a
> specific, different port on your motherboard, or is it just
> a term for a device that works by connecting through your
> existing serial port?

USB (universal serial bus) ports are new ports found on newer 
motherboards, eg: most tx, ex, lx & bx (not sure about others?) and 
are faster than standard serial ports, and you can connect many 
devices to one port, and I think you can also connect and disconnect 
devices without turning the pc off?

USB is only supported by newer OS's too, such as win98 and the later 
versions og win 95 (OSR2 or OSR2.5?) you can also get a usb patch for 
your os from the microsoft website.

So, if you have an older m/b or os, you will probably not be able to 
use usb.

> I'm considering buying a new wheel
> and am concerned that if I get a USB device I won't be able
> to use it with my Soyo-YB6 (the PII 66-100Mhz) motherboard.

If you have usb ports on your m/b, and are running an os that supports 
it, you should be fine? Some m/b's only have one usb port, but most 
have two. They are small rectangular sockets.
 
> Also, can you have two USB devices at once?  If I had a USB
> wheel and a USB modem, could I use them both?

I understand you can in fact have up to 128 (in theory?) devices 
connected to one port, you would probably need some sort of usb hub 
though as well? And the pc would get pretty slow with all those 
peripherals connected at once. ISTR recently someone set a World 
record for connecting usb devices, I think it was over one hundred usb 
mice all connected to one pc!!!!

8-)

*Peter*   #:-)
