Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 11:35:24 +0930 (CST) From: Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au> To: freebsd@atipa.com (Atipa) Cc: sthaug@nethelp.no, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Status of USB, TX chipset, PIIX3, etc. Message-ID: <199708060205.LAA01878@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.91.970805152517.8867A-100000@dot.ishiboo.com> from Atipa at "Aug 5, 97 03:41:45 pm"
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Atipa stands accused of saying: > > > > Just where did you see this high demand for USB? I sure haven't noticed > > it. > > It has very good potential. You can put several different types of > devices on it, including but not limited to: keyboards, mice, modems, > cameras, network cards, cd-roms, DATs, ZIP/Jaz/SyQuest, scanners, > printers, etc. It does, indeed, have lots of "potential". It's also an incredible PITA to understand at the protocol level, much less actually work with. 8( I'm on their mailing list; I have so far been solicited for about US$10k worth of "training seminars", documentation, hands-on/hands-off/roaming hands support etc. > It auto-detects the presence of devices with no need to reboot. Providing > power allows for MUCH nicer cabling. With the powers that be* supporting > USB, it would be foolish to show up late to the party. It would also be foolish to leap in in a hurry and waste scarce developer resources on the next fad. > Even without broad peripheral support, consumer demand is high. It is our > business to fill demands for hardware, and I can tell you lots of > people are very interested. I think that the lack of peripheral support is telling; particularly the custom silicon that is almost critical to producing a cost-effective peripheral just hasn't made it to market yet. At the moment, a peripheral vendor has to undertake development of peripheral firmware several orders of magnitude more complex than anything that has ever been seen before, or wait for the silicon. Not being stupid, most are taking the latter approach. -- ]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer msmith@gsoft.com.au [[ ]] Genesis Software genesis@gsoft.com.au [[ ]] High-speed data acquisition and (GSM mobile) 0411-222-496 [[ ]] realtime instrument control. (ph) +61-8-8267-3493 [[ ]] Unix hardware collector. "Where are your PEZ?" The Tick [[
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