Only ones I can think of are the Kodaks, and Agfa CL30..

7kcsl@qlink.queensu.ca

-- Kevin L (look@msg.com), March 18, 1999

Answers

I thought the new Toshibas are going to be USB, although I read nothing about this in the review. Isn't the PDR-M3 USB? Oh, well... there's another announced after the M3 (what was it, M5?) that I *know* is going to be USB.

However, I find USB to be silly now that I got the Lexar Media Smartmedia reader that works in the Parallel port. Only paid around $50 for it and it beats the Flashpath adapter all to heck for speed. They have one for compact flash media, too.

**Bryan**

-- Bryan Siverly (bryan@siverly.net), March 19, 1999.

Please don't describe USB as being "silly" versus parallel port. USB is much quicker and easier to use. I have a USB card reader (used to have a parallel port) and there is no comparison.

-- Lurch (lurchtt@aol.com), April 02, 1999.

I have a Epson Stylus printer that could use an USB connection. The problem is that the cable uses the USB port but the printer cannot use it at any higher speeds than the parrallel port can. Epson calls it an adapter cable. So if you use USB you better find out whether it actually is a proper software/hardware controlled USB port. I guess there will be some people out there being fooled by these companies. With proper USB ports the benefit would be great but not all computers can be set to use them even if they have them. Check with Computer sites for this problem. On my computer with the Epson Photo EX printer the USB idea is not only silly, it is a totally useless waste of $ 70.00 (canadian) for that cable for which they do not even have an updated driver. Better check it out for cameras. Rinus Borgsteede

-- Rinus Borgsteede (RinusPhoto@cadvision.com), May 26, 1999.

I don't want to start a "spitting" contest, but USB's THEORETICAL limit is about 1200KB/sec (12Mbit/sec) and a parallel port can, depending on configuration, be run at up to 900KB/sec. According to documentation on the site of the commitee that published the specs, 900KB/sec is the ACTUAL limit for USB with a single device. In fairness, my own parallel port based smartmedia reader runs at about 550KB/sec or 15 seconds to transfer 8MB of images, so USB might have a slight edge, if it runs full bore.

As to peripherals being offered with USB interfaces, it's a common practice to adopt the latest standards for connectivity. It certainly doesn't mean those devices will necessarily run faster, they may run slower depending on the number of devices in use on the USB bus. I think manufacturers are offering USB in products like printers in the hope that users will more easily be able to connect up a number of units to a system without manual switchboxes and the like. You can't really speed up a printer when the data is being spooled to it more quickly than it can print already, when connected to a parallel port. USB is just the new kid on the block. I think it's best for replacing much slower, serially connected peripherals. The big advantages here are speed (9000Kb/sec vs. 115Kb/sec) and that multiple peripherals can be connected up, a trick serial ports have never mastered. I like the idea of USB, especially for replacing the slower serial peripherals, but wouldn't spend much to get it's capabilities for a unit that already has a parallel port. The other advantage goes to the parallel port: you can find one on ANY PC(USB is still in it's infancy and supported on only the latest machines, with a Windows 95 OSR2b or newer operating system and appropriate hardware.)

-- Gerald Payne (gmp@francorp.francomm.com), May 26, 1999.

No spitting intended. It was very unfortunate thatI had to forgo the USB connection because I am out of ports on my computer. What was even worse is that WIN98 found reason to cause a conflict with my TV/Video capture card without displaying it in System Properties The warning was intended for practical purposes that USB in its infancy is going to cause people to think that it is good enough for computer illiterates. It is NOT. Frankly, I wished everything I owned could simply plug into a USB port. It would solve all my (and Microsoft's) configuration problems and I could take the stuff with me from one computer to the other.

Thanks for the feedback.

Rinus

-- Rinus Borgsteede (RinusPhoto@cadvision.com), July 01, 1999.