From owner-freebsd-hackers Tue Aug 5 22:35:20 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id WAA00751 for hackers-outgoing; Tue, 5 Aug 1997 22:35:20 -0700 (PDT) Received: from luna.e-planet.com (luna.e-planet.com [192.203.7.4]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id WAA00744; Tue, 5 Aug 1997 22:35:18 -0700 (PDT) Received: by LUNA.e-planet.com with Internet Mail Service (5.0.1458.49) id ; Tue, 5 Aug 1997 22:34:47 -0700 Message-ID: <0FDE707975DCD0119E75006097C2ED880296AE@LUNA.e-planet.com> From: "Rahimi, Ali" To: Michael Smith , freebsd@atipa.com Cc: sthaug@nethelp.no, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: RE: Status of USB, TX chipset, PIIX3, etc. Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 22:34:46 -0700 X-Priority: 3 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.0.1458.49) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk [usb is hard] [people push usb like slaves pushed stones near the Nile] Agreed. >It would also be foolish to leap in in a hurry and waste scarce >developer resources on the next fad. Not so if every major manufacturer is looking at USB and if you're intereseted in staying competitive. >I think that the lack of peripheral support is telling; particularly I think it's telling of the fact that most PCs don't have a USB port on them yet. Compaq and Dell will soon be shipping with USB ports however. USB will be here soon. Whether it will be a success, I don't know, I'm not an analyst, PCs with USB ports will be here. >the custom silicon that is almost critical to producing a >cost-effective peripheral just hasn't made it to market yet. At the I regularly go to 7 different silicon manufacturers when I'm looking for parts. I went through all 7 of them (they're bookmarked in my netscape). 5 of them had a USB support chipset (the other two were memory companies). I'd say the silicon has made it to market. (the manufacturers, for your reference include TI, National, NEC,Motorola, etc). >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. No, I think most are waiting for the PCs to have the USB port in the back. I can't wait to not have to hook up my mouse, my keyboard and my speakers to three different looking and completely separate and dispersed jacks. ]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer msmith@gsoft.com.au [[ Ali.