On Tue, 5 Jan 1999 01:17:50 +0200, Matthias Wilke
<Matthias.K.Wilke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> jammed all night, and by sunrise was
overheard remarking:
> >I really hate to do this...but M$ has invested $150 million in Apple
> >Computers.
> That may be the reason, that the best selling iMac has USB (Microsoft's
> child) rather than FireWire (Apple's and Sony's child).
Actually, Microsoft didn't have all that much to do with USB, it was an
initiative started years ago by Compaq, then championed by Intel and
others. It was really Intel that got it into every PC, since they
started building into their chipsets, and they have well over 500f the
chipset market. Nearly every PC made since around the advent of the
100MHz Pentium has USB on board, though it wasn't until more recently
that PC markers actually supported it. Microsoft was one of the last to
the table on USB -- they're supporting it because system makers demand
it, but also because USB support is one of the few reasons to buy
Windows 98. Incidently, you also need Windows 98 for Microsoft-approved
Firewire support.
The reason you have USB and not Firewire on the iMac is simple: cost and
application. USB ports are virtually free to build into a system (about
5,000 gates), and at least as cheap as ADB or PS/2 ports on the
peripheral side (a tiny microprocessor for making a USB keyboard or
mouse costs under $1.00). USB is fast enough for anything you're likely
to need on an entry level system other than CD-ROM, hard disc, or
advanced networking (all of which are built-in already on the iMac).
Firewire is a much faster protocol, but also more expensive to add. And
it's inherently more expensive, and not well suited to the kind of
"desktop bus" use Apple puts USB to, because Firewire is a daisy-chained
bus -- each device connects to the next. Do you really want two wires
going to your keyboard and mouse? Do you really want to have an extra
power supply on the keyboard and mouse? These two new interconnects are
often considered together, but they're really complementary, there's not
much overlap.
--
Dave Haynie | V.P. Technology, Met@box Infonet, AG | http://www.metabox.de
Be Dev #2024 | NB851 Powered! | Amiga 2000, 3000, 4000, PIOS One
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