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The Great Migration (6/8/98)
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While most of the debate that continues to rage over the paradigm-busting design of the forthcoming iMac centers on its lack of a floppy drive, don't forget that it also has no ADB, SCSI, or Mac-standard serial ports. Instead, it's got a couple of Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports as its only expansion option. And while the promises of USB sound great (true hot-swap plug and play, daisy chaining of over 100 devices, etc.), the one big catch is this-- none of the currently-available Mac peripherals will work with the iMac, because none of them are USB. We think it's great that Apple's looking towards the future as it moves to USB, but it could be a rocky transition.
Now, remember that while Mac-side USB is debuting in the iMac, it's going to become the standard general peripheral interface in all future Macs. That means that all those ADB-based peripherals, such as joysticks, trackballs, graphics tablets, etc. will eventually be replaced by USB versions, as the old peripherals won't work with the new Macs. It's a tricky switchover, though, because the installed base has ADB/serial ports and the new Macs have only USB instead. That means peripherals manufacturers have to decide which market is more important to them and decide when to make the switchover.
As it turns out, there's some good news for us current PCI-based Mac owners-- we can have the best of both worlds during the USB migration. Say, for example, you want to buy that cool new USB joystick to use on your USB-less 7300; no problem, now that Keyspan has announced their USB PCI card. For less than $100, you can add two USB ports to your existing Mac, thus allowing you access to all the new USB peripherals inspired by the iMac. And you can continue to use your serial-port digital camera, your ADB graphics tablet, etc. See? Move forward without killing your hardware investment. Sounds like Keyspan's card could really help ease the Mac world's transition to USB as a new standard.
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SceneLink (758)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 6/8/98 episode: June 8, 1998: We're back! And just in time, too, judging by the upcoming competition; HBO reportedly plans a miniseries on the history of Apple starring Tom Hanks. Meanwhile, not content with taking on Microsoft, the government saddles up against Intel, and Keyspan announces a product which may ease our transition to the USB standard...
Other scenes from that episode: 756: Ready For Our Close-Up (6/8/98) What better way to return to our regularly-scheduled program than to discuss HBO's planned miniseries on the history of our fave Cupertino computer company? It's mentioned briefly in a Variety article that we noticed over at Reality; apparently HBO is so jazzed by how much people liked their "From the Earth to the Moon" miniseries that they're planning more of the same... 757: Under the Gun (6/8/98) First Microsoft, and now Intel... The federal government extended its antitrust attack on the Wintel hegemony today, when the Federal Trade Commission announced its long-expected intention to sue Intel for violating antitrust laws by strongarming customers and competitors alike...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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