USB: The Only Successful Computer Standard?

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26642' target='_blank'>http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=26642</a><br /><br /></div><i>"There's only been one standard in the PC industry that has survived and thrived over the past decade– Universal Serial Bus, good old USB. Compare USB's evolution to the headaches over DVD standards, HD-DVD standards, and the whole wireless crowd. One day books will be written on the Machiavellian posturing that continues to take place on trying to establish a "standard" for 802.11n while Airgo Systems rolls out second-generation chipsets that will more than double the proposed 108 Mbps "standard" speed this fall."</i><br /><br />A short, but pointed article from Doug Mohney at The Inquirer. It's an exaggeration to say that USB has been the only successful standard - PCI, IDE, etc. have been around a long time - but in terms of external device connectivity adoption, USB is unrivalled.

[jeffd]

I think he may just mean one of the more rescent.

PCI didn't have any competition, and IDE and SCSI tried their best to favore the complete opposit sides of the spectrum. While SATA is nice, afaik most companies still favor SCSI or maybe IDE raid.

What was nice about USB though, is unlike firewire, it's designed equialy for all types of parephials. Also USB items could remain backwards compatable. Most USB mice and keyboards work fine in PS/2 slots using cheap converter plugs (wich may or may not have any electronics in it, I think they just connect pin for pin?) so items could move foward to USB, even if the users don't have USB yet.

[jmulder]

Gee, I kinda thought the x86 instruction set was a pretty good standard. Over 90% of home computers use it, over 20 years of use and counting...

[bluemax]

They're kidding, right?

USB, at least as it is implimented in Windows, is nuts. If you plug the device in before the system is ready, you get some wacked out driver that takes control of the device. You then have to do an exorcism on the damned thing to cast out the demons before you can really use the device.

Do Mac users have these same problems?

Don't tell me it's successful. UGH!