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Ipac Usb Vs, Ps/2
RandyT:
--- Quote from: patrickl on June 15, 2004, 06:42:44 pm ---The proof is that I saw with my own eyes that quite a large proportion, of the PC's in the stores I went to, did not have a PS/2 port already. The last time I noticed something similar, one year later I was virtually unable to buy something with the obsolete connector.
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Good grief, find someplace else to shop then. Better yet, go to any of the major MoBo makers (Tyan, Asus, etc) and see if their current high-end system board solutions are missing the usual complement of legacy I/O ports. Tell me what your embedded crystal balls report to you afterwards. (actually, no need to :))
--- Quote ---The fact that you are the only one in the world with a PS/2 joystick, a GPS that apparently will work on a PS/2 port (as opposed to one that just uses the same style connector, but is wired for an RS232 interface internally) and something that will control machines through a port that usually is only used for reading information, does not change anything.
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It's a CNC machine. One of the C's stands for "computer". You can figure out the rest.
Remember the portable devices I was talking about? My GPS uses the PS/2 port for power. No PS/2 port, no power, no workee. It has a DB-9 for RS-232 serial communications.
As for the joysticks (note plural), one is made by the same company as this unknown beast (sarcasm)
http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade_powerramp.shtml
And the other is an Interact beast called the Cyclone. Hybrid gameport/ PS/2 connection (and no it's not just for power, there are 22 programmable keys attached to the buttons on the thing) Nice Joystick too, actually. :)
--- Quote --- In fact, I have some other devices myself that use the PS/2 port as well.
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Well, if I have some, and You have some, and we live in different parts of the world, I'd say there's a preeetty good chance that a bunch of other people have some as well...and they might not be as excited as you about giving them up right away.
--- Quote ---The point is that it's purpose for the vast majority of the buyers is connecting a keyboard and a mouse
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This is true, and there are still plenty of PS/2 devices out there for this purpose. Some of them will do both, but the most economically priced ones, usually do not.
--- Quote ---(and that all PS/2 devices can be made without using a PS/2 port just as well).
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As can all Parallel port devices, as can all serial port devices, and with the advent of USB 2.0, supposedly as can 1394 Firewire (although you may find some argument on that last one). That statement in and of itself really doesn't say anything to support your assertions.
--- Quote ---So, the average buyer doesn't care at all if PS/2 will go and thus it will go since PC manufacturers and apparently even Microsoft want it to go. That IS already happening. I don' t need a crystal ball to predict the current time (well, I have one in each of my eye sockets I guess).
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Already covered the need to do real research and what MS wants and why.
When you say "the average buyer", I'm assuming you are referring to complete new system buyers. There is a situation here that you seem not to be taking into account. That situation is the fact that the PC currently in front of virtually every casual user (email, web, tax software, accounting users) who has purchased a system within in the last 2 years doesn't need to upgrade. There have been no "killer apps" recently that have people rushing to upgrade, and with the quality of home gaming systems nowadays, even the power gamers' numbers have declined. What exactly is going to drive the new technology? What is going to cause this mass migration you envision to "legacy free" systems? What is going to make your Mom and Dad throw away the $800 system they bought last year, so they can spend another 6 or 700 dollars so they can have a computer that won't let them hook their $250 printer to it? That's a tough nut to crack, and if you can, I'm sure MS would be very interested in speaking with you.
In any case, this dead horse is not only flogged, but it's been around so long that it's turned to dust and the maggots that fed off it are using walkers while their offspring moved away because the neighborhood has gone to hell.
So the last word is yours. I'm out ;) *edit* Ok, not completely :)
RandyT
*edit*
spelling
patrickl:
--- Quote from: RandyT on June 15, 2004, 07:50:46 pm ---So the last word is yours. I'm out ;)
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OK, thanks. Just once more then
--- Quote ---My GPS uses the PS/2 port for power. No PS/2 port, no power, no workee. It has a DB-9 for RS-232 serial communications.
--- End quote ---
That GPS is exactly what I described. That is not a PS/2 device it merely has a PS/2 style connector. You carry a PC around with you for powering that thing? Didn't think so.
Just goes to show how short the straws are you are grasping for ...
RandyT:
--- Quote from: patrickl on June 16, 2004, 12:49:22 am ---
--- Quote from: RandyT on June 15, 2004, 07:50:46 pm ---So the last word is yours. I'm out ;)
--- End quote ---
OK, thanks. Just once more then
--- Quote ---My GPS uses the PS/2 port for power. No PS/2 port, no power, no workee. It has a DB-9 for RS-232 serial communications.
--- End quote ---
That GPS is exactly what I described. That is not a PS/2 device it merely has a PS/2 style connector. You carry a PC around with you for powering that thing? Didn't think so.
Just goes to show how short the straws are you are grasping for ...
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Well it was my last word on the debate. You can't honestly expect me to sit idle while you tell me what I possess.
The GPS has no screen of it's own, therefore requires a PC to use it, and gets it power from said PC through it's PS/2 port.
Sheesh, talk about short straws!
RandyT
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: RandyT on June 15, 2004, 07:50:46 pm ---Good grief, find someplace else to shop then.
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Randy, if you were in the store selling USB vibrators, maybe YOU need to find someplace else to shop, j/k :P
Tiger-Heli:
Ok, I suspect RandyT may be back in after this post, but that's okay with me.
We have hashed out the theoretical advantages and I don't think anyone knows much more than they did when this started.
On-Topic The original poster asked whether to operate the I-PAC/2 in USB or PS/2 mode.
The real answer is "Opinions vary on this, but the device supports either mode. Definitely get the extra cable and you can support whichever one you want."
This is a real advantage of the I PAC/2 for arcade cabs. Note: I am NOT saying that you shouldn't buy a KeyWiz b/c it lacks USB support. I personally do not plan to upgrade my computer (again) in the near future, so I could easily use the PS/2 port on my current motherboard. When I do get ready to upgrade, it might mean that I have to buy an Asus rather than an MSI motherboard if I want the PS/2 port, or buy a PCI card to add a PS/2 port. Of course, if most motherboard manufacturers do phase out the PS/2 port, I'm sure the KeyWiz will convert to the new standard and I could just replace my encoder to support it.
But the initial question was whether to use the I-PAC/2 in USB or PS/2 mode, and there is a real advantage to having the option to use either one. With the KeyWiz, if you upgrade your PC you are forced to look for components with a PS/2 port (not that it's a difficult search). With the I PAC VE, you are forced to abandon running your cab in DOS b/c it does not have PS/2 support (and if the USB support in your hardware is flaky, you are out of luck as well), but with the I- PAC/2, you can go either way.
Again, my personal opinion is that there is a slight performance advantage to PS/2, but not enough to make me favor that interface if USB were more convenient for me. If I had an I-PAC/2 that I was installing in a cab, which I would leave permanently plugged in, and had both the PS/2 and USB ports available to me, I would run it in PS/2 mode b/c I have heard of less problems with this mode.
But I think it comes down to a similar situation to statements made when the KeyWiz was introduced which implied that the KeyWiz offers faster performance although performance lag was never a complaint from I-PAC users - to use a word picture:
Let's say I have three bikes to choose from for my trip in to work:
The Suzuki Hayabusa (KeyWiz) tops out at 186 Mph.
The Honda Blackbird (I-PAC in PS/2 Mode) tops out at 179 Mph.
The Yamaha FZ1 (I-PAC in USB Mode) tops out around 165 Mph (???).
Now lets assume that the bikes have equal performance in the 0-60 Mph part of the spectrum and I only drive on 55mph roads and obey the speed limits. It really doesn't matter which bike I choose.
Back to reality I mashed 8 buttons on my PS/2 keyboard through the QVS USB adapter and only 3 of them registered due to blocking, just like in PS/2 mode. Next test is to see if I mapped out the matrix for this kb earlier or substitute it for one that I have mapped and mash 15 keys and see what it does. Not that any of this matters, b/c all we are measuring is number of simultaneous keypress supports, not data transfer rate, and even that wouldn't gauge the performance of the I PAC/2 in USB mode vs. PS/2.
FWIW. . .