Undocumented, awkward ALT+HOME shortcut?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JJ
  • Start date Start date
"Ken Blake said:
Yes, but you can buy an adapter from the one to the other for around
$1.
Click to expand...
1. Yes, but for how long?
2. Such adapters don't work for all hardware. And are not supported by
all OSs.
 
Bill in Co said:
But is there any use anymore for a parallel port? Or a serial port? Or
for that matter, a PS2 port? Almost any printer nowadays connects via USB,
and ditto for mice. Maybe there really is no need for those ports anymore,
except for some legacy hardware that someone may some day want to connect.
(I don't know all this for sure, and I'm just asking)
Click to expand...
Parallel: I agree you're unlikely to find a _new_ printer that isn't USB
(or ethernet, or even wireless these days, though bluetooth hasn't
caught on for them). The original reason for the parallel port was for
other hardware too, though I've in practice not encountered any in the
home sphere.

Serial: definitely still has applications in the communications arena
(which is what it was originally designed for).

PS/2: as I've already said in another post, having such ports and not
using them means wasting USB ports. Though conversely a modern
motherboard that doesn't have PS/2 ports is likely to have more than 2
more USB ports anyway so this one _is_ moot.
 
1. Yes, but for how long?
Click to expand...


Sorry, I don't know what you mean by "how long." For how long will it
be so inexpensive?

If you want them and think the price will go up, buy two or three of
them now, so you will never to worry about it.

2. Such adapters don't work for all hardware. And are not supported by
all OSs.
Click to expand...

Perhaps that's right, but I've never had such a problem (on the other
hand it's been a while since I've used one).
 
If you _have_ a PS/2 socket, then AFAICS using a USB keyboard is not
only no advantage, it is a disadvantage: it's not using a socket for
which there is no other use, at the same time using up one of the USB
ones.
Click to expand...

I agree that's it's not an advantage, but not that it's really a
disadvantage. Many computers these days (desktop, at least) have a lot
of USB ports. Mine has ten, I think (I'm too lazy to go around to the
back to check), and I don't use them all. And if you don't have
enough, adding an inexpensive USB card or USB hub can give you more.
 
Bill in Co said:
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote: []
Serial: definitely still has applications in the communications arena
(which is what it was originally designed for).
Click to expand...

Can you give some examples of where this might still be useful, and might be
missed? (just asking :-) (And if so, maybe it's something that can have
a "workaround" using USB ports instead, but that might be a mess or
impractical - I don't know).
Click to expand...

Well, dialup MoDems (though I know you can get USB ones), and any
equipment that communicates that way - probably a lot in the ham radio
sphere, I'm out of touch there now. USB-to-serial adapters _probably_
have it all covered though.
Yeah, I think we usually have more than 2 USB ports nowadays, anyway. It
Click to expand...

Certainly more than two! Though it continues to surprise/depress me at
the number of netbooks/laptops that still only have 3 or 4.
seems like USB has become the ubiquitous platform for almost everything
these days.
Click to expand...
Indeed, and in most senses probably a good thing. It's just a little
intellectually unsatisfying to have to have adapters where one didn't
before, though, but in practice they are indeed mostly not needed.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"The people here are more educated and intelligent. Even stupid people in
Britain are smarter than Americans." Madonna, in RT 30 June-6July 2001 (page
32)
 
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