USB Question

[Rick]

I'm interested in purchasing an external hard drive, and the specs say
it's compatible with USB 2.0. I've got a IBM PC 6591 Pentium II, and
the technical manual says it has 2 USB ports, but doesn't specify
whether it's 1.0 or 2.0. How do I find this information out? Thanks
in advance for any light you can shed ahout this.

-Rick

 

[Rod Speed]

I'm interested in purchasing an external hard drive, and the specs
say it's compatible with USB 2.0. I've got a IBM PC 6591 Pentium II,
and the technical manual says it has 2 USB ports, but doesn't specify
whether it's 1.0 or 2.0. How do I find this information out?

If it doesnt say USB2, it wont be USB2.

Well worth adding a USB2 card, the speed difference is
very large and very noticeable with external hard drives.

 

[Tod]

Pentium II, sounds like USB 1.0
USB 2.0 will work with USB 1.0, but only at 1.0 speed.

 

[J. Clarke]

I'm interested in purchasing an external hard drive, and the specs say
it's compatible with USB 2.0. I've got a IBM PC 6591 Pentium II, and
the technical manual says it has 2 USB ports, but doesn't specify
whether it's 1.0 or 2.0. How do I find this information out? Thanks
in advance for any light you can shed ahout this.

USB 2 only became widespread in the past year or so. It is very unlikely
that a Pentium II machine would have it.

 

[CWatters]

I think USB 2.0 was first supported on Windows XP SP1. Not sure if drivers
available for earlier OS.

 

[Robert Barr]

If you have a PCI slot -- not guaranteed on a machine that old -- it's
off to eBay with you, for an add-on USB card.

 

[Will Dormann]

I think USB 2.0 was first supported on Windows XP SP1. Not sure if drivers
available for earlier OS.

WinXP SP1 may have been the first to have built-in USB 2.0 support, but
other versions can surely use USB 2.0 by installing the provided
drivers.


-WD

 

[Rick]

Pentium II, sounds like USB 1.0
USB 2.0 will work with USB 1.0, but only at 1.0 speed.

Is that an acceptable speed? Is it as fast as a typical internal hard drive?

Thanks for the info everybody!

 

[Rod Speed]

Is that an acceptable speed?

Only you can say whats acceptible.

Is it as fast as a typical internal hard drive?

Nope, USB2 is, but USB 1.1 is very slow for a hard drive.

 

[John Turco]

If you have a PCI slot -- not guaranteed on a machine that old -- it's
off to eBay with you, for an add-on USB card.

Hello, Robert:

I believe that almost any Pentium II mainboard - one, late enough, to
feature USB ports, at least - is sure to be equipped with PCI slots.


Cordially,

 

[Tod]

A harddrive hooked up to the ATA (100/133) motherboard controller
will move data about 50 times faster then one hard drive in an external case
using USB 1.0
ATA133 about 60MBs per second
USB 1.0 about 1.1MBs per second
I think USB 2.0 is about 12MBs per second ?