What is legacy USB support?

Basically, it's USB support for a USB keyboard and / or mouse that is being provided by the BIOS before the Windows operating system is loaded or closed, just prior to computer shut down. By that I mean that the operating system / BIOS handoff of legacy keyboard and mouse support is a two-way process. You see, immediately after power-up and for some period of time, the BIOS controls the PC and the USB (actually called OHCI host controller). During this time interval, a user should be able to use a USB keyboard to enter BIOS Setup and then use all keys on the USB keyboard that are valid during BIOS Setup. If you do not choose to enter BIOS Setup, at some point the BIOS starts the operating system and the operating system takes control of the PC and the USB (actually the UHCI host controller). Then, when the user employs the Shutdown menu, it causes the USB (yep, still the UHCI host controller driver) to be unloaded and performs the necessary steps to hand off control of the legacy keyboard support function back to the BIOS (once again, the OCHI host controller). Clear as mud, right? :)

"shesagordie" is refering to this:
A set of I/O options that have been part of the PC architecture for a long, long time. Examples are :Parallel Port, Serial Port, Game Port, 16-bit ISA Bus, PS/2 Mouse & Keyboard, 3.5" floppy drive, Parallel IDE/ATA Hard Drives, PCI Expansion Slots, and even the goood ol' AGP Slot. Think "old skool" instead of "new hotness".

*WHEW...MY HEAD HURTS!*

Message Edited by SloMoShun on 12-16-2005 06:21 PM