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12287
March 19th, 2004 12:00
USB 1.1 or 2.0???
Hi. I have just been given a Latitude CP notebook. It has one USB port on the back of the unit, two USB ports on the docking unit. Are these USB ports 1.1 or 2.0? I want to buy a Smart Media card reader and wonder what to get that is compatible with this computer. Does it matter if it is 1.1 or 2.0? Is transfer from a media card faster with a card reader or using a PCMCIA adaptor? Should I Iook for a PCMCIA 2.0 USB adaptor? I will mostly be using the reader for my old digital camera, using a 8MB smart media card. As you can probably tell, I don't know much about computers! Thanks.
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airwolf_1984
138 Posts
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March 19th, 2004 17:00
The USB ports on your CP and on the docking station are USB 1.1, not USB 2.0.
If you are planning on downloading images from your SmartMedia card to your computer, and are choosing between a USB reader vs. a PCMCIA SmartMedia Adapter, I would highly suggest using the USB reader.
I have had several, and I mean several Smart Media cards get corrupted through the PCMCIA adapter. They were the Sandisk brand, so I'm not if that had anything to do with it. But if you've ever had a corrupted card, you'll understand that even one instance is just not acceptable.
Most (if not all) USB 2.0 media readers are backwards compatible with USB 1.1, so if you buy the latest and greatest Multi-Card USB 2.0 reader, you should be fine.
If you are concerned about tranfer rates of the PCMCIA versus USB 1.1, you shouldn't be. If you are only sticking 8MB Smart Media cards in there, the transfer time differences are insignificant. I would be more concerned with reliability than with speed.
Texruss
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3.4K Posts
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March 21st, 2004 02:00
>I have had several, and I mean several Smart Media cards get corrupted through the PCMCIA adapter.
That's nice to know for future reference. I have used the CompactFlash PC card readers (several brands...Kodak, Viking, etc..) on various laptops for 6 years and never had a card go bad. But the CF cards look a lot more sturdy than Smart Media.
BTW...this SM USB reader looks cool.
Thanks,
Texruss
enine
6 Posts
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March 24th, 2004 16:00
airwolf_1984
138 Posts
0
March 24th, 2004 18:00
If you're using media with high storage capacity, you really do need to get a USB 2.0 reader (if not for your laptop, then definitely with your desktop).
I use a Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 8-in-1 Media Reader with a 1GB IBM Microdrive on my desktop (none of my laptops have USB 2.0 ports), and trust me, when you're dealing with that much memory, you really need a USB 2.0 reader.
embagel
5 Posts
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March 24th, 2004 18:00