Technology Tidbits from Jim Phifer

Increase Your Tech Vocabulary

In each issue of Tech Talk you’ll have your chance to test your tech savvy. I’ll pose a multiple-choice question regarding a term used in technology or on the Internet. If you don’t know the answer, I’ll point you to a website that does.

Here’s the answer to #1 (last month’s):

What does “ROTFL” stand for? Roll On The Floor Laughing (Ha, Ha, Ha!)

Many online chatters use shortcuts to save typing time. ROTFL is just one of them. :-)

Now, here’s #2!

What is a “dongle”?

1. Any device, shorter than 12”, that attaches to a computer.

2. A Polynesian drum made from a large gourd.

3. A device that attaches to a computer to control access to a particular application.

4. Spanish term for a computer mouse.

If you don’t already know the answer, try the URL listed below. It has another great glossary of technology terms.

http://www.webopedia.com

Mac and USB: FAQs
by Jim Phifer, ITS Resource Manager

Included in this article are answers to questions I have received regarding the use of Macintosh computers and peripheral devices (printers, modems, disk drives, alternative keyboards, switches, etc.), since the advent of USB ports on Mac computers.

What is USB?

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard serial interface for connecting input devices and lower-speed peripherals. A USB port is faster and more flexible than the traditional Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) and Apple Serial ports it replaced (beginning with the iMac and the blue-and-white G3).

How can I use USB peripherals on older Macs that don’t have a USB port?

There are many adapters available for this purpose. For older Mac desktop computers, you could purchase the Busport USB PCI card (Belkin) or USB Expansion card (Keyspan). These require a PCI slot and Mac OS 8.6 or greater. For older PowerBooks, you can purchase a Busport Mobile (Belkin). This requires a PC card slot and Mac OS 8.6 or greater.

How can I use older, non-USB peripherals on newer USB Macs?

Again, there are many adapters available for this purpose. If the older peripheral plugged into the ADB (keyboard) port, you could purchase an iMate (Griffin Technology), a USB to ADB Adapter (CompuCable), or a USB to twin ADB Adapter (Belkin). For peripherals which were made to plug into the older printer or modem (DIN-8) ports, you could purchase a Twin Serial Adapter (Keyspan) or a USB-Serial Converter (CompuCable). For peripherals which were made to plug into a SCSI port, you could purchase a USB/SCSI Adapter (Belkin).

How can I connect several USB devices to my computer when there are not enough USB ports?

In general, newer Macs have 2 USB ports builtin to the computer. One is used for the keyboard, leaving just one available for other devices. The Mac keyboard has 2 USB ports, but one is used for the mouse. For most users, this should be enough. For instance, if you just have a printer and disk drive to plug in, you can plug the disk drive into the computer and the printer into the keyboard. In special education, however, we many times see 3 or 4 USB devices connected to a Mac. In order to do this, a USB hub is needed. This device plugs into an existing USB port (computer or keyboard) and provides 2 or more additional USB ports for other devices. There are 2 different types of USB hubs--powered (has power adapter) and non-powered (gets its power from USB port). I recommend only the powered variety, as some USB devices will not work when connected to a non-powered type. Examples include the Belkin Economy 4-port USB Hub (Belkin) and the USB Hub Graphite 4-port (Keyspan).

Can I connect 1 USB device to 2 or more computers?

Yes, you can, by using a USB switchbox. Each computer is connected to the box as well as the USB device. To connect the device to a particular computer, you can just turn the dial to the letter (A/B/C/D) of the computer. Examples include the USB 4-port Switch (Belkin) and the USB Switchbox 4-1 (CompuCable).

Where can I find information about the devices you have mentioned?

http://www.belkin.com
http://www.keyspan.com
http://www.griffintechnology.com
http://www.compucable.com

Who can I contact if I am not sure what to purchase?

Feel free to contact me by email (jphifer@fcps.edu) or by phone (204-3959) if you have further questions.