For those that need USB 2.0 in their G4 Tower...

fOR $3.94, i'VE JUST GOTTA GIVE IT A TRY UNDER 9.2.2

gOTTA LOVE cAPSLOCK! )

I'll give it a whirl in my Quicksilver. If it works then it's $3.00 well spent. I do a lot of SD card transfers and the 1.1 speed has pushed me over to the PC lately xx( Thanks for posting this

If it works in OS 9 at all, it's going to be USB 1.1 only. OS 9 doesn't support USB 2.0, period.

But if you need more USB ports, it still might be worth it even then.

USB2 on X would be a good thing. I've ordered one - if it works out OK I might order a couple more.

If it works in OS 9 at all, it's going to be USB 1.1 only. OS 9 doesn't support USB 2.0, period.

Click to expand...

That's what I figured, but for $3.94 . . .

Interesting question:

If it works running under X, will it "work" on the "hardware" and the OS X underpinnings when running my QS'02 in OS 9 in "classic mode?"

That might actually be worth trying, just to see . . . [}] ]'>

What kind of a performance hit will 9.2.2 take on the QS'02 if I downgrade it from OS 9.2.2 in native mode to the stock configuration?

Since I'm making the jump from the single 466GHz proc in my DOA Digital Audio to a Dual 1GHz Quicksilver 2002, any performance hit won't really be noticeable in my case!

thanks!

If it works running under X, will it "work" on the "hardware" and the OS X underpinnings when running my QS'02 in OS 9 in "classic mode?"

That might actually be worth trying, just to see . . .

What kind of a performance hit will 9.2.2 take on the QS'02 if I downgrade it from OS 9.2.2 in native mode to the stock configuration?

Since I'm making the jump from the single 466GHz proc in my DOA Digital Audio to a Dual 1GHz Quicksilver 2002, any performance hit won't really be noticeable in my case!

Click to expand...

If it works in X, X will present virtualized USB to TruBluEnvironment through the Classic Enabler, so it should "just work" there too (no drivers needed). You would get USB 2 speed nominally because it's OS X doing the USB bitbanging, so it will probably be faster overall even considering the Classic virtualization overhead.

For it to work on OS 9, it must also implement a USB 1.1 bus. I think this controller does, so as long as it's OHCI compliant, it should be okay (but I really don't know).

What do you mean, "downgrade it from OS 9.2.2"?

For running my preferred Graphics Suite and hard-keyed CAD/CAM software, 9.2.2 is da bomb.

OS X and classic mode were definitely a downgrade, even when I waited for the BugFix version to ship in the retail box. I wasn't crazy about X OR the notion of "upgrading" so many licensed apps to run under it.

When I ran my shop it was an Helvetica free zone, MicroSoft free as much as possible and I'm still X free except for a few of my toys.

Anyone get theirs yet?

I like mine so much that I ordered 2 more... one for my PC to add more ports (I hate hubs), and another for my old DOS game rig to use my flash drive on it.

Great news! How long before you posted was it that you ordered yours?

I probably won't get to try mine out for a while, I'll likely get another big HDD for re-installing the baseline X/Classic OS suite.

Does anyone know of an inexpensive SATA card for my Dual 1GHz QuickSilver '02? I've been holding out to get the one from Sonnet, but . . .

. . . if this trick works out, I can buy a late model MDD and then I'll nee to buy two . . .

. . . or more! How far backwards might a SATA Card be compatible in OS9 boxen, or this one for that matter? At this price, USB 1.1 can't get any less expensive for pre-G3 PCI Macs! [] ]'>

edit: are the drivers stored on the card for auto-installation or are the drivers on storage media (Mini-CD?) included in the package?

No drivers. Leopard recognized it right away. Oh, and it was about a week and a half after I ordered. The day I posted this post was the day I got it.

THX, I wonder how far backwards it'll work under X or if it'll work under 9 at all?

NewToyTestingTime!!!!! [] ]'>

*is also eagerly awaiting 9 compatibility report*

USB 2.0 cards have always "worked" in Mac OS 9, in that most if not all USB 2 cards will work if you have the right extensions (which get installed when you're installing OS 9 on a machine with USB onboard or with a USB card installed) will see the card and run the USB 2.0 ports at 1.1 speeds.

Just about any USB 2 card you can buy off the shelf should work like this, because USB aheres to standards, called OHCI, UHCI and xHCI, respectively.

The only snag I ever hit with USB 2 in Macs was with a blue 5-port Belkin branded PCI card -- it typically would cause my Blue/White to become a brick for a week or so until I removed the card and let it sit for a while. I knew somebody who happened to have the same card who (maybe related, maybe not) had their PowerMac G4 mirrored drive door power supply catch fire (or maybe just fail, I forget which) with that card installed. (I'm led to believe that it wasn't really the environment, he had another PowerMac and a bunch of other computers and stable electricity, etc etc etc.)

Just some thoughts.

The USB 2.0 card I put in my MDD G4 is a blue Belkin 5-port card (four external and one internal); I wonder if it's the same one. It has never caused any problems for me, but I understand PCI card stuff with Macs tends to be situational.

I remember at the time I got it (2004) Mac forums and whatnot were full of people obsessing over which USB cards would be compatible with their machines, but in my high-school quest to show PC gamer acquaintances that Macs were expandable without having to buy special cards (half-true), I just went to the store and bought the first one I found for $20. I never looked into whether it was really that easy or whether I just got lucky. As others have mentioned, it seemed to work okay at USB 1.1 speeds in OS 9, but I didn't test it much because using OS 9 had gotten a bit unrealistic by then.

I have never had a belkin card work in any of my G3/G4 machines, but the ones with a NEC chipset seem to work for me.

*shrug*

The Belkin card worked, it's just that there's some circumstantial evidence suggesting it didn't work well in my machine.

Fortunately, since then, even Apple has become a little bit more generous with the number of USB ports on their systems -- that and wherever possible, I use Dell UltraSharp displays, which have four-port USB hubs in them.

I just ordered four more of these cards and another interesting offer popped in the splash window display after hitting "confirm" in PayPal!

USB 2.0 (4+1-Port) & FireWire (2+1-Port) PCI Controller Combo Card, FW-F3U5

. . . for $19.95 shipped, I think I'll give this one a whirl in the Beige G-3 Desktop based BorgMacG3™ MetalTower and test it in the 6x00 based hacks as well.

Does anyone have a guess about Mac OS compatibility of the card?

Based on the specs, I'd say that it should work find under both 9 and X.

The tricky one for Mac OS 9 compatibility is that it has to be OHCI compatible for USB 1.1 (not UHCI), although later versions of X do support UHCI cards. I found that one out the hard way with the Via-based card in my Sawtooth.

THX, old buddy! :approve:

Gotta give one a try, after all, I've only got a singleTempo Trio.

I have one coming in the mail, but nobody knows if USB 2.0 speeds are supported under 9.2.2 in general?

I mean, I'll find out when it gets here, but would be nice to know regardless. Specifically in regards to using USB flash drives.

But hey, either way I'll get to use my E-MU gear with my G4 now in OS X!

I have a dozen USB 2.0 cards. All of them turn into USB 1.0 under 9.2.2.

If you have to sneakernet larger files over then I'd suggest a 2.5" eternal drive with both firewire and USB 2.0.

Mac OS 9 does not have any USB 2.0 drivers, period. The cards will most likely work, they just fallback to 1.1 speeds.

The operative question isn't about USB-2 drivers or support running natively under 9.2.2, it's a given, that'll never work.

The question on the table is the possibility of running 9.2.2 in Classic Mode under OS-X and gaining the functional performance of USB-2 through the underlying operating system/drivers/hardware as a side benefit of taking the performance hit from running 9 within X.

I'm going from a single 466MHz G-4 Graphite DA to a Dual 1GHz Quicksilver 2002, so I won't even notice the performance hit running 9 under X will impose.

If I can get USB-2 speeds as a result that'll be great, if not, out with the X!!!!!! USB 1.1 is fine-n-dandy.

edit: ISTR running the first card successfully under 9.2.2 natively and under 10.1.1 on another drive in the Quicksilver, but I can't find the install disks for the QS'02, so I haven't been able to test transfer speeds for comparison, the QS'02 hangs on the 9.? in my 10.1 retail box . . . so I'm searching.

sorry - i should have mentioned i'm on a FW800 g4, so i don't really have a choice either way :lol:

OS9 Compatibility Report:

9.2.2___Quicksilver 2002_____Runs great on standard install as "Native 9" on this USB native PowerMac___KBD and Camera download (USB 1.1 assumed)

9.0.0___Beige G3 Desktop___Doesn't run on base install of retail box CD, but was not present on PCI bus during install.

I'll try a re-install of the 9.0 retail CD to see if this changes anything___driver suggestions?

JT: You should be able to just download the USB software from Apple for the Beige - but why on earth are you running 9.0.0 on that anyway? If you upgrade the software (even, I think, to 9.0.x through Software Update) with the card installed, I think the drivers will be installed too.

My card has arrived, btw, but I haven't installed or tested it yet.

I've got 9.0.0 on it as the baseline OS for testing a passel of PCI VidCards. I've got three ATIs that are running great, another that doesn't and several from other mfrs. that aren't up and running as yet.. The Incremental upgrades are in store for this project. [] ]'>

I've got the retail box for this Rev of 9 because I needed it to unbork the OS on my 6360/G3 back when it was my main production machine. Other than this and Windows 3.0, I've never bought a first release of an OS.

I'm not sure why you think 9.0.0 is a better testing platform than a bug-fixed point upgrade of the same version. - let alone that, AFAIK, 9.1 and 9.2 actually have *better* ATI drivers.

In any case, without a bunch of Extensions/CPs with the word USB somewhere in their title, that card is going to sit there doing nothing. You could probably drop the ones from your other machine into it.

Yeppers, bugfixes and release updates are in order to see when and if each VidCard and the USB card start to "just work." Copious notes will be taken. Right now I'm figuring out if I want to get the USB/FireWire Card to add into the mix as well . . .

. . . baby steps! :approve:

Looking at the USB and Firewire combo cards, I was just thinking about something like these. But for my 8600, which often mediates between my new world and 68k boxen. I remember that I tried some USB1.1 cards years ago which were supposed to "just work", but they didn't. Any advice for drivers I should copy over? I am running OS 9.1 on the 8600.

9.1 has the most recent drivers available for OS 9 -- I don't think there were more than minor changes, if any, in 9.2.x. Those cards may not have been OHCI, or may have been subtly out-of-spec.

Try this software

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1238?viewlocale=en_US

Note the warning: the document that link goes to states (as above) that 9.1 has a later version of USB support. Don't install this over 9.1.

Bought 2... I read the thread and it appears this should work on 9.2.2 but can someone confirm.. I am going to slap this bad boy in a TAM..

I believe under OS 9, you're just adding more USB 1.1 ports.

Confirmed. There is no USB2 support in OS9 or earlier.

I know this is in the wrong area, but I don't want to start another thread for no reason. Anyone tried one of these in a early PCI Mac? More specifically 6400/6500? A friend will be selling me one soon (needs some work, they said it doesn't turn on), and if I get it working I'm going to want USB (1.0/1.1 is fine).

This would also be great in my Sawtooth. I might just order 2 at under $4 a pop.