Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: > > For those who would want USB support for the K3 ... the cost > and red tape required for Windows Certification are very > significant for a small company. > >
Also, it is an ongoing cost. Most vendors nowadays support at most two generations of Windows. I've just reached the point where I've upgraded to XP because more and more stuff won't run on '98 and more and more hardware doesn't have drivers for it. In the process it looks like I have lost a sound card and a scanner, because they are considered obsolete models by their vendors and do not have XP drivers. (They do have Linux drivers, and Linux support is potentially indefinite, as long as parallel ports and PCI last.) Although the sound card is more recent than the SB Pro, even though that established an interface standard, it looks like that isn't supported. You have to go back to serial ports and Epson 9 pin printers to find standards that have survived. USB devices come into two categories, ones which can be handled by class drivers, e.g. memory sticks, and some USB sound devices, and more custom ones. The customs ones will tend to die in one or two generations of Windows. The class ones will survive longer, but USB itself will probably be superceded, and, unlike RS232, it is too complex for an individual to host it on top of the latest and greatest technology. Whilst Elecraft remain in business, under the current management, they may well be prepared to update drivers, at a price, but if they don't USB radios will rapidly become doorstops. -- David Woolley "The Elecraft list is a forum for the discussion of topics related to Elecraft products and more general topics related ham radio" List Guidelines <http://www.elecraft.com/elecraft_list_guidelines.htm> ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
