On 1 Mar 2004 at 15:50, howard schwartz wrote:
>In line with my question, `are motherboard slots becoming obsolete':
>I have a few devices that operate off ISA slots such as a complete
>genuine US robotics internal 56K modem, an imax scanner that works
>just fine, when connected to a SCSI care, placed in an ISA slot, etc.
Most of the SCSI scanners I've worked with will work find connected to
a PCI SCSI adaptor, as well. Sometimes you need to download updated
drivers, but often not even that.
>Having looked at a few motherboards lately and been told, `ISA' slots
>are obselete, they are too slow by more than one salesperson -- this
>contradicts what others have said about available motherboards.
>
>I do not know much about interchange possibilities between types of
>slots and buses. Are there ways to connect a device that used to
>plug into an ISA slot - to a PCI slot, or (lord help me) a usb port?
Not really. I have seen some industrial-grade computers which have ISA
slots, and "card cages" which plug a PCI card into a regular PC, to
give a bank of ISA or other interface cards - but both of those options
are in the many thousands of dollars.
There are still a few motherboards around with ISA slots on them - one
or two, anyway, but overall, I'm finding that for new equipment, if
there are enough slots for everything, I don't mind replacing one or
two ISA devices with PCI... Though I'm starting to find myself annoyed
at the lack of serial ports. One of the new Dell models of mini-tower
we are getting at work has only one 9-pin serial port! While you can
find PCI serial port cards, they aren't as cheap as the pile of
2S/1P/1IDE/1floppy controller cards we have around, that we might use,
after disabling all but the serial ports.
>Many of my friends have all kind of trouble with usb ports: Seems with
>windows, whenever one disconnects a cable, reinstalls windows or whatever,
>one must first install the port drivers then the drivers/software for
>the device, and then connect the hardware up again to allow windows to
>recognize it.
This isn't terribly unusual for USB, but it depends on the device.
Most USB devices will ask for the drivers the first time they are
plugged into a system, but from then on, will never ask again. Some of
your friends' problems might be because they are not stopping the
devices, or shutting down, before removing them... I have run into
Windows having problems with the device being removed unexpectedly, and
having to reinstall the drivers when the device is plugged back in.
>Any tips gladly appreciated. I hate to throw away old hardware that works
>fine, even better then some new hardware, because the pins and plugs
>are no longer available.
Same here. I'm trying to pare down my inventory, testing parts and
putting working ISA cards in older systems, to make them as complete as
I can. Then I'll look for someone who can use a complete system. Might
be slow, but if it can surf the WWW and do web-based email, that's
probably all they'll care about.
Anthony Albert
===========================================================
Anthony J. Albert [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Systems and Software Support Specialist Postmaster
Computer Services - University of Maine, Presque Isle
"This is only temporary, unless it works."
--- Red Green
