any computer wizards out there?

[mrcorey]

I just bought a new PC. I thought that USB 2.0 was the same thing as Firewire. Is it the same or is it different? I also thought that I would be able to plug in my USB 1.5 into the USB 2.0 plug, but cannot. Now I am totally confused. Would anyone care to share some light on this matter for me. I'd be most apprecitative. Thanks in advance.

in Him;

-c-

[Guest man]

I know about as much as you do, but...

There are sites out there that handle questions such as yours. Just google "computer questions" or "tech help computer" or something close to that....you should be able to find something out there.

That's about all I got...

[cjrose]

I can tell you one thing..... Call someone for suppport! I messed up my computer so badly trying to fix things myself I haven't been able to get on! Anyone miss me? I had to completely restore to manufacture settings, now I can mess it up again with all my downloads rots of ruck to you.

[ted]

I just bought a new PC. I thought that USB 2.0 was the same thing as Firewire. Is it the same or is it different? I also thought that I would be able to plug in my USB 1.5 into the USB 2.0 plug, but cannot. Now I am totally confused. Would anyone care to share some light on this matter for me. I'd be most apprecitative. Thanks in advance.

in Him;

-c-

Corey,

Firewire, the "newest" in transfer conduction (my word) is different than USB 2.

USB 2 (Universal Serial Bus) is a bigger version of USB and can carry a lot more info at the same time that the old USB 1. The two cables, as you now know, are different in size, and not compatible. Some thing with USB 1.5- two different size cables, and they don't fit into each other.

USB came about as a way to have a universal serial port system to take the place of many different things like printers and external drives having different attaching cables. Remember the old printer cables? Remember the old joystick cables? Well, with USB, there's a standard port and cable system to plug these various things into computers using a standard cable and ports for all of them. The emergance of plug and play technology helped work with USB, too.

You have to remember this when you are buying stuff these days. If you computer doesn't have USB 2 slots but your new gadget (like a camera, printer, etc) does, you'll see that it won't fit.

Also, USB slots on your computer may or may not be what's called High Power, or High Speed (or something like that).

Some gadgets use the higher powered USB ports but your computer may not have these ports, although you may have regular USB ports. For the most part, the difference between the two are still compatable, but you just won't get the optimum preformance out of stuff designed for the higher powered USB if you plug them into regular USB ports.

You can look in your System Devices folder and see your USB ports there. Click on Properties for each port and you'll see which is regular or higher powered.

Firewire, of course, requires it's own port and you computer may or may not have this port- depending on the model you bought. Firewire and USB are not compatible, either. You have to make sure that, if you buy a device that uses Firewire, your computer has a Firewire port.

It's simply another system designed to carry info from an external device to your computer. Firewire, though, is much more powerful than USB, and can carry loads more info. More power= more speed!

Firewire is like an extra on a car. You pay a little more for the option, of course. These days, though, Firewire ports are becomming standard on newer computers.

Hope this helps!

You can Google all this stuff and probably get a better definition, though......

Basically, when you buy a device, figure out whether it uses USB1, USB 1.5, USB2, or Firewire. Also know what your computer has for ports, and match them up accordingly.

One more bit of confusion: The physical difference in the various USB cables are on one end. The standard end should fit in any USB port- it's a standard size. The difference is on the end which plugs into the external device (a printer, camera, external drive, etc...). USB2 has a bigger plug on the side which plugs into the external device, but all of them have a standard size for the port on your computer (that little slot looking thing).

Firewire, if I remember correctly, looks more like a big telephone wire connector.

Just think, two years ago, I didn't even know how to cut and paste!

t.

[cjrose]

Just think, two years ago, I didn't even know how to cut and paste!

t.

Where were you when I needed you?

Now I have to re-install all my programs!

[Tribulation]

I just bought a new PC. I thought that USB 2.0 was the same thing as Firewire. Is it the same or is it different? I also thought that I would be able to plug in my USB 1.5 into the USB 2.0 plug, but cannot. Now I am totally confused. Would anyone care to share some light on this matter for me. I'd be most apprecitative. Thanks in advance.

in Him;

-c-

Give it a kick. That normally fixes my computer.

[irishcowboy]

most computers when purchased have 24/7 help line that a person can call and get the assistance they need..... this usually last for about the time the computer is under warrenty.... however, one computer i had, i called about once a quarter about, and even after it was no longer under warrenty, they continued to assiste me in fixing my booboo's......

the first computer we had that was internet set, my son got on thinking he was dealing with DOS and plugged in a disc that said "BOOT DISC" and crashed it... sheesh, wish i had not taught him how to move around DOS and such... now neither one of us can do DOS... lol.... got lazy over the last 10 years....

give the techs a call, they should be able to assist....

mike

[cjrose]

Give it a kick. That normally fixes my computer.

That reminds me of the russian in Armegedon ( The movie with Bruce Willis? ) Where they have like two seconds to get off the asteroid and the female astronata was trying to fix the "engine" when the russian shoves her out of the way "thhheess izzzzzz hoaw we fixxxxxx thinggggggggs in rrrrrrrrruuusssssssia!! And he bangs on the panel with a metal pipe and all of a sudden the engine fires up and everyone on the ship is safe and poor Bruce is left *sniffle*

Did the writers have writers block when it came to that part or what?

sorry, just had to throw this in there

[mrcorey]

Corey,

Firewire, the "newest" in transfer conduction (my word) is different than USB 2.

USB 2 (Universal Serial Bus) is a bigger version of USB and can carry a lot more info at the same time that the old USB 1. The two cables, as you now know, are different in size, and not compatible. Some thing with USB 1.5- two different size cables, and they don't fit into each other.

USB came about as a way to have a universal serial port system to take the place of many different things like printers and external drives having different attaching cables. Remember the old printer cables? Remember the old joystick cables? Well, with USB, there's a standard port and cable system to plug these various things into computers using a standard cable and ports for all of them. The emergance of plug and play technology helped work with USB, too.

You have to remember this when you are buying stuff these days. If you computer doesn't have USB 2 slots but your new gadget (like a camera, printer, etc) does, you'll see that it won't fit.

Also, USB slots on your computer may or may not be what's called High Power, or High Speed (or something like that).

Some gadgets use the higher powered USB ports but your computer may not have these ports, although you may have regular USB ports. For the most part, the difference between the two are still compatable, but you just won't get the optimum preformance out of stuff designed for the higher powered USB if you plug them into regular USB ports.

You can look in your System Devices folder and see your USB ports there. Click on Properties for each port and you'll see which is regular or higher powered.

Firewire, of course, requires it's own port and you computer may or may not have this port- depending on the model you bought. Firewire and USB are not compatible, either. You have to make sure that, if you buy a device that uses Firewire, your computer has a Firewire port.

It's simply another system designed to carry info from an external device to your computer. Firewire, though, is much more powerful than USB, and can carry loads more info. More power= more speed!

Firewire is like an extra on a car. You pay a little more for the option, of course. These days, though, Firewire ports are becomming standard on newer computers.

Hope this helps!

You can Google all this stuff and probably get a better definition, though......

Basically, when you buy a device, figure out whether it uses USB1, USB 1.5, USB2, or Firewire. Also know what your computer has for ports, and match them up accordingly.

One more bit of confusion: The physical difference in the various USB cables are on one end. The standard end should fit in any USB port- it's a standard size. The difference is on the end which plugs into the external device (a printer, camera, external drive, etc...). USB2 has a bigger plug on the side which plugs into the external device, but all of them have a standard size for the port on your computer (that little slot looking thing).

Firewire, if I remember correctly, looks more like a big telephone wire connector.

Just think, two years ago, I didn't even know how to cut and paste!

t.

Thank you Ted. I have done so much web searching that it just made me more confused with all the IEEE1394 and the USB 1.5, USB 2.0 and Firewire. I just needed somebody to help me put it all into perspective. AGain thanks a lot.

-c-

[Rebmilc]

Hi.

Ted is correct in what he says, another thing to remember about firewire is that it is usually used with digital camcorders and is excellent for home video editing. It can handle lots of information such as you would need for the graphics involved in turning your digital camcorder sessions into home movies.

In the school where I work in the UK we had one PC set up with firewire and we had a video editing program installed on that PC. That is all we use it for. The kids go around the school with the camcorder making films of their lesons, trips etc. and then edit them on the PC adding titles, music etc and then burn them onto cd's. Some schools I know use this method to film school productions, plays etc and then sell them on to the parents so they have a record of their kids shows. (especially usefull at Christmas).

Hope that helps.