PC 2001 spec --> my opinions on it

[Jüš† ä gü¥]

Hey, did you ever wonder why when you bought your new computer, that, magically, you could no longer use your old joysticks and other hardware devices on it???

Wanna know what was the cause/culprit?

Go here...---THAT'S your culprit!
http://www.pcdesguide.org/PC2001/default.htm

Seems that Microsoft and Intel decided no one should use anything other than USB devices and FireWire for the future, so computer manufacturers have stopped making their hardware work with all the other devices.

Okay...so, YES the keyboard and mouse can still be PS/2, BUT even that is going to change over time.

They are planning on ditching the PS/2 port(s) as well, and force everyone to use USB mice and keyboards!

What does this mean? Basically, not only do you have to buy a new computer (when you do), but you ALSO have to buy completely new periferals as well, since the computers of the future will not support anything but USB and FireWire (Which, FireWire isn't even really supported on many systems currently, to my knowledge) for external periferals. I believe the monitor is the exception.

Anyhow, does this suck, or what???

It's like dammit......I just want to use my old joystick!

Instead, wouldn't it have been better had the hardware manufacturers CONTINUED to support the older technologies, but just STOPPED making new external hardware devices which relied on those technologies???

I mean, I realize the point of this is to force everything to be "Plug and Play" and, ultimately, EASIER for Microsoft Windows OS to detect the hardware, but shouldn't the hardware drive the operating system, and not the other way around??? In other words, IMO, the Operating System should be developed to be compatible with existing hardware, NOT the hardware should be changed because the Operating System doesn't like those types of hardware as much!

[plutonium]

I think that the purpose of the 2001 spec is to make things faster...if you cut out stuff like the Parallel port and serial port the price of pcs would go down because of more focus on newer technology.

any ways -- the only use one would have for serial and parallel ports at this stage are for legacy devices like printers, older mp3 players.

High-end systems should be affected by these standards, while midrange and low end systems should have older tech any way, since pricing is most important.