Tuesday, February 4, 2003
Sony to get direct USB connection
Posted by marlof in "NEWS" @ 02:00 AM
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-982738.html
One of the things that is asked a lot in the newsgroups, is if it is possible to use the USB connection in a Pocket PC to hook it up to other devices. The standard answer for most of the Pocket PCs is that this is not possible, as the USB is client only, and can not host other devices.
At least Clie owners will get some solution in the near future. In the linked ZDNet article, it is reported that Sony is going to use Philips' USB On-the-Go chips in their Clie line. "USB On-the-Go, which is an offshoot of the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 specification, lets gadgets such as cell phones link and exchange data directly with other peripherals. While existing wireless data transfer modes such as Bluetooth promise similar benefits, these standards are not omnipresent or backward-compatible. USB slots, on the other hand, are commonly found in existing devices such as printers and digital-audio players. Although the On-the-Go standard is not new, Sony is among the first gadget makers to detail concrete plans for its adoption. A number of other companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, have said they are evaluating ways to use it." So there might be hope for iPAQs after all...
One of the things that is asked a lot in the newsgroups, is if it is possible to use the USB connection in a Pocket PC to hook it up to other devices. The standard answer for most of the Pocket PCs is that this is not possible, as the USB is client only, and can not host other devices.
At least Clie owners will get some solution in the near future. In the linked ZDNet article, it is reported that Sony is going to use Philips' USB On-the-Go chips in their Clie line. "USB On-the-Go, which is an offshoot of the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 specification, lets gadgets such as cell phones link and exchange data directly with other peripherals. While existing wireless data transfer modes such as Bluetooth promise similar benefits, these standards are not omnipresent or backward-compatible. USB slots, on the other hand, are commonly found in existing devices such as printers and digital-audio players. Although the On-the-Go standard is not new, Sony is among the first gadget makers to detail concrete plans for its adoption. A number of other companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, have said they are evaluating ways to use it." So there might be hope for iPAQs after all...
