Thursday, August 21, 2003
USB Gets Unwired
Posted by Jason Dunn in "NEWS" @ 02:03 PM
"Component manufacturer Cypress is touting a new wireless standard designed to free keyboards, mice and game controllers from their cables. WirelessUSB LS aims to allow any of these USB peripherals to operate wirelessly with your PC. Unlike similar wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, WirelessUSB LS isn't a networking solution. It works on a simple point-to-point basis. This allows, for example, your keyboard to talk to your PC, enabling fast, simple communication between a PC and USB device."
You know, as much as I decry all these wireless "standards" because they make life more complex for consumers, after reading this article I thought "Yeah, that's the way it's supposed to work." No configuration, no hassles. Go give the article a read, then let me know what you think about the concept. Ultra-low latency and ultra-efficient battery life? If there's sufficient market penetration (that's always the hard part), then I'm sold. I don't mind fighting with Bluetooth for more complex devices that require networking (like Pocket PCs and phones), but a keyboard, mouse, or printer? Just let me plug it in and get on with my day.
When you stop and think about it, Bluetooth is nothing like the cable replacement it's purported to be. Cables simply plug in, and work. When's the last time you had to configure your PS/2 keyboard port to work with a new keyboard? Or configured an AC power jack to work with a new monitor? You just plugged it in, and worked. Sure, you might need to install software to make the keyboard do certain things, but the port itself just works. Bluetooth, on the other hand, harkens back to the old days of yore with the configuration of COM ports and whatnot.
You know, as much as I decry all these wireless "standards" because they make life more complex for consumers, after reading this article I thought "Yeah, that's the way it's supposed to work." No configuration, no hassles. Go give the article a read, then let me know what you think about the concept. Ultra-low latency and ultra-efficient battery life? If there's sufficient market penetration (that's always the hard part), then I'm sold. I don't mind fighting with Bluetooth for more complex devices that require networking (like Pocket PCs and phones), but a keyboard, mouse, or printer? Just let me plug it in and get on with my day.
When you stop and think about it, Bluetooth is nothing like the cable replacement it's purported to be. Cables simply plug in, and work. When's the last time you had to configure your PS/2 keyboard port to work with a new keyboard? Or configured an AC power jack to work with a new monitor? You just plugged it in, and worked. Sure, you might need to install software to make the keyboard do certain things, but the port itself just works. Bluetooth, on the other hand, harkens back to the old days of yore with the configuration of COM ports and whatnot.
