[CUBE] [CUBE]

[atoa at krak.net]

On Fri, 6 Aug 2004, TonVanHest wrote:

>
> Op 6-aug-04 om 13:42 heeft Eagle het volgende geschreven:
>
>> You guys act as if there's something nefarious going on, and it's probably 
>> not that at all.  Consider that the typical Apple user probably uses Apple 
>> products "because they just work."  He expects them to "just work" -- and 
>> to "just work" as advertised.  Apple can guarantee that their products 
>> "just work" -- but only if you only use Apple products.
>> 
>> That Cube speakers work on other USB hubs is not surprising to me, but the 
>> "YMMV" ("mine worked on XYZ USB hub." ... "well, mine didn't work on that 
>> hub.") aspect of it is probably why Apple recommends only plugging them 
>> into the Cube or an Apple-supplied monitor with built-in USB hub.  Apple 
>> recommends this because those configurations "just work" -- while others 
>> might not.
>> 
>> Ditto for all other Apple-supplied hardware, be it an 802.11 base station, 
>> DVD-R burner, or whatever.
>
> Oke, but the point is that (according to standards) any USB device is 
> supposed to use more than 500 ma. If it exceeds that value that it must have 
> its own powersupply.

I presume you meant NOT supposed to use more than 500 ma (not milliwatts, 
as previously stated).

I'm no electrical engineer, but if what you say is true, then the Cube, 
and several of Apple's monitors, are out of spec for USB hubs. You imply 
below that they could damage USB devices. (I'm taking Apple at its word that 
those ports have enhanced power.)

This I seriously doubt.

>
> The standards sya that a bus (the outlet from the system) should produce 
> 500ma.
>
> The standard also says that USB maybe cascaded (i.e. hubbed) and here all 
> devices after the hub should (totalled) not use more than 500ma. That means 
> that if there are devices connected to a hub which total more than 500 ma 
> (and have no own powersupply) then the hub should be powered.
>
> If you go to 'this mac', you will see that both busses prodice just this 500 
> ma. They are _not_ allowed to produce  _more_ than that, since there might be 
> chances of frying connected devices.
>
> All this ends up to the fact that the speakers cannot and are not allowed to 
> eat up more than this 500ma. Meaning they can be connected to any USB outlet 
> that has this 500mw available!

Sure they can. If they do, though, they are out of spec, as I understand 
it. Which means that they shouldn't be marketed as being within spec. 
None of which troubles me, given that the Cube speakers, as far as I know, 
were never sold separately.

>
> One of the problems is there are USB hubs around that "pretend" (aka lie) and 
> say they do not need an external powersupply. Well this is wrong and causes 
> often problems when too much devices are conected (and used) on the same hub. 
> Besides this, there are a lot of hubs around that are plain rubbish, when the 
> price is too cheap to be believable the product somewhere stinks.
>
> Apple likes to give people the idea that only with 100% use of their 
> equipment (and they try forcing that by using their own interfaces) they will 
> have problemless systems but that is simply not true.
>
> As long as ones buys brands that adhere to standards they will work.
>
> Anyhow, I don't see much use in further discussing. I use Apple (Cube, iMac 
> 17') mainly because of the design but the moment design is 2nd than I buy at 
> the PC stores for at least 30% less.
>
>
> Met vriendelijke groeten,
> Ton van Hest
>
>
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