[Leaplist] Connectors.

[Bryan J. Smith]

The mini-FW connector doesn't provide power though, IIRC.  You need the full six (6) pin
to include power, although it's a crapload better power design than USB.

FireWire was designed very well, to IEEE standards on both power, connectivity _and_
standard protocols with device-based control.  USB was designed so Intel and Microsoft
could push out a simple host controller + software and 0 intelligence.

With that said, the "Micro-B" is a good move over "Mini-B."  Mini-FW has some of the same
issues on connections as "Mini-B" USB.  Unfortunately, like most cheap things, different
vendors have different mechanical standarsd.

I've had 0 issues with the included Micro-B cable on my WD 1TB Passport SE.  Allegedly
my 2nd is coming in today and I'll get to see if I just had a "good sample" or it really works.

-- Bryan

P.S.  From the #golug channel today on the WD 1TB Passport SE software ...

bjs_redhat: - NT6 (Vista on-ward) works without issue, no software required -- you'll get two
drive letters, one for the drive, one for the read-only image with software
bjs_redhat: - NT5 (2000, XP, 2003) may or may not see the hard drive, but it should see the
CD image and auto-launch.  The software needs to be installed if it doesn't see the hard drive.
bjs_redhat: - NT5 (2000, XP, 2003) with auto-launch turned off, does nothing but mount the
CD image.  Launching the software from the CD image or going into Device Manager and
right-clicking on the WD storage device and telling it to install the driver will do the same.
bjs_redhat: Oh, Linux, 0 issues -- works out of the box



----- Original Message ----
From: Derek Konigsberg <dkonigsberg at logicprobe.org>

This reminds me of something...  Pretty much all BlackBerry devices, forever, used Mini-B connectors on the device end.  (to connect to a charger or a computer)

Until the latest round of devices, of course.  My brand-new BlackBerry Bold 9700 uses a Micro-B connector.  So my long-accumulated pile of common Type-A<->Mini-B USB cables and Mini-B chargers are now useless for it. Until I stock up again, I need to be careful to not loose the *one* Type-A<->Micro-B USB cable that came with the device, and the *one* Micro-B charger that came with it.

Now in the world of Firewire, my laptop actually uses the smaller and less common "4-circuit" connector, whereas just about everything else I've seen uses the bigger "6-circuit" connector.

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