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USB PC Card notes


We’ve been testing ADS Technologies’ USB PC Card with the Wallstreets here at the PowerPage H.Q. and it’s been working pretty well. It uses an ADB pass-through connector to get extra juice for the USB ports, and has the USB ports right on the PC card, instead of a dongle-thingy.

We tested the iMac keyboard and mouse, Griffin’s iMate, and a Gravis GamepadPro. The iMac peripherals worked flawlessly, the iMate emulated the iMac’smouse and keyboard flawlessly, but we couldn’t get the Gamepad to work.Also, the Kensington 4-button ADB mouse we tried only showed up as aone-button mouse through the iMate.

So what’s the hold-up on getting these cards shipped? It’s Apple’s USBdrivers. Currently, you have to use a pre-release version of the USBdevelopment kit’s drivers to get any USB PC card to work. Installing thepre-release drivers is not for the faint-of-heart, but if you’re handy withResEdit, it should be a piece of cake.

Previous PowerPage articles have noted prior successes with various USBcards and the pre-release USB drivers. If you have any USB PC card, go tothe MacOS USB DDK v1.3f9 page for the driver.

ADS Tech's USB Port

By Jason O'Grady

Founded the PowerPage in 1995.