XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.physics, sci.electronics.design   
      
   In sci.physics Greg Goss  wrote:   
   > Jeff Findley  wrote:   
   >   
   >>Bullshit.  The technology in a PC today is quite different than that of   
   >>a PC made in 1988.  Nothing in a PC from 1988 would even "plug into" a   
   >>PC bought today, except maybe the keyboard and mouse.  And the PC today   
   >>is literally orders of magnitude faster.   
   >   
   > The original mice I first saw plugged into a special jack on a card   
   > that plugged into the PC.  I had mine on a combo card with video.  The   
   > technology to allow a mouse to run on the low power in a serial   
   > connection came later.  And serial connectors vanished around Y2K.  I   
   > don't know how the data signals in the PS2 mouse connectors compared   
   > to the 9 pin serial connectors.   
   >   
   > Keyboards plugged into a large DIN connection.  This was gradually   
   > replaced by the smaller PS2 connection, then again with USB   
   > connections.   
   >   
   > I don't know if any desktop computers still provide PS2 connectors.  I   
   > don't think so.   
   >   
   > I'm still using my 1994 laser printer.  It plugs into a   
   > centronics-parallel to USB adapter.  I guess similar adapters are   
   > available for serial ports and PS2 connectors.   
   >   
   > Hmmm, come to think of it, the Centronics port was designed for the   
   > 1988 TRS-80 computer.  A printer from that era would probably plug   
   > through my adapter into any modern Windows computer.  And at least the   
   > MX-80 and its clones are probably still driver-supported.   
      
   Not quite.   
      
   The Centronics connector, also known as IEEE 1284, was designed by   
   Centronics in the 1970's as a general parallel port interface.   
      
      
   --   
   Jim Pennino   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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