Odd USB Extension Cable
in [Mac Systems]
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From: isw on 6 Jan 2010 13:50 Someone just "gifted" me with a large box of assorted cables. Among them was an Apple-branded USB extension (male "A" on one end, female "A" on the other) with the addition that the female connector has a little bump sticking into the side of the socket so that no "ordinary" male USB plug can be inserted. I'm told that this cable is for use with an Apple keyboard (which presumably has a little notch to match the bump). Now, the result of this is that the keyboard's plug can be inserted into *any* USB socket, while nothing *but* the keyboard can use the extension cable. What's up with that? What is so special about that extension cable that it must not be used for anything except that one keyboard? Isaac
From: Doug Anderson on 6 Jan 2010 13:57 isw <isw(a)witzend.com> writes: > Someone just "gifted" me with a large box of assorted cables. Among them > was an Apple-branded USB extension (male "A" on one end, female "A" on > the other) with the addition that the female connector has a little bump > sticking into the side of the socket so that no "ordinary" male USB plug > can be inserted. I'm told that this cable is for use with an Apple > keyboard (which presumably has a little notch to match the bump). > > Now, the result of this is that the keyboard's plug can be inserted into > *any* USB socket, while nothing *but* the keyboard can use the extension > cable. > > What's up with that? What is so special about that extension cable that > it must not be used for anything except that one keyboard? I don't know the answer to your question. I do know that I've taken such cables and forced ordinary male connectors into that notched female connectors, and except for the fact that this was very hard to do, it has worked fine. (I think the only devices I've done this with are keyboards though.)
From: Ben on 6 Jan 2010 14:03 isw wrote: > Someone just "gifted" me with a large box of assorted cables. Among them > was an Apple-branded USB extension (male "A" on one end, female "A" on > the other) with the addition that the female connector has a little bump > sticking into the side of the socket so that no "ordinary" male USB plug > can be inserted. I'm told that this cable is for use with an Apple > keyboard (which presumably has a little notch to match the bump). > > Now, the result of this is that the keyboard's plug can be inserted into > *any* USB socket, while nothing *but* the keyboard can use the extension > cable. > > What's up with that? What is so special about that extension cable that > it must not be used for anything except that one keyboard? > > Isaac I think it was to ensure that you were using a high quality cable as the keyboard has a hub built in for the mouse etc, however it does seem a touch pointless as you could replace it with any USB extension cable (however USB extension cables were quite scarce in the early days). Ben.
From: nospam on 6 Jan 2010 14:27 In article <isw-AF94D7.10503806012010@[216.168.3.50]>, isw <isw(a)witzend.com> wrote: > Someone just "gifted" me with a large box of assorted cables. Among them > was an Apple-branded USB extension (male "A" on one end, female "A" on > the other) with the addition that the female connector has a little bump > sticking into the side of the socket so that no "ordinary" male USB plug > can be inserted. I'm told that this cable is for use with an Apple > keyboard (which presumably has a little notch to match the bump). > > Now, the result of this is that the keyboard's plug can be inserted into > *any* USB socket, while nothing *but* the keyboard can use the extension > cable. > > What's up with that? What is so special about that extension cable that > it must not be used for anything except that one keyboard? apple used to provide keyboard extension cables that could only be used for extending the keyboard. it was incredibly stupid.
From: salgud on 6 Jan 2010 15:54
On Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:27:51 -0800, nospam wrote: > In article <isw-AF94D7.10503806012010@[216.168.3.50]>, isw > <isw(a)witzend.com> wrote: > >> Someone just "gifted" me with a large box of assorted cables. Among them >> was an Apple-branded USB extension (male "A" on one end, female "A" on >> the other) with the addition that the female connector has a little bump >> sticking into the side of the socket so that no "ordinary" male USB plug >> can be inserted. I'm told that this cable is for use with an Apple >> keyboard (which presumably has a little notch to match the bump). >> >> Now, the result of this is that the keyboard's plug can be inserted into >> *any* USB socket, while nothing *but* the keyboard can use the extension >> cable. >> >> What's up with that? What is so special about that extension cable that >> it must not be used for anything except that one keyboard? > > apple used to provide keyboard extension cables that could only be used > for extending the keyboard. it was incredibly stupid. Not stupid from Apple's point of view. If you could only use it for the keyboard, you'd have to buy another to hook up something else. More sales, more profits. |