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That's not how I remember it. Every PC had two USB ports. They didn't get used for much because USB 1.1 wasn't great. But they were there since 1997. It was a c
by whoopdedo 6y ago
That's not how I remember it. Every PC had two USB ports. They didn't get used for much because USB 1.1 wasn't great. But they were there since 1997. It was a common question to ask if your computer had "Windows 95b with USB".
From 1998 to 2000 USB only devices were marketed primarily to Mac users because it was seen that they were the only ones who needed it. PC users stuck with parallel or serial because they were cheaper, but where possible manufacturers would add a USB port. Then the higher speed USB 2.0 and with it flash drives and that changed everything. Rather than the iMac I'd say it was the iPod that really made USB desirable.
- asveikau 6y agoThey didn't get used much because software support was not there. There were issues with Windows 95 and NT4. But also many PCs would stop at POST without a PS/2 keyboard plugged in. But new PCs had USB ports before the software was ready, for about a year or so.
- kalleboo 6y agoUSB 1.1 was already more than good enough for flash drives, since flash drives competed with floppy disks (way slower and poor capacity and reliability), Zip drives (not much faster even in the ideal case, and slower if they were parallel port), CD-Rs (need burning software so not available on public/school/office computers, slow workflow, slow burning, expensive single-use discs). Although I think the most-sold device in those days of USB were external USB floppy drives for all the iMac users who needed to read floppies. I think perhaps the iMac gave USB the customer base (of people who had no other option) to get the prices of chipsets and devices down to the point where it could also be accepted by the PC market.