3 ms·

ooh, does anyone remember what it was like plugging in a device _before_ USB? even re-plugging a mouse (for example) would crash the whole system.

Muromec 3y ago
I’m pretty sure replugging ps/2 didn’t ever crash the system for me. Anything com-port related or vga didn’t either. Now hotplugging pci wasn’t the best idea, but it’s on the inside of the machine, so you naturally power it off.
- zabzonk 3y ago
  replugging a mouse via ps2 either crashed the thing or just simply didn't work. same with keyboard
  - Dylan16807 3y ago
    Every computer where I've replugged a ps/2 mouse, it worked just fine. If I booted without one, then plugged one in, it wouldn't work, but that is a separate issue.
    - lightedman 3y ago
      "Every computer where I've replugged a ps/2 mouse, it worked just fine." PS/2 is not a hot-swappable port, by design. Your hot-swap adventures mean you started out using more modern motherboards (2010-ish) which simply have an internal USB-PS/2 adapter for presenting PS/2 ports.
      - Dylan16807 3y ago
        No, most of my experience was something like 2004 Dells. If it was running off USB, then plugging in a mouse after boot would have worked. But it didn't. Only re-plugging worked.
        ranger_danger 3y ago
        Most PS/2 issues were already mitigated by that point. I specifically remember having a problem on our Windows 2000 Server box that would require a reboot any time the keyboard was un/replugged.
- serf 3y ago
  I remember serial mice being iffy. ps/2 didn't give me problems. parallel and scsi would cause crashes, but it was kind of expected.
  - zabzonk 3y ago
    in my experience, having done lots of programming with it, rs232 serial ports are always repluggable without problems, unlike ps2.
- kragen 3y ago
  in theory hotplugging a ps/2 keyboard or mouse could blow your motherboard but it always worked fine for me
  - garaetjjte 3y ago
    About that... Many years ago family member asked me how to transfer photos from their Symbian phone onto PC. Over the years they have been conditioned to absolutely never plug or unplug anything from the computer while it is turned on. It took quite some time to convince them that USB is designed for hotplugging. But the moment we connect it, computer totally freezes. With egg on my face I think, oh, probably just Windows XP crashed. Power-cycling doesn't help at all though, no POST, no beeps, absolutely nothing. Out of ideas I open the computer case, only to see there's a huge bulge on the chipset... I have no idea what happened there. Perhaps unlucky short when inserting connector, causing latch-up in the chip? Phone was totally fine after this, I connected it to different PC without issues.
    - kragen 3y ago
      oh man, condolences! i bet it took them a long time to start hotplugging usb after that
lm411 3y ago
Ahh, the good ole days. I remember having an IRQ conflict between my 2400 baud modem and my serial connected mouse. I had to keep moving my mouse to use the modem until I changed one of the IRQs.
- zabzonk 3y ago
  oh god, i remember the irq problems - having your mouse play sounds when it moved because of conflicts with the sound card. young un's today don't know they are born - and get off my lawn!
ClumsyPilot 3y ago
I have a GPS receiver that plugs into a PC thought USB. It creates a virtual serial port and is recognised by Windows as a serial mouse. You plug it into a random computer and watch the cursor go crazy. Great for pranks at the office!
dylan604 3y ago
I remember forgetting to terminate the SCSI chain or even double terminating. Forgetting to move the jumpers on internal drives was a pain as well.
foofie 3y ago
Great callout. To me the biggest revolution came from USB mass storage devices. You either juggled 1.44MB floppy disks around, had to use CD-ROMs, or you had to open up your desktop and plug in a HDD. With USB, all you had to do was stick a small plastic widget in a USB socket and you were ready to go. How cool is that? Flash memory hammered home we lived in the future. Some USB flash drives fitted right into a USB type A plug, and stored hundreds of megabytes.

Muromec 3y ago

I’m pretty sure replugging ps/2 didn’t ever crash the system for me. Anything com-port related or vga didn’t either. Now hotplugging pci wasn’t the best idea, but it’s on the inside of the machine, so you naturally power it off.

zabzonk 3y ago
replugging a mouse via ps2 either crashed the thing or just simply didn't work. same with keyboard
- Dylan16807 3y ago
  Every computer where I've replugged a ps/2 mouse, it worked just fine. If I booted without one, then plugged one in, it wouldn't work, but that is a separate issue.
  - lightedman 3y ago
    "Every computer where I've replugged a ps/2 mouse, it worked just fine." PS/2 is not a hot-swappable port, by design. Your hot-swap adventures mean you started out using more modern motherboards (2010-ish) which simply have an internal USB-PS/2 adapter for presenting PS/2 ports.
    - Dylan16807 3y ago
      No, most of my experience was something like 2004 Dells. If it was running off USB, then plugging in a mouse after boot would have worked. But it didn't. Only re-plugging worked.
      - ranger_danger 3y ago
        Most PS/2 issues were already mitigated by that point. I specifically remember having a problem on our Windows 2000 Server box that would require a reboot any time the keyboard was un/replugged.
serf 3y ago
I remember serial mice being iffy. ps/2 didn't give me problems. parallel and scsi would cause crashes, but it was kind of expected.
- zabzonk 3y ago
  in my experience, having done lots of programming with it, rs232 serial ports are always repluggable without problems, unlike ps2.
kragen 3y ago
in theory hotplugging a ps/2 keyboard or mouse could blow your motherboard but it always worked fine for me
- garaetjjte 3y ago
  About that... Many years ago family member asked me how to transfer photos from their Symbian phone onto PC. Over the years they have been conditioned to absolutely never plug or unplug anything from the computer while it is turned on. It took quite some time to convince them that USB is designed for hotplugging. But the moment we connect it, computer totally freezes. With egg on my face I think, oh, probably just Windows XP crashed. Power-cycling doesn't help at all though, no POST, no beeps, absolutely nothing. Out of ideas I open the computer case, only to see there's a huge bulge on the chipset... I have no idea what happened there. Perhaps unlucky short when inserting connector, causing latch-up in the chip? Phone was totally fine after this, I connected it to different PC without issues.
  - kragen 3y ago
    oh man, condolences! i bet it took them a long time to start hotplugging usb after that

lm411 3y ago

Ahh, the good ole days. I remember having an IRQ conflict between my 2400 baud modem and my serial connected mouse. I had to keep moving my mouse to use the modem until I changed one of the IRQs.

zabzonk 3y ago
oh god, i remember the irq problems - having your mouse play sounds when it moved because of conflicts with the sound card. young un's today don't know they are born - and get off my lawn!

ClumsyPilot 3y ago

I have a GPS receiver that plugs into a PC thought USB. It creates a virtual serial port and is recognised by Windows as a serial mouse. You plug it into a random computer and watch the cursor go crazy. Great for pranks at the office!

dylan604 3y ago

I remember forgetting to terminate the SCSI chain or even double terminating. Forgetting to move the jumpers on internal drives was a pain as well.

foofie 3y ago

Great callout. To me the biggest revolution came from USB mass storage devices. You either juggled 1.44MB floppy disks around, had to use CD-ROMs, or you had to open up your desktop and plug in a HDD. With USB, all you had to do was stick a small plastic widget in a USB socket and you were ready to go. How cool is that? Flash memory hammered home we lived in the future. Some USB flash drives fitted right into a USB type A plug, and stored hundreds of megabytes.