The real speed of USB2 - a little confused

[johnnyjibbs]

Ok, I have a rev B 12" PowerBook with USB2. I have the HP deskjet 5652 USB2 printer and I have a Belkin USB2 cable to connect them.

How come then, my system profiler appears to only recognise it as USB1.1? In the image below, it clearly says "Speed - up to 12Mb/s" under the hp deskjet 5600 label, whilst the "USB High-speed bus" (480Mb/s) shows nothing attached.

What gives?

 

[jtown]

Are you sure that's a USB 2 printer? Everything on HP's site just says "USB". No mention of USB 2. I'd think that would be a bullet on their product brochure if it had that feature.

 

[MisterMe]

Originally posted by jtown
Are you sure that's a USB 2 printer? Everything on HP's site just says "USB". No mention of USB 2. I'd think that would be a bullet on their product brochure if it had that feature.

johnnyjibbs appears to be thrown by the fact that he connected his printer to his computer with a "USB 2" cable. Well, there is no such thing as a USB 2 cable, per se. All USB cables currently on sale are labeled "USB 2" to reassure buyers that the cables will work with USB 2 devices. Truth in labeling would dictate that they be labeled "USB/USB 2," but the industry decided otherwise.

 

[johnnyjibbs]

The printer came out this summer and I got it with the Laptop+iPod+Printer = £180 rebate offer.

In the tech specs it says that it is compatibile with USB2.0 but now that I look at it, it appears that maybe it is just saying it is compatible with USB2 computers/connections. It's a bit ambiguous. All I know is that the time it takes to send to the printer is not particularly fast so maybe it is just USB1.

Can't find the link to the HP page at the moment (need to go to bed!) but a quick google search reveals that this printer is advertised as USB2 (e.g. HP 5652, halfway down, $300 - http://omnisystems.net.au/printers.htm)

 

[jtown]

Technically, all USB1 devices are compatible with USB2. Goes the other way 'round, too. A USB2 device will work on a USB1 port. Either way, tho, you only get 12mbps.