PS/2 ports...

[SmokeRngs]

On a funny note, I know someone that uses a keyboard so old it needs an adapter to become PS/2 LOL

I've got one too. Plus a ton of adaptors.

 

[mikeblas]

There's no such thing as an 'PS/2-connector'

The AT-style connector is also known as a '5-pin DIN-connector', whereas what people call a PS/2 connector is in fact a 6-pin mini-DIN connector. 'PS/2' refers to the protocol.

I'm aware that it's a mini-DIN form factor. (But does it really conform to the DIN standard? I thought the keying was different.) If "PS/2 connector" is really a misnomer, then it's certainly a popular one: Gateway,
Microsoft, and Dell

 

[Decker87]

Abit isn't bringing anything back...it just never went away. What's the big deal anyhow? Is it bad to have both? It's not like they said...you can have either ps/2 OR usb....they put both on the boards. I really don't care either way....even though I use all USB.

Gotta agree with joe here, PS/2 never went away, and I don't think Abit is doing anything wrong. Personally, my mouse is USB and my keyboard is PS/2...but if my mouse died suddenly, I would only have PS/2 mice laying around to fill in for a while.

 

[brom42]

I was reading a view on the main page about an Abit board... and in the specs it had... LO AND BEHOLD....... PS/2 ports... wasn't this the company that tried to phase these out 3 years ago?? LOL

So who uses these 'obsolete' ports??

And what do you think of Abit for bringing them back??

QJ

I just remembered, Abit tried to legacy free with the IT7-Max motherboards. I had one of those and it was a great board. So many people complained about not having PS/2 ports though, that they released a Rev2 of the board that put them back on. All of their main boards since then have had them. Don't quote me on that, but every board from them I have had any interest since the IT7 has included them.

I only ran into one problem with the IT7board. Windows decided that it didn't like the main USB controller anymore so the keyboard and mouse stopped working. Luckily 4 of the ports ran off of a different chip (that intel chipset supported 6 USB and the board had 10) and I was able to run off of those.

PS/2 ports need to stay, and they use up so little space on the backplate. The thing that annoys me is when they still have a parallel and serial ports on the backplate. IMHO I think that that space should be used for some more of the usb/firewire/SATA ports and that the parallel and serial should be removed or atleast reduced to headers on the mobo.

 

[Elledan]

I'm aware that it's a mini-DIN form factor. (But does it really conform to the DIN standard? I thought the keying was different.)

DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung. Among other things they've defined standards for connectors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_plug

What many people call PS/2 connectors are simply 6-pin mini-DIN connectors, which are used outside computing purposes as well. Most DIN connectors have a different keying, which prevents them from being used incorrectly.

If "PS/2 connector" is really a misnomer, then it's certainly a popular one: Gateway,
Microsoft, and Dell

*shrugs*

In this application it's not so strange, as it's a connector used to carry an electrical signal conforming to the PS/2 protocol. In any other application of a 6-pin mini-DIN connector it would be a completely illogical name.