Why still have the Legacy I/O

[Gamingphreek]

Why do M/B manf still put on the parallel and serial ports. I NEVER use these and most people dont anymore, especially if they are getting a new system. Wouldn't it save a lot of space and free up some room on the system for other things. Might even lower power requirements.

Also why in the world do M/B manf still put 5 PCI slots on the board. Right now i am using the AGP slot. Thats it. I could see using like 1 or 2 but why not free up the other space for something else? I dunno but i dont know anyone who uses all of those.

-Kevin

 

[ptbbos]

I don't remember the last time I used a parallel port, but I still frequently use the COM ports to connect older electronics to my computer. One example is the older Pronto remotes, you use software on the computer to design the graphics and then transfer your settings to the remote using the COM port.

Regarding PCI slots, 5-6 are required for certain uses. One of my machines is used exclusively for audio recording, and I've currently got 4 of 5 PCI slots filled with soundcards and DSPs. For a "normal" day to day machine, 5 slots may seem like overkill, but its easier to have them and not need them, than find out that 1-2 isn't enough.

Its like IDE and SATA - most people don't need more the 1-2 HD and 1-2 optical drives, but newer motherboards allow you to connect 10+ devices, so that you have the flexibility to do what you need with the machine.

 

[Peter]

Gamingphreek, you are free to buy a MicroATX board with only four slots total, and you are just as free to choose one that has as few legacy ports as possible. YOU, the buyer, are the driving force in this. Did you buy Abit's legacy-free board? No? Why not?

 

[Gamingphreek]

Hey there dog, stop trying to start a flame war, and stop accusing meof doing something.

I was referring to a regular ATX board. Why do they still put 5PCI slots on it. I guess people still use all these things.

As for em not buying em, i dont ave a P4 board, adn im only 16 so im not exactly rich, YET. Im having enough trouble upgrading my own computer to as close to top of the line as its gonna get.

-Kevin

 

[jackschmittusa]

I have a dot matrix printer on a parallel port. I have a label printer on a serial port. I have a modem to back up my dsl that is serial port. Slots? - sound cards, nics, TV tuners, extra usb and firewire, sata, pata, and scsi controllers, internal modems, etc.

 

[MichaelZ]

i prefer having them than not having them... who knows when you might need it. true you probably won't use more than 1 or 2 PCI slots but having more doesn't hurt.

 

[Peter]

phreek, the only reason for fullsize ATX _is_ the number of PCI slots. For all the onboard chippery, this much space is not needed. Particularly if you're budget pressed and not using the slots, MicroATX would have been a good choice for you. Actually, that's the point in MicroATX - make the board smaller and cheaper, and let users put them into smaller and cheaper cases as well.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Well i can see your point, but i get a fullsize ATX board fr the space. As with most people in these forums i OC and can be considered a PC enthusiast, i just dont see any need for the legacy IO slots. I always disable them to free up IRQ's as i have nothing i need to connect to them. Guess people still do use them then.

Well then the question changes, why dont they make a serial to USB and a Parallel to USB. That way they can get rid of the legacy IO and free up some space for some other goodies?

Yes i know there is parallel to USB but not sure about serial.

-Kevin

 

[Steve]

Parallel to USB? Not heard of that, but I've set my mom up with Serial to USB for her PDA on her Mac. I don't know how you'd run parallel over Universal Serial Bus.

 

[Gamingphreek]

I hear ya, but ive seen the parallel to USB connectors. Dunno if they still sell them but i believe they wer quite expensive for what they do ($20).

-Kevin

 

[Gamingphreek]

Oh yeah here is the link

 

[Odeen]

"Chippery"

That's an awesome word, thanks, Peter

Another reason for 5-6 PCI slots is that it gives you the flexibility in arranging your cards for IRQL routing and cable layout reasons.

 

[imported_juanflaiter]

I´m using 3 PCI slots and like the idea of having 5 in case of an upgrade. I use a 56k Modem (not everyday, although if my Cable ISP has troubles, I have a chance for getting Internet), a PCI video card for dual display and a NIC (besides the onboard LAN) for routing. And I also use LPT1 for my experiments, like a LCD display I made. Analog ports are very useful for people that like to "experiment" with devices, USB is a big crap for this things.

(Sorry for my English, it´s not my native language)

Greetings

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: i82lazyboy
i prefer having them than not having them... who knows when you might need it. true you probably won't use more than 1 or 2 PCI slots but having more doesn't hurt.

I rememvber there was a time when I used all 5 PCI slots on my motherboard (2 years ago roughly)

but since LAN and sound are onboard now, it helps to make sure you don't have to fill up all the slots

 

[birddog]

There are still alot of quality laser printers that use parallel port hook-ups. Getting rid of the Parallel port would make these printers worthless. At work we have laboratory equipment that connects to their computers via the serial ports. Analyitical Lab equipment can be quite expensive and usually has a 15 - 20 year depreciation rate. Some of our older PLC's also use serial ports. We still have one piece of equipment that has a propriority ISA SCSI connection (It will not work with any SCSI card than the one that it came with) -- I wish Mobo makers still put a ISA slot on their boards. I had to build a KT7A system for this piece of equipment because that is the most current board I could find that has an ISA slot.

As far as PCI slots go, I have a system with a PCI sound card (onboard sound is crap on most boards), NIC, Modem (no cable or DSL where I live), video capture card, and a PCI vid card (for 2nd monitor).

 

[ProviaFan]

Adapters for parallel or serial to USB exist, but I'd imagine they might cause trouble with some legacy applications that are hard-coded for the Real Thing (TM). BTW, running a parallel connection (in the printer sense) over USB is not a problem - all that matters is that the serial interface can keep up with the data rate of the parallel one, and USB shouldn't have a problem there.

But, I must ask, why do you want to take away our 5 or 6 PCI slots? There is absolutely no reason not to have them; the supposed "extra space" is not needed for other stuff. If you want fewer slots, you should have gotten a mini-ATX board, as others have pointed out already, rather than getting an ATX board and then complaining after the fact, considering that you would have saved only a few cents in the grand scheme of things by not having those connectors on a full ATX board, while having gained absolutely nothing, and having lost in the future upgrade flexibility dept.

If you want a reason why for 5 or 6 slots, consider any audio, video, digital imaging, or scientific analysis system - anything that has to move lots of data, as well as have a way to acquire it. Full ATX (and EATX) boards are really meant for the enthusiast. If you're an average consumer, then you might as well buy a Dell or HPaq with a miniATX board inside, but if you're an enthusiast, you'll just have to put up with the majority of other enthusiasts and professionals, who actually need the features you'd rather be rid of.

 

[PCHPlayer]

You never know what the next innovation in connectivity may be. When it happens all of us with old motherboards will be happy we have a PCI slot available to expand our systems.
I have used a parallel to USB cable I got at Fry's for about $15 and it works just fine with an old Epson laser printer.

 

[MDE]

Currently in my PCI slots:
Wireless NIC
Audigy2 ZS
TV Wonder VE

Don't forget about newer video cards blocking a PCI slot, and then you'll want to give it another slot's space for ventilation and there isn't any more room. I wish I had more PCI slots.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: jliechty
Adapters for parallel or serial to USB exist, but I'd imagine they might cause trouble with some legacy applications that are hard-coded for the Real Thing (TM). BTW, running a parallel connection (in the printer sense) over USB is not a problem - all that matters is that the serial interface can keep up with the data rate of the parallel one, and USB shouldn't have a problem there.

But, I must ask, why do you want to take away our 5 or 6 PCI slots? There is absolutely no reason not to have them; the supposed "extra space" is not needed for other stuff. If you want fewer slots, you should have gotten a mini-ATX board, as others have pointed out already, rather than getting an ATX board and then complaining after the fact, considering that you would have saved only a few cents in the grand scheme of things by not having those connectors on a full ATX board, while having gained absolutely nothing, and having lost in the future upgrade flexibility dept.

If you want a reason why for 5 or 6 slots, consider any audio, video, digital imaging, or scientific analysis system - anything that has to move lots of data, as well as have a way to acquire it. Full ATX (and EATX) boards are really meant for the enthusiast. If you're an average consumer, then you might as well buy a Dell or HPaq with a miniATX board inside, but if you're an enthusiast, you'll just have to put up with the majority of other enthusiasts and professionals, who actually need the features you'd rather be rid of.

Hey man, i didn't ask for a lecture on what i should have done! I just asked why. I didn't need a smart a$$ response either. Also i was not complaining the least bit about this... I WAS JUST ASKING! I respect your knowledge and status of a lifer, but i do not respect the answers that were given to me... like i was some kind of person who didn't know sh!t.

There is no way on this green earth that i would buy a dell or anything besides the highend ones that use non-proprietary hardware. I probably still wouldn't get it as i enjoy building. I am an enthusiast. I enjoy this stuff..OK.

No i do not want a mATX board as everything is so cramped in there. Still for enthusiasts who dont use all those slots they should build a different version of the board with less and move something else in its place. Im not saying people dont use them im just saying that there are a decent amount who do not use them. One thing they could put on a board as such would be to move the other PCI slots down so you dont have to waste a PCI slot because of a 2 slot graphics card... or even a 1slot for that matter.

-Kevin

 

[MDE]

Gamingphreek, crack open a cold beverage and calm down. You're getting defensive because your point was attacked, and I can understand that but when you go off on everyone else trying to say that you're wrong you aren't going to get very far. Calm down and just read the responses, none came off as too over the top to me but only trying to clearly show you the holes in your argument.

As for your idea about moving the PCI slots down to save room from oversized video card heatsinks, Abit has already done this on many boards (the NF7 series for example) but you lose the slot that could have been used if you weren't using a flamethrower of a video card.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Im not hyped up i just didn't appreciate being talked down to like that. I also wasn't whining like he said i was i somply asked a question.

Abit has done a lot of this stuff already... the IC7 MAX3 board gets rid of pretty much all the legacy I/O. But even though they did move the PCI slots over, It still isn't enough for the mountain that sits atop the Geforce 6800U. If they eliminated one of these it would help a bit.

-Kevin

 

[MDE]

Eliminating PCI slots doesn't help the situation. I'd rather have unusable slots there available if I change video cards down the road than blank PCB space when I may need that slot.

 

[tcsenter]

I still use a serial/com port for a mouse, increasingly with an adapter since meeses rarely come in serial versions these days. There is no good reason a stinking mouse needs to occupy a PCI-IRQ which could be available for real PCI devices, so I move it to legacy COM1/IRQ4 where it belongs.

This is becoming a non-issue as ACPI and APIC become more reliable and actually work as advertised, but it ain't quite there yet on all configurations, so I will often disable ACPI and use old reliable APM, particularly on WIN98SE (my old standby). However, I've encountered ACPI problems with brand new hardware and Windows XP, too. It seems to get better with each new OS. Maybe it will be perfected with Longhorn.

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Originally posted by: MDE

As for your idea about moving the PCI slots down to save room from oversized video card heatsinks, Abit has already done this on many boards (the NF7 series for example) but you lose the slot that could have been used if you weren't using a flamethrower of a video card.

My N2U-400A ECS board is the same way. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember the last time I actually used the slot directly under the AGP port for anything..

 

[nightowl]

I use serial ports all the time at work. I am always connecting to a console port on network equipment and the use of an adapter would suck since it would be another thing hanging off of my PC or laptop. Personally the next laptop will have to have a serial port just for that. I do not want to deal with an adapter that might break, get lost, or just not work.