[WriteLog] RE: USB to serial

[K4SB]

Brian Comer wrote:
> I believe I have the same problem with my new DELL INSPIRON 5100 which
> has no serial port. The keyer does not use the serial port as a true
> serial port and as such USB to serial adaptors do not work.
> 73 Brian KF6C
============ 
> We discovered that XP will NOT support a USB to serial port adapter if
> the computer has no serial port of its own to start with. There must be some
> way around this, but we couldn't find one and we returned the Vaios.
> 73, Al AD6E
----------------

While I haven't tried XP, there has to be some problem other than the
USB Serial adapters here. The adapters have their own hardware and
software, and a computer, no matter what type it is, obeys without
question if it is in proper operating order. It simply is not able to
make arbitrary decisions on its own. ( although I wish mine did what I
meant, not what I typed ):>)

I have pointed this out before, and it applies especially to DELL,
that the O/S on these machines is NOT the OEM version which you might
purchase. It is a proprietary O/S made
specifically for DELL, and as such, may very well have support for
serial ports removed from the O/S.

I've seen the XP OEM for sale for as low as $79. Hate to suggest it,
but if I owned one of those machines, I would reformat the disk, and
put the OEM on.

Just a thought..

73
Ed