Thinkpads Forum

this is probably a dumb question,

but are all 3 usb ports on the T61 usb 2.0?

Yes they are.

What prompted you to ask, out of sheer curiosity on my part?

i was copying files from my ipod and it seemed really sluggish.
i guess its because the chord it comes with is not usb 2.0.


thanks though.

Must be a diminished chord. (Sorry about that; It's a joke, son.)

BeeJayEmm wrote:Must be a diminished chord. (Sorry about that; It's a joke, son.)

LOL! Good one ...

Question to tehe OP: what USB port were you using? The ones on the right or the left? There was some issue with the vertical USB port on the left side, let me see if I can dig that thread up ...

gator wrote:

BeeJayEmm wrote:Must be a diminished chord. (Sorry about that; It's a joke, son.)

LOL! Good one ...

Question to tehe OP: what USB port were you using? The ones on the right or the left? There was some issue with the vertical USB port on the left side, let me see if I can dig that thread up ...

I've been using my T61's vertical left side USB port with an external 7200 RPM HD for about a year now with no issues ..... now I'm really curious.

paOol wrote:i was copying files from my ipod and it seemed really sluggish.
i guess its because the chord it comes with is not usb 2.0.


thanks though.

Sometimes I notice sluggishness when copying lots of small files from "USB memory sticks" on numerous different makes and models of WinXP computers with USB 2.0 ports ..... sounds like it might be an OS issue?

Those are limitations with the USB sticks themselves, I believe. Depends on what type of flash chips they use and how their PCB is laid out or something. The Corsair Voyager GT 8GB was one of - if not the - fastest USB thumb drives from what I've heard.

DarkScythe wrote:Those are limitations with the USB sticks themselves, I believe. Depends on what type of flash chips they use and how their PCB is laid out or something. The Corsair Voyager GT 8GB was one of - if not the - fastest USB thumb drives from what I've heard.

Thanks for the info .... I always wondered why it was more of a random occurance. Sounds like it depends on which of the dozens of memory sticks I've used over the last few years.

Makes sense ..... Thanks

gator wrote:There was some issue with the vertical USB port on the left side, let me see if I can dig that thread up ...

There are a couple of "usb power / speed" threads. One here and another here. I started the first of the two threads referenced, but my issue was that the single usb port (and evidently, this is on different sides on different machines) would not power a Logitech mouse. Still doesn't . . . Hope this helps. Good luck.

IIRC the ironkey usb sticks (which are rather expensive military-grade security with different flash ROM chips) claim r/w speeds around 19-20mbps versus a more typical 3mbps from generic sticks, so there are real speed differences in usb sticks.

But there is something more going on with some of the usb ports on these computers, like the system message I got last week telling me my device (exernal hard drive, usb2 rated) could run faster if I connected it to a USB2 port. Which, in theory, the T61p ports ALL ARE.

Sloppy drivers??

hellosailor wrote: But there is something more going on with some of the usb ports on these computers, like the system message I got last week telling me my device (exernal hard drive, usb2 rated) could run faster if I connected it to a USB2 port. Which, in theory, the T61p ports ALL ARE.

Sloppy drivers??

Interesting ...... I've been using about a dozen different External HD's (plus some other USB 2.0 devices) each with different USB 2.0 cables on all three of my T61's ports and my advanced mini-dock's 4 ports and never got that message (and I'm connecting and disconnecting them all several times a day). This is with WinXP

Dunno. I went exploring in the Device Mangler and found that one USB controller is shown providing 500mA to each of two ports (must be the right side ports on this machine) while the other controller is not showing ANY power being provided. Even though it must provide the same 500mA to meet the USB specs, as I understand them.

They're "all the same" USB ports, except as George Orwell said, some are more equal than others.

hellosailor wrote:I went exploring in the Device Mangler and found that one USB controller is shown providing 500mA to each of two ports (must be the right side ports on this machine) while the other controller is not showing ANY power being provided. Even though it must provide the same 500mA to meet the USB specs, as I understand them.

They're "all the same" USB ports, except as George Orwell said, some are more equal than others.

This is interesting, especially in relation to this thread. Where do you find how much power is being supplied to individual USB ports? I'd love to check mine.

EDIT: Disregard. Found it. Google returned this helpful page. Basically, it's on the "Power" tab of the first "USB Root Hub" Properties.

A similar tab may show poewr for internal USB ports--or may not. it is also curious that the internal port is shown as supporting so many USB devices, when there are nothing near that many physical ports present. Maybe the controllers can all support 8x each, but they're never implemented in the hardware? Oddly wasteful.