G'day all, A while ago, I wrote a press release on the Linux USB project, which got some coverage. I had always planned to do it again, but I hadn't planned to wait this long. In any case, I finally got back to it. The final draft is below. If you have any suggestions for improvements or additional material, please let me know. I'll probably try to get it out around 0500 UTC this Friday, so earlier comments would be good. I am particularly keen to recognise any supporters that I haven't captured below. Please don't publish or distribute this version - the final will be release soon. Brad ================ Linux USB Project Supports Desktop Multimedia FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE With the release of the 2.4 kernel, Linux provided significantly better support for desktop multimedia applications. A key part of this support is the wide range of USB devices now supported by Linux. Typical devices supported include "webcams", still imaging cameras, audio capture and playback, and video capture. Linux has support for a wide variety of "web cameras", including those using the CPiA chipset, the OV511 chipset, some Philips cameras and the IBM/Xirlink C-it chipset. Drivers for the Logitech Quickcam Express camera and for cameras using the SE401 chipset are also in active development. In addition to the "web camera" support, Linux also supports a wide range of still imaging cameras. The USB standard for such devices, the "Picture Transfer Protocol", is supported by the jPhoto application; conformant cameras include the Kodak DC-4800 and MC3. Some cameras instead support the USB Mass Storage interface directly, such as the Sony DSC-505 and the Fuji FinePix 2400 Zoom . Such cameras behave like disk drives, so normal command line and desktop tools can be used directly. Cameras using removable Flash memory (CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and MemoryStick formats) can be used with suitable USB reader devices (such as the Sony Memory stick reader and reader mouse, and the Sandisk Imagemate readers), even if the camera itself can't be directly connected using USB. Other applications provide support for direct USB connections to yet more digital cameras that use proprietary protocols. These include Open Digita Services (for cameras such as the Kodak DC-290, and HP C-500), gPhoto 0.4.3 (with GUI support for some popular Kodak cameras such as the DC-280 and DC-3400, as well as numerous non-USB cameras). Support for more USB-enabled still cameras is on the way. Linux also has full support for the USB Audio class. This support makes addition of sound support very simple, with no need to open the case and install another PCI or ISA card. It also provides a simple approach to additional or alternative sound support on machines without internal card slots such as some of the recent Apple Power PC machines and many laptops, since you simply plug the speakers into a spare USB slot or a USB hub, and sound support is available. USB is used in a wide range of other devices, including the D-Link USB controlled FM radio, MP3 players (such as the Rio500 and Creative Nomad) and the Hauppage WinTV decoder. While Linux does have support for these devices either in the kernel or in active development, the lack of support from device manufacturers has made development of drivers somewhat difficult. A standout difference has been the DABUSB digital audio broadcast receiver, which was developed with Linux support from the outset. The future capabilities for Linux multimedia are promising, with an increasing range of devices being supported. Longer term support from manufacturers for Linux drivers will ensure that this growing market is captured and expanded. About the Linux USB project The Linux USB project is developing USB support for the Linux 2.2 and Linux 2.4 kernels. The Linux USB homepage is http://www.linux-usb.org Supporters of Linux USB development include: 3Com, Adaptec, APC, Belkin, CATC, Compaq, Cypress, Datalux, Iogear, Iomega, Kodak, Netchip Technology, Orange Micro, Sandisk, SuSE and Y-E Data. Contact information For further details, contact Brad Hards ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). _______________________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, use the last form field at: http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/linux-usb-devel
