Common sense running amok

[Josh]

I never thought I would see the day when SC's would start to use common sense, some helpful advise though (computer and phone related).

Just because you need some obscure part no one with a pint of common business sense is willing to invest to create

1. should not only have been created, but additionally should be available in the closest place you lazy ass manages to drag himself to.
2. asking a clerk why they don't have it or why they don't make will not make the clerk fart out out of thin air just for you

Phone and computer ports are not magical crevices willing to do you bidding

1. congrats on jerrying some contraption that allowed you to hook up an HDMI cable to the CHARGING PORT of your phone, but I can't begin to try to explain to you why you still can't watch netflix when you hook the other end of the HDMI to your TV set.

2. I really don't know where the 'red white and yellow to HDMI' adapter is located.

3. Splitting the video signal to two monitors will not allow you to have two completely different windows open and allow you to work two different programs ala mission impossible agent headquarters edition.

deciding that all you need is an adapter to turn that magical orifice to anything you think it should do, will NOT make it so.

[EricKei]

Bear with me on this one...but WHY would one want a cable that converts analog to HDMI? >_> Does that not defeat the purpose of using an HDMI or other digital connection in the first place? While I can understand having something to connect that is old enough to not *have* an HDMI out -- perhaps due to financial reasons -- it means that this user *does* have a TV (etc) that supports it, which is probably pricier...

We're talking about 1990's, standard-definition, "old school analog", too (red/white/yellow), not even Component o_O

[Ophbalance]

Bear with me on this one...but WHY would one want a cable that converts analog to HDMI?

It's handy for a receiver that doesn't support up-converting, for one. For instance my snazzy fancy (sarcasm to full: it was $350 off and on clearance) receiver can take in HDMI or RCA. BUT, the RCA will not be run back to the TV on the single HDMI link. Instead, I have to run yet another RCA to TV. Thankfully I only have one source like that.

[threngrey]

How'd the customer even manage to rig an HDMI cable to their phone? And why wouldn't they just buy the cable that does the exact thing they want? Stupid people make my head hurt.

[emax4]

At my Guitar Center days, I recall one guy coming in and getting pissed off that we didn't carry a MIDI-to-audio cable. FYI, MIDI only carries data, not audio. Think of this as someone wanting an Ethernet cable to a headphone cable.

Me and my coworker went out of our ways not to embarrass the guy, trying to reason with him and explain how it's not possible, but he would have none of it and left pissed off. I think some people are just too proud to admit that they don't know something or when they've been defeated.

[unperson]

Bear with me on this one...but WHY would one want a cable that converts analog to HDMI?

I've got an Apple Dock > HDMI adapter that I use when I want to stream movies from my phone - sure, the resolution isn't all that great on larger displays, but it beats the hell out of lugging a laptop around! I just plug everything in, hit play, and when I'm done, the phone goes back in the pocket.

[ADeMartino]

I had a customer like that once.
Most computer-savvy folks have heard of USB/Parallel adapters - basically, to allow the use of old-school parallel printers with newer computers, which might not have have the older-style parallel ports. Yes, essentially it was like installing a second parallel port in a computer, but the cool thing was it was done via the USB port and therefore not necessary to open the computer.

However, my customer swore that the existence of this particular adapter was proof that a 'reverse' adapter existed - that would be something you plug into the parallel port of an older computer, and to which you could then attach USB devices. Worse, he'd claimed to have actually seen such a thing with his own two eyes.

I didn't want to directly contradict him, but I did say that I had neither seen nor heard of such an adapter; indeed, not only would it be comparatively slow, but there were peripheral cards readily available (and I even had one in stock!) that would add USB function to an older computer, and therefore strictly speaking, the development of a parallel-port solution wasn't strictly necessary.

He called me a 'f**king moron and stalked out.

[mhkohne]

However, my customer swore that the existence of this particular adapter was proof that a 'reverse' adapter existed - that would be something you plug into the parallel port of an older computer, and to which you could then attach USB devices. Worse, he'd claimed to have actually seen such a thing with his own two eyes.
[snip]
He called me a 'f**king moron and stalked out.

Oh man, I hate people who think like that. The fact that I can buy an adapter A->B does NOT mean that an adapter B->A is as easily available. In that case, such a gizmo could be built, but it would be pretty much custom to the printer involved. As far as I know no one has ever bothered, because, oh look, it's not worth it - there's only like 4 people who would ever want one, duh!

And then to get mad at you because you don't have what he wants is even stupider.

[sms001]

that would be something you plug into the parallel port of an older computer, and to which you could then attach USB devices.

Although not all of them require it, where would the USB devices that do get the juice in such a lashup?

He called me a 'f**king moron and stalked out.

Ah! If followed by never bothering you with tech inanities again, very much worth it!

[Chromatix]

I had a serial-to-parallel adapter for my Mac a long time ago - and maybe I still do, but I've not needed it for such a long time. It drew power from the ADB port, which is normally used for attaching the keyboard and mouse to a Mac.

There would probably be enough power from a PS/2 or AT keyboard socket to run the electronics in a USB host adapter, and possibly even to run a downstream USB device. The problems lie elsewhere, really.

[sms001]

There would probably be enough power from ...

I went and looked and specs show them capable of handling 5v, so, my bad. I'm 0 for 2 on the electronics front this week. Early senility.

[Silent-Hunter]

However, my customer swore that the existence of this particular adapter was proof that a 'reverse' adapter existed - that would be something you plug into the parallel port of an older computer, and to which you could then attach USB devices. Worse, he'd claimed to have actually seen such a thing with his own two eyes.

I made something like that once for my OLD laptop, so I could use a new printer. But I didn't write a driver or anything, I just told Windows 3.1 it was a "Text only/Generic". Still don't know why it didn't work, but I think it might have been because newer printers don't support the "Text only/Generic" thing? I did research for the adaptor, and I'm pretty sure it should have worked.

[SongsOfDragons]

I saw a photo yonks ago of a usb stick plugged into a really ancient port via a line of about six adaptors.

[ADeMartino]

Although not all of them require it, where would the USB devices that do get the juice in such a lashup?

That's a very intelligent question!

At the time this incident took place, USB 2.0 had only been out for maybe a month or two - so most hardware that was built to be powered from a USB port was low-drain stuff, because USB 1.1 ports usually had a 500 milliamp output-current limitation. Keyboards, mice, etc. are good examples, and were what USB was originally developed for. Stuff that needed more power (document scanners, printers, etc) was typically supplied with a line transformer or wall-wart.

So, from a 'power' aspect, he was probably covered. Though the 'power' question probably never did enter his mind.

Ah! If followed by never bothering you with tech inanities again, very much worth it!

Indeed so. I never did see the guy again.

[Krysalis]

At my Guitar Center days, I recall one guy coming in and getting pissed off that we didn't carry a MIDI-to-audio cable. FYI, MIDI only carries data, not audio. Think of this as someone wanting an Ethernet cable to a headphone cable.

Me and my coworker went out of our ways not to embarrass the guy, trying to reason with him and explain how it's not possible, but he would have none of it and left pissed off. I think some people are just too proud to admit that they don't know something or when they've been defeated.

It's called a GM Module? :P Otherwise, not possible.