 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Mac Forum / Applications / Virtual PC / April 2006VPC 7 and Timex USB watch
I have a G-5 20" iMac and recently bought Virtual PC 7 for Mac so that I could download information to my Timex Iron Man USB watch. I also loaded Windows XP Pro. After loading Virtual PC 7 for Mac into Windows XP Pro into I was able to load the Timex Data Link USB software into Windows XP Pro and load it with my information. Virtual PC 7 has a check box for recognising USB programs and hardware. When I hook up my watch to the USB port on my Mac a Timex IronMan USB box appears in the PC portion of Windows XP Pro. I check the box and leave that screen, but as soon as I do the USB box is no longer checked and the iMac/Virtual PC 7/Windows XP Pro refuses to allow me to access the information in the Timex Ironman USB program. I've talked to the Virtual PC folks at Mac and Timex's USB people. As might be expected the VPC folks at Mac tell me that it's not Virtual PC's problem - it's "obviously" a Timex, or Windows hardware or software problem; the folks at Timex simply tell me that they "do not support Mac." I'm apparently in the middle of a Catch 22 situation. Can anyone help??? > I have a G-5 20" iMac and recently bought Virtual PC 7 for Mac so that > I could download information to my Timex Iron Man USB watch. I also [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > I'm apparently in the middle of a Catch 22 situation. Can anyone > help??? Someone else posted this same question last week. Upshot is that VPC doesn't support USB 2.0 at all. USB 1.1 has spotty support. So, your options are limited here. Run XP on a windows box to use the Timex Data Link software or do without it. It probably won't work with VPC.  SignatureDeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee... It 'might' work if you get a USB to Serial adapter. No guarantees, though. I'm beginning to think that it's not a USB problem. I can load the Timex software into VPC-7/Windows/Mac via its disk and then update it normally. The problem is that I cannot then transmit the information to the USB watch. I get a window that says that the watch battery is low. I've replaced the battery so it's not that. Timex also has a downloadable fix for the low battery window, and I've downloaded that, but also cannot transmit it to the watch - same low battery window shows up. I've used up one of my "free" calls to VPC/Mac - they have no idea what to do. I think that it's a software problem somewhere in either VPC or Windows. Very frustrating! I'm beginning to think that it's not a USB problem. I can load the Timex software into VPC-7/Windows/Mac via its disk and then update it normally. The problem is that I cannot then transmit the information to the USB watch. I get a window that says that the watch battery is low. I've replaced the battery so it's not that. Timex also has a downloadable fix for the low battery window, and I've downloaded that, but also cannot transmit it to the watch - same low battery window shows up. I've used up one of my "free" calls to VPC/Mac - they have no idea what to do. I think that it's a software problem somewhere in either VPC or Windows. Very frustrating! I'm beginning to think that it's not a USB problem. I can load the Timex software into VPC-7/Windows/Mac via its disk and then update it normally. The problem is that I cannot then transmit the information to the USB watch. I get a window that says that the watch battery is low. I've replaced the battery so it's not that. Timex also has a downloadable fix for the low battery window, and I've downloaded that, but also cannot transmit it to the watch - same low battery window shows up. I've used up one of my "free" calls to VPC/Mac - they have no idea what to do. I think that it's a software problem somewhere in either VPC or Windows. Very frustrating! > I'm beginning to think that it's not a USB problem. I can load the > Timex software into VPC-7/Windows/Mac via its disk and then update it [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > idea what to do. I think that it's a software problem somewhere in > either VPC or Windows. Very frustrating! Well, given that you posted the above message 3 times (news is a queued service and takes _time_ for messages sent to it to appear on your local server), maybe it just takes time for things to sink in. You describe the exact behavior I'd expect if the USB cable could not communicate correctly with the watch. So, you haven't convinced me yet that that's not the problem. Does it work on a PC? SignatureDeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee... Sorry - I guess I hit the "reply" button too many times. Yes, the cable and watch work with a pc. I would think that the pin connections for USB would be the same for Mac and pc, no? Do you know of a way to check this? Is therew such a thing as a USB tester?? > Sorry - I guess I hit the "reply" button too many times. > > Yes, the cable and watch work with a pc. I would think that the pin > connections for USB would be the same for Mac and pc, no? Do you know > of a way to check this? Is therew such a thing as a USB tester?? As I said previously, the cable may be just fine. Have you tried it with other devices talking to the Mac directly? Support for USB 1.1 is spotty in VPC and non-existant for USB 2.0, meaning the drivers may or may not work. Short of rolling up your sleeves and diving into VPC and Windows source code, I don't hold much hope for you making this work. Someone has suggested that a Balkin USB Serial device might work, but if you're plugging the watch directly into a USB port, I still have doubts. Another idea I just had is that some USB devices don't do well when connected to a hub but work just fine plugged directly into the USB port on the system. You might try that. In any case, you have your workaround--use the PC. Any time you want to spend "making VPC work" is your call. You've spent how much time and money on this watch now? Good luck. SignatureDeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee... I have to agree. Thanks for trying to help. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.