I was just wanting to know why apple doesn't have a USB adapter on their ipad devices?

USB is not a peer-to-peer system. Each USB device is either a USB master node or a USB slave node. Each USB network must have exactly one master node and that node controls all traffic through the network, which is either from or to the master. You can't have a USB network with two master nodes: they would fight over which was going to run the network. You also can't have a USB network with only slave nodes: a slave node doesn't have sufficient intelligence to run a network it can only obey orders.

These types of node use different chipsets: the chips for master devices have to be very clever so they're big and require a lot of power to run. You generally put them in devices which will spend most of their time plugged in. The chips for slave devices are tiny and require almost no power to run. You generally put them in tiny devices which have to run off of batteries for a long time: phones, cameras, etc.. So you have to decide at design time whether a device is going to be a master or slave, because this has an impact on how big it will be and how much power it will use.

iPads are the second type of thing. You don't want to have to plug them in very often. You want them to be very slim and run very cool. And you need to be able to plug them into a USB master node so you can sync them with your computer. So they have to have a slave chipset in. And therefore you can't plug other USB slave devices into them.

But there is the camera connection kit.

Cloud12

What do you wish to do? Apple decided to use WiFi as it's connection protocol.

Apple's camera connection kit has a USB interface for cameras, SD cards and USB flash drives. But it's only for import of photos and videos.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

rccharles wrote:

But there is the camera connection kit.

You're right. I had forgotten about it, and thanks for posting. It uses USB Host Mode and it might actually do what the OP wanted done.

in all seriousness, I have no idea how USB Host Mode does what it does. Either the 'slave' chipset in iPads has extra stuff built in, or Apple's firmware is cleverer than normal. Similar things to the Camera Connection Kit are also available for other devices (Android-based tablets, for example) so it's not just Apple who does this.

The master chip could be in the 'cable'. Your idea of a software USB conversion is good too.

I think it is Apple's idea of simplicity or security. Could be battery life as you indicated.

Anyway, they are not likely to be adding a USB port. Apple has always be forwarding leaning and not into legacy considerations.

The old connector had as serial line.

Robert

Yeah well.... if the ipad had a usb port, you woulldn't need to sync the dam thing to your PC in the first place, because you'd have a more sensible way of getting files off the stupid thing.

Tablet PCs have a usb port, and they work just fine.

The real reason iPads don't have a usb port, is because Apple doesn't want any multimedia on ipads that doesn't go through itunes.

Product differentiation and market segmentation.