xoom and usb modem

[bling300c]

I have a USB modem for my laptop. If i purchase a female USB to micro usb cable do you think i can use the modem with the xoom? I really dont want a dedicated plan for a tablet.

 

[Maikai.Guy]

It would depend on if your carrier writes an app to support the dongle. If it's a Verizon dongle, don't bet on it.

 

[RC46]

No it will not work the xoom is not a USB host.

 

[ckeegan003]

I have a USB modem for my laptop. If i purchase a female USB to micro usb cable do you think i can use the modem with the xoom? I really dont want a dedicated plan for a tablet.

Just to clarify, you do know that you don't need a 1 or 2 year contract for the Xoom, right? You are just (supposedly) required to pay for the initial month of service, but Verizon's tablet plans can be canceled at any time with no penalty. I just want to make sure.

You may want to use this "on the go" on occassion, but I just didn't want future readers of this thread to get the wrong idea.

I personally plan to sign up (and use) the initial month of data service for my Xoom, then cancel the plan, and only reactivate when I see a need for data away from Wi-Fi. I also have the option to tether to my phone for situations where I may immediately need data on my Xoom while away from Wi-Fi.

 

[Maikai.Guy]

No it will not work the xoom is not a USB host.

I don't think it will work, but that's because there is probably no app for it. As for the XOOM not being a USB host, I believe you are mistaken.

Take a look at the description for the high end dock. It's got a multi-port USB hub in it. That means the micro USB must be a host. I assume it's also a device.

FWIW, it can't be OTG, because OTG only supports one device... this thing supports a hub.

 

[Auzo]

I don't think it will work, but that's because there is probably no app for it. As for the XOOM not being a USB host, I believe you are mistaken.

Take a look at the description for the high end dock. It's got a multi-port USB hub in it. That means the micro USB must be a host. I assume it's also a device.

FWIW, it can't be OTG, because OTG only supports one device... this thing supports a hub.

Where do you see that the high end dock has a multi-port USB hub in it? As far as I can tell from Moto's crappy web portal it doesn't.

Speaker Dock for MOTOROLA XOOM - Overview - Motorola Mobility, Inc. USA

I also don't see how the Micro USB port could be a host since that would mean it would have a different connector than we're used to (Hosts would use type A instead of type B).
Type A:

Type B:

In addition you would no longer be able to use it for a peripheral device, i.e. no data transfer with your PC. I still think that USB OTG is the best bet and a quick Google search shows that it wouldn't be the first time that Moto has used it.

You are right though that it seems that USB OTG doesn't traditionally support multiple simultaneous connections. I know that the Atrix dock does have a USB Hub built in. I would have guessed that the Atrix would have also used USB OTG but I'm not sure how that would work with a three port hub. I guess we will find out soon enough.

On a side note, does it bug any one else that Motorola's site for all their latest devices is all flash and no substance? I mean there are barely any specs listed. Its just a quick blurb and a couple pics. Its sad that I have to go to You Tube to get a better view of the devices.

 

[Maikai.Guy]

Where do you see that the high end dock has a multi-port USB hub in it? As far as I can tell from Moto's crappy web portal it doesn't.

Interesting. I could have sworn I saw there was a multi-port USB hub. I wonder if they had a typo which they fixed. I noticed they call the HDMI port a hub. It is not a hub, but a repeater. A hub is a specific term used for splitting one port into more.

That, or this is proof I killed too many brain cells when I was younger. ;-) I always reserve the right to be wrong.

I also don't see how the Micro USB port could be a host since that would mean it would have a different connector than we're used to (Hosts would use type A instead of type B).

It has absolutely nothing to do with the connector. It has to do with signaling available. Everything, hardware-wise, is there to support a host or a device through the a common transceiver. It's done all the time in the industrial embedded market.

In addition you would no longer be able to use it for a peripheral device, i.e. no data transfer with your PC. I still think that USB OTG is the best bet and a quick Google search shows that it wouldn't be the first time that Moto has used it.

Before OTG, people were combining host and device functionality. Again, it's been done in the industrial embedded market for years. Just look up some of the ARM9 micros used there. They contain both full function hosts (128 devices downstream) and device functionality, depending on the current status of the system.

OTG would make sense and I too would assume OTG, but again, I swear I saw text saying they supported a multi-port USB hub, which would rule out OTG, as OTG only supports one downstream device.

You are right though that it seems that USB OTG doesn't traditionally support multiple simultaneous connections. I know that the Atrix dock does have a USB Hub built in. I would have guessed that the Atrix would have also used USB OTG but I'm not sure how that would work with a three port hub. I guess we will find out soon enough.

Could it be I "blurred" (yuk, yuk) data from different sources into my understanding the high end dock? Might be the likely cause of my confusion.

On a side note, does it bug any one else that Motorola's site for all their latest devices is all flash and no substance? I mean there are barely any specs listed. Its just a quick blurb and a couple pics. Its sad that I have to go to You Tube to get a better view of the devices.

It bugs me BIG TIME! Motorola needs to save the XOOM from it's free fall of bad publicity. Releasing some data about it, a new video... anything to redirect attention would be useful at this point.