New user who needs an active usb cable for mid 2010 i7 macbook

Help me before I take this thing back and stick with w7

I'm a first time Mac user, and a professional photographer.

I just purchased an i7 15" mackbook pro. 10.6

My problem. I need to run 30 feet of usb cable to tether my Canon 1DsMkIII.

I have a cable setup that has worked flawlessly on many different pc's for years. It will not work on the mac.

I use a tripp lite active usb extension and Apple support tells me it will not work with 10.6. Works fine with 10.55 but they also tell me I can't downgrade to 10.55 because of firmware.

I have a week left to be able to return this now 2000 buck papaerweight if I can't find an active usb cable that will work.

Please don't suggest I use a shorter cable because I NEED the 30 feet or the computer is useless to me. I have a number of 700 buck w7 machines that work perfectly, but I really wanted to go with the macbook.

So if anyone has a suggestion it would be great.

Thanks in advance.

I'm a first time Mac user, and a professional photographer.

I just purchased an i7 15" mackbook pro. 10.6

My problem. I need to run 30 feet of usb cable to tether my Canon 1DsMkIII.

I have a cable setup that has worked flawlessly on many different pc's for years. It will not work on the mac.

I use a tripp lite active usb extension and Apple support tells me it will not work with 10.6. Works fine with 10.55 but they also tell me I can't downgrade to 10.55 because of firmware.

I have a week left to be able to return this now 2000 buck paperweight if I can't find an active usb cable that will work.

Please don't suggest I use a shorter cable because I NEED the 30 feet or the computer is useless to me. I have a number of 700 buck w7 machines that work perfectly, but I really wanted to go with the macbook.

So if anyone has a suggestion it would be great.

Thanks in advance.

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Thanks for understanding!

infocusinc said:

I use a tripp lite active usb extension and Apple support tells me it will not work with 10.6. Works fine with 10.55 but they also tell me I can't downgrade to 10.55 because of firmware.

Click to expand...

In a nutshell...this is the problem right here. When Apple releases new computers...they always run on the latest version of the Mac OS...AND...that also means that the latest OS (when these new computer models are released) is also the "minimum" or oldest version of the OS they can use.

Since the latest version of the Mac OS is 10.6.6...this is also the "oldest" version the newest MacBook Pros can use. This is why you cannot downgrade to OS 10.5 so you can use your equipment.

What I would suggest is two things:

1. Return the new MacBook Pro you purchased...and buy an older (used) MacBook Pro that can run OS 10.5 (so you can use your equipment).

2. Find out if there is a newer version of the "tripp lite active usb extension" you use that is compatible with Mac OS 10.6.

Hope this helps,

- Nick

If you truly need that length of active cable and Apple says it won't work with Snow Leopard, then you have no other choice but to take it back.

Support is correct about downgrading to Leopard (10.5.X) because of the different firmware. Perhaps the next version of OS X (due out sometime this Summer) which is 10.7 will support your active cable. If it does, you can consider purchasing a MBP again.

chscag said:

If you truly need that length of active cable and Apple says it won't work with Snow Leopard, then you have no other choice but to take it back.

Support is correct about downgrading to Leopard (10.5.X) because of the different firmware. Perhaps the next version of OS X (due out sometime this Summer) which is 10.7 will support your active cable. If it does, you can consider purchasing a MBP again.

Click to expand...

Thanks everyone. I guess I just stay a productive windows guy. Not really what I had in mind but if it won't work I have little choice.

I find it mind-boggling that this Tripp Lite thing hasn't been updated to 10.6, which came out quite some time back. Mac is the default computer platform for serious photographers and for them not to support it is just remarkably dumb. Even the most die-hard Windows PS plug-in guys have seen the light.

Oh well. You do have the option of buying a used/refurbished Mac that can run 10.5 and do it that way, but really a nasty letter to the tripp light people would be my first order of business ...

Could you not do a Windows partition on this Mac and run just the Tripp Lite program under Windows? That way you could have access to all the other great programs on Mac, but still have access to the Tripp Lite program with the setup you already use.

I find it almost impossible to believe that as many photogs as use Macs, there do not exist cables that will work with 10.6 notebooks /cameras to extend the USB beyond the 5 meter limit.

Is this the same cable?
U042-036 - 36-ft. High-Speed USB2.0 A/B Active Device Cable (A Male to B Male)
Says nothing about the system requirements other than "Computer with USB A interface, peripheral with USB B interface."

Anyway, my first port of call would be contacting them also.

I'm trying to understand this situation. Are there different kinds of USB? Isn't USB 2.0 the same no mater what computer it is on?

The companies specs for this cable are as follows:

Features
Connect a computer to a printer or other USB device up to 36 ft. away High-Speed USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 compatible Active repeater maintains 480Mbps signal integrity USB "A" to USB "B" connections
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/WIN7 and MAC compatible Cable length: 36 ft. (11m) Weight: 1 lb. Repeater Pod dimension: 30cm W x 15cm H x 87cm L Lifetime warranty

Larry H

Ah, so there's the solution: use a different brand. Done.

chas_m said:

Ah, so there's the solution: use a different brand. Done.

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And what brand would that be?

I need a secure answer. I'm 6 days away from not being able to return and so far I can find no answer as to WHICH cable.

I'm still looking.

chas_m said:

Ah, so there's the solution: use a different brand. Done.

Click to expand...

chas_m said:

I find it mind-boggling that this Tripp Lite thing hasn't been updated to 10.6, which came out quite some time back. Mac is the default computer platform for serious photographers and for them not to support it is just remarkably dumb. Even the most die-hard Windows PS plug-in guys have seen the light.

Oh well. You do have the option of buying a used/refurbished Mac that can run 10.5 and do it that way, but really a nasty letter to the tripp light people would be my first order of business ...

Click to expand...

Well I've been a "serious" digital photographer doing advertising work on digital and PC since '91. Mac is not the only solution. That said I decided to give it a try and its foing bust.

I'm not interested in a used Mac. I can safely stay with win7 laptops for location work. I'll not be going Mac for my desktop workstations.

If the Mac solution is impossible I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

Craig Lamson Photo

Larry H said:

I'm trying to understand this situation. Are there different kinds of USB? Isn't USB 2.0 the same no mater what computer it is on?

The companies specs for this cable are as follows:

Features
Connect a computer to a printer or other USB device up to 36 ft. away High-Speed USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 compatible Active repeater maintains 480Mbps signal integrity USB "A" to USB "B" connections
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/WIN7 and MAC compatible Cable length: 36 ft. (11m) Weight: 1 lb. Repeater Pod dimension: 30cm W x 15cm H x 87cm L Lifetime warranty

Larry H

Click to expand...

Printer cable..wrong usb ends. And no mention of 10.6

6string said:

Is this the same cable?
U042-036 - 36-ft. High-Speed USB2.0 A/B Active Device Cable (A Male to B Male)
Says nothing about the system requirements other than "Computer with USB A interface, peripheral with USB B interface."

Anyway, my first port of call would be contacting them also.

Click to expand...

No. Different cable. Tripplite drivers stop at 10.5

class77 said:

Could you not do a Windows partition on this Mac and run just the Tripp Lite program under Windows? That way you could have access to all the other great programs on Mac, but still have access to the Tripp Lite program with the setup you already use.

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Tripp Lite is not a program ..just a cable. I use Canon EOS utility, DSLR Remote Pro and Phase One Capture One for capture software, Photoshop and Lightroom for edit.

None of the photographic software is different on Mac or PC.

And I bought a Mac to run this stuff in OS X because I wanted to see for myself if it was really better. I have a brace of w7 laptops. Don't need another.

bobtomay said:

I find it almost impossible to believe that as many photogs as use Macs, there do not exist cables that will work with 10.6 notebooks /cameras to extend the USB beyond the 5 meter limit.

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I'm finding it unbelievable myself. Heck I can't even run two 6 foot passive extensions and make the thing work.

Quite frankly I'm stunned.

But thanks everyone for the replies.

infocusinc said:

No. Different cable. Tripplite drivers stop at 10.5

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Different cable you say.
Would the one I linked work with 10.6 though I wonder?

Have you contacted tripplite about this?

infocusinc,

I'm finding it unbelievable myself. Heck I can't even run two 6 foot passive extensions and make the thing work.

Click to expand...

Are you saying that the camera won't work on an ordinary non-amplified USB cable? If that is true, the problem is not the 36ft cable.

Larry H