OK, I can come here to be stupid. Everyone knows it already.

I have this little iPod dock speaker system. And there's a patch cord that can connect it to a USB port on my laptop. But I've lost it. It has USB connector on end, and one of those little trapezoidal connectors on the other -- like the cord you use to download from a digital camera. But not the same. The trapezoidal connector is a different size. So no problem. I can just order a new one. But what am I ordering? What do I call it? Or can I just go to someplace like Best Buy or Staples, bring the speaker, point to the input receptacle, and say give me something to fit this?

It would really help if you'd give the make and model number of the system! You say "like the cord you use to download from a digital camera. But not the same. The trapezoidal connector is a different size. " Not the same. Different size. Larger or smaller? I don't know. I can't tell. You don't say. I'd be surprised if it's a different cable than used for digital cameras--but maybe you've got a weird camera or a weird system.

Bring the gizmo to a store and someone will get you the correct cable. Radio Shack is one store. Or go to the Web site of the manufacturer and just LOOK UP the cable you need.

Or check through the pictures here:
http://www.cablewholesale.com/...2cm6oCFRpNgwod0z_jzA

My guess is that you want this one:

http://www.cablewholesale.com/...ble/10um-02103bk.htm

or this one:

http://www.cablewholesale.com/...e/10um-02106bk-4.htm

The mini-B cables either have four or five pins, so that's the difference.

Jeff/CompGuy

Here's another diagram, linked from Wikipedia



There are more,but it's a start?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB