Compatible With Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000/Me/98SE and Mac OS X/8.6 ~ 10.X
High Output 3 Amp Power Supply Included
Backwards Compatible With USB 1.1 / 1.0
Plug And Play, Hot Swappable, No Driver Required
7 High Speed USB 2.0 Ports With Two Top-Loading Ports For Quick And Easy Access
This review is from: Medialink - 7-Port High Speed USB 2.0 Powered Hub - NEW Desktop Design w/Weighted BaseI received this USB Hub as a gift, and found it to be a very nice product. Very useful and flexible.
My Windows Vista computer had 4 USB ports in the back, and two in the front (6 total). Plugged into my computer's USB ports all the time are 5 devices: speakers (separate power), flatbed scanner (separate power), inkjet printer (separate power), GPS training watch (USB power) and wireless hub for mouse/keyboard (USB power). My 6th and final USB port I've been using for a film/slide scanner, which causes problems when I need to also recharge my iPod Touch, because I don't have any more ports left. So, when I received this USB Hub, I was excited to give it a try.
It says that it can be used without power, which is nice. To put that claim to the test, I plugged in all six devices (speakers, flatbed, printer, watch, wireless mouse, and film scanner) into it. Everything worked fine, including the two devices that ran on USB power. Needless to say, I was pleased.
As a final test, I plugged in a Toshiba external hard drive. I figured it would not work because it requires a powered USB port, but had to try it anyway. As expected, it did not work. However, as soon as I added the included AC adapter to the USB Hub, the external drive came to life. I had all seven ports on this hub in use, and it worked great.
In the end, I ended up leaving in the speakers, flatbed, printer and film scanner (all the separately powered devices) and not using the AC adapter on the USB Hub. This allowed me to free up those two USB ports on the front of my computer.
A few final comments...
There are no written instructions included other than what is on the back of the box. That should not be a problem as you simply plug it into your computer. Although, some folks might think they need the AC adapter when they do not in all cases.
The blue LEDs on the device are NOT annoying like a lot of lights being used today. You can set this on your desktop and it won't bug you when the room lights are out.
The USB ports are nicely spaced, making it easy to plug things into the USB Hub.
The USB cable for the Hub is 5 feet long. The cable for the AC power supply is 6 feet. This should give you flexibility on where you place the hub. (One side comment: I wish AC power suppliers would label what they are for. Or, at least provide some white space to write on it using a Sharpie. It would make it easier when trying to figure out what adapter goes with a device.)
Of the various USB Hubs I've used over the years, this is my favorite so far.
Update 4/28/2011: Some of the other reviewers said that this would not power an iPad. I just received an iPad 2 for work, and indeed this hub would not charge it, even with the hub's power adapter plugged in. Note that my laptop and desktop units (both about 3 years old) would not power the iPad 2 through their USB ports either. The only way I was successul in charging the iPad 2 is through the Apple-supplied wall charger....
This review is from: Medialink - 7-Port High Speed USB 2.0 Powered Hub - NEW Desktop Design w/Weighted BaseI totally love the physical design of this. It has three rear ports for stuff you leave plugged in all the time (keyboard, mouse, USB sound adapter). The two top ports are perfect for putting in temporary things like USB memory sticks, and the front are great for other temporary things (3D Space Navigator, USB joystick or game controller.)
There are two things however that bug me. One is a minor annoyance - the power adapter and USB host cable are on opposite sides of the back which means you have to put other cables between them. would have been nice if they were on the same side.
The other is a major annoyance. If you turn off the computer, portable devices (my ipod touch, iphone and my partner's phone) don't charge. This means I have to keep them plugged into the wall and unplug them and plug them into the hub to sync. It would be nice if there was at least one port that provided power all the time....
This review is from: Medialink - 7-Port High Speed USB 2.0 Powered Hub - NEW Desktop Design w/Weighted BaseI really like it. It can be AC or USB powered, and it turns the three USB ports I have into 7, and simplifies the cord mess when I connect/disconnect to my laptop. Great buy....
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