Satechi 4 Port Portable USB 3.0 Hub for Ultra Book, MacBook Air, Windows 8 Tablet PC (Black)
Satechi 4 Port Portable USB 3.0 Hub for Ultra Book, MacBook Air, Windows 8 Tablet PC (Black) Reviews
Update 3-26-2013: Since I was asked this question I wanted to respond that both the 10-Port USB 3.0 hub and the 4-Port Portable USB 3.0 hub by Satechi use the GL3520 88PIN chipset which is certified by Microsoft Windows 8 Hardware Certification. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This is a nice USB 3.0 port multiplier and it works well in some applications. You really need to understand the limitations of such devices when using it with your computer and external devices. A port multiplier splits the communication rate and power from the USB port to allow it to be shared with the four ports on the hub. In the case of power, a USB 2.0 port can supply 500 milliamps of power and a USB 3.0 port can supply 900 milliamps that will be split 4 ways if you have four devices plugged in. If your devices are self-powered by their own power supplies you should have no problems. Devices like printers, scanners and some USB Hard disk drives (With external power supplies) are examples of this. In my testing I used a USB powered hard disk drive (HDD) and three USB memory sticks. When I plugged in the port expander all four devices where present in my computer drive list and I could write to each drive one at a time. In the example I used for testing, all four devices require power from the USB port to operate and as a result issues occurred. Low power can result in memory loss or the improper writing and reading of data. Using one of these devices or two worked but then it is not a fully functional port multiplier if the power requirements exceed the power capabilities of your computer's USB port like when I was trying to use 3 or 4 devices simultaneously. Had I used my example of a self-powered scanner, printer, a USB HDD with a power supply and a memory stick then all would have been working fine. The unit is nicely designed and lightweight for portability weighing only 2 ¾ ounces. It comes with a USB cable attached that is 12 inches in length. This allows you to locate the hub away from the computer a reasonable distance if you need to. The short length makes it easy to carry for a laptop but if you use it for a desktop or a tower computer then the cable may be just a bit short. In my testing I also plugged the devices directly into the computer's USB 3.0 port and then into the Satechi 4 port multiplier. All of the devices operated faster when plugged into the computer. Patriot Magnum USB memory stick * Hub port speed 96.3MB.s * Computer port speed 120 MB/s Patriot Supersonic Rage * Hub port speed 43.9 MB/s * Computer port speed 46.1 MB/s Patriot Supersonic boost * Hub port speed 27.3 MB/s * Computer port speed 29 MB/s USB powered HDD * hub port speed 25.1 MB/s * computer port speed 31.1 MB/s Overall this is a good product and it did perform better than other unpowered port multipliers that I have tested. It communicated a bit faster and all four devices I show in the video were accessible on my computer. On some hub adapters that I have tested the external HDD would not even boot up unless plugged in by itself. Without the ability to add additional power supply the unit does have its limitations. I could read and write to one device at a time but when I tried to do this simultaneously with multiple devices then I had problems. This company does also make a powered 10 port hub that comes with an additional power supply. The tenth port can be used to power your Apple iPad at 2.1 Amps. Here is a link to that product. Satechi 10-Port USB 3.0 Hub (9 Port USB 3.0 + 1 iPad Charging Port) 5 Volt, 5 Amp I do a lot of work with a camera and as a result I could plug in multiple memory sticks and camera memories and they all require power. The key is to know what the power requirements are of your USB devices. Also you have to understand that the communication speeds are shared with one hub so if every item is trying to read or write at the same time then the communication rates are also reduced and you will experience far less than the 5 Gb/s communication rate on each individual USB device plugged into the hub. This is shown in my testing data listed above. I still rate this item as a 5 star item as it is the best that I have tested so far for an unpowered hub. Just be aware of its limitations and think through your application and identify what types of devices you are going to hook up to this port multiplier. I was provided a sample for test and evaluation and I promised to provide a fair and honest review.. this is my Satechi 4 Port Portable USB 3.0 Hub for Ultra Book, MacBook Air, Windows 8 Tablet PC (Black) reviews
Satechi 4 Port Portable USB 3.0 Hub for Ultra Book, MacBook Air, Windows 8 Tablet PC (Black) Specs
- 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub at 5.0Gbps - backwards Compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices
- Supports Windows 8/7/Vista/XP/2003/2000/ME, Mac OS X (latest updates from Apple required)
- Plug and play - does not require any software, drivers, or complicated installation process.
- The connection cable is attached to the hub -no need to worry about leaving it behind or losing it.
- Bus Powered - does not require an AC adapter - compatible with Microsoft Surface, Ultrabooks and MacBook Air
- › See more technical details
Satechi 4 Port Portable USB 3.0 Hub for Ultra Book, MacBook Air, Windows 8 Tablet PC (Black) Best buy
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Satechi 4 Port Portable USB 3.0 Hub for Ultra Book, MacBook Air, Windows 8 Tablet PC (Black),
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