Why would anyone need thirteen USB ports on a hub? Why wouldn't they!
Let's start with an inventory of what's on my desk. First, I use a Dell laptop with a Dell docking station. This docking station has 4 Hi-Speed USB ports (one Powered USB, a feature which I don't use...yet).
My Dell runs hot sometimes, so it's sitting on top of a Notebook Cooling Pad (that's 1 port). I of course have a Laser Mouse and a Multimedia Keyboard (2 ports). I have a webcam (1 port) and a special numeric keypad (1 port) for when I'm doing a lot of spreadsheet work. I've already used up the four ports on my docking station, so I have to buy a 7port Hi-Speed USB Hub - which of course takes up one port. I now have 10 ports but 6 are used.
I also have a second monitor which is connected via a USB-SVGA Converter (1 port). I have an external Hard Drive (1 port) because I never delete anything…ever. I have a set of USB Speakers (1 port) which sound great and a USB Skype Phone for calling all of my friends around the world (there are more than you would think, and that's another 1 port). Add in a card reader for getting the photos off of my digital camera (1 port) and onto the aforementioned external hard drive and you're at a total of 12 devices plugged into my 10 ports. Uh-oh, I need to buy another hub.
Oh, and I recently purchased a business card reader, which I am having tons of fun with. Another 1 port.
I have a lot of portable devices that need charging. Rather than plug and unplug all of those cables I've got an octopus of cables wrapped in a cable cover with open connectors for my iPod Nano, Bluetooth Stereo Headset, and Bluetooth earpiece.
I've counted 16 devices on my desk, which exactly uses the 4 ports on my docking station plus my 13 port hub. I may not be the average user but I'm sure I'm not alone in this insanity. I'd much rather have just one hub connected to all of this than two 7port hubs, or worse five 4port hubs. It costs less, makes for a cleaner installation, and will be more reliable.
There is a reason that the USB Implementers Forum designed USB to run up to 127 devices. I just didn't know they did it with me in mind.
Let's start with an inventory of what's on my desk. First, I use a Dell laptop with a Dell docking station. This docking station has 4 Hi-Speed USB ports (one Powered USB, a feature which I don't use...yet).
My Dell runs hot sometimes, so it's sitting on top of a Notebook Cooling Pad (that's 1 port). I of course have a Laser Mouse and a Multimedia Keyboard (2 ports). I have a webcam (1 port) and a special numeric keypad (1 port) for when I'm doing a lot of spreadsheet work. I've already used up the four ports on my docking station, so I have to buy a 7port Hi-Speed USB Hub - which of course takes up one port. I now have 10 ports but 6 are used.
I also have a second monitor which is connected via a USB-SVGA Converter (1 port). I have an external Hard Drive (1 port) because I never delete anything…ever. I have a set of USB Speakers (1 port) which sound great and a USB Skype Phone for calling all of my friends around the world (there are more than you would think, and that's another 1 port). Add in a card reader for getting the photos off of my digital camera (1 port) and onto the aforementioned external hard drive and you're at a total of 12 devices plugged into my 10 ports. Uh-oh, I need to buy another hub.
Oh, and I recently purchased a business card reader, which I am having tons of fun with. Another 1 port.
I have a lot of portable devices that need charging. Rather than plug and unplug all of those cables I've got an octopus of cables wrapped in a cable cover with open connectors for my iPod Nano, Bluetooth Stereo Headset, and Bluetooth earpiece.
I've counted 16 devices on my desk, which exactly uses the 4 ports on my docking station plus my 13 port hub. I may not be the average user but I'm sure I'm not alone in this insanity. I'd much rather have just one hub connected to all of this than two 7port hubs, or worse five 4port hubs. It costs less, makes for a cleaner installation, and will be more reliable.
There is a reason that the USB Implementers Forum designed USB to run up to 127 devices. I just didn't know they did it with me in mind.
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Yeah, I'm one of the same mindset. I always seem to run out of usb ports and the hubs never seem to have enough. I hate that, because you always have to worry that by adding another one, and then another one, whether or not your power strip will have enough plugs, and whether or not your going to blow the wall socket. There was even a gag piece in a Maximum PC issue that advertised the perfect computer, one with 200 usb ports. I caught myself daydreaming over if-only's. I do a daily product review on my blog of my personal best pics of computer tech, I'm thinking this will have to be one soon.
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