Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Mobile Hub F5U701-BLK

This little guy is pure magic and solves the problem I was facing admirably. I have an HP Pavilion laptop that I use pretty heavily; it has 4 USB ports and I was finding that very restrictive given the number of things I plug in at my base station. My list of peripherals include: Logitech Nano mouse, iPod, laptop cooling pad, Cannon printer, SimpleTech remote hard drive and an Hauppauge WinTV-HVR. That makes 6 items for 4 ports, then add the thumb drive that I use pretty regularly and I was doing a lot of USB port swapping (not to mention the constant daily ritual of unplugging in the morning and replugging at night).

This hub solved those problems, I run smoothly with all of the peripherals connected to the hub (the mouse dongle stays on the laptop, it is so small that there is no need to ever remove it). I unplug one connection in the morning and replug it at night; the direct power to the hub means I can charge my iPod even without the laptop. The only negative that I have at this point is the cord length on the power supply (I think it is less than 3 feet); thankfully I have a plug close to my desk and the USB cables are all long enough to reach.

Bottom line, nice glossy black finish, powered USB 2.0 hub, saves me time and clutter around my laptop, well worth the price in my opinion.
P-)

This is a very small and stylish hub and it works very well right out of the box, even without the power source connected.

The USB hub charges devices without a computer. The power adapter is 4Amps. For the charging feature alone, it is worth 5 stars.

- Enables the obvious use of 7 USB ports where your PC probably doesn't have that many built-in. These extra ports can be conveniently setup on your table top so you don't have to reach down to (or behind) your PC to connect dynamic devices like cameras and cell phones.

- Supports USB 1.1 and 2.0 speeds simultaneously. In other words, USB 2.0 devices don't slow down just because you plug in a slower/older USB 1.1 device.

- Works with or without the power cord.

- When using the power cord, this unit charges USB devices even if not connected to a PC.

- Small enough to include in a laptop bag (though this is not how I use it).

- Excellent price for all this capability.

:)

I love this product! It's what I've needed for so long! I only wish I had bought it sooner!

this product cuts out every now and then. i use four different devices through it, and when two or more are being used (mouse, iphone, hardrive) it will suddenly stop connecting one or more to my laptop. so suddenyl i dont see the harddrive on my screen. very annoying. its a beautfiul product, but this just ruins everything.

This really is very small and the power cable really is very short. I've velcroed this to the side of my cabinet and it is very unobtrusive. The power source is only about 2.5 feet long, so if that's a problem you might want to look elsewhere.

Also, I couldn't find the spec anywhere, but the connection to the computer requires a mini-USB connector so it is not compatible with the A connector that Amazon sold me with it.