T3Hub USB 2.0 Hub, Silver

by Dr. Bott

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches ; 2.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces
• ASIN: B000OLHGWK
• Item model number: 13290
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 10, 2004

Product Description

T3Hub was the first USB hub to pick up the design of the now legendary PowerBook Titanium from Apple, expanding a single USB port on the computer to 3 ports for additional USB devices.T3Hub 2.0 continues the tradition - while remaining as small and as useful and as compatible to the USB 2.0 standard. Of course the new model still works perfectly without a power supply, even when used with power-hungry USB devices like USB floppy drives or USB flash drives. Typically T3Hub will be used when the internal USB connections of the computer no longer satisfy the needs of a growing array of USB peripherals.T3Hub is currently available in the colours White (MacBook / iBook), and Aluminum (MacBook Pro / PowerBook G4 Aluminum).In either setup T3Hub plugs directly into the USB connector on the computer. A short USB extension pigtail is provided to reduce strain on the built-in port.Like all mobile USB hubs T3Hub cannot be connected to another non-powered hub such as the hub that is integrated into every USB keyboard for the Mac. As a result T3Hub is always connected directly to one of the computer's built-in USB ports.USB 2.0 without a power supply - how does that work?Many USB devices receive the power they require to operate from the USB bus. The devices indicate their nominally required power when they are connected to a USB hub or a USB port on the computer.A USB hub without power supply will typically refuse to provide power to any device that requires more than 100mA current. USB floppy, SuperDisk, ZIP drive, some USB flash drives and most USB ISDN adapters fit into this category. Typically, these devices do not function when connected to the USB keyboard, which contains a non-powered USB hub.By contrast, T3Hub will report itself as a self-powered hub, so that it can accept devices that have a nominal power requirement of 500 mA. As nominal power is rarely used in full, it usually is no problem to drive additional devices (mice, keyboards etc.) alongside one power-hungry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars overpriced, doesn't work as advertised, poor support, October 27, 2009

By 

Obiburner (Bend, ORUnited States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: T3Hub USB 2.0 Hub, Silver (Accessory)

I purchased one of these when I got my first macbook pro. I wasn't used to the reduced number of USB ports on the macbook pro compared to my HP. Bluetooth & wireless devices were still pricey at the time, so I decided to purchase two of these directly from DRBOT.

One of the two worked fine, when plugged directly into the the USB slot, giving power to a portable drive. A USB mouse & LCD light worked at the same time. Problem was without using the provided extension cord, the macbook pro's 2nd port was blocked, which defeated the primary reason for the product. When I used the extension cord, the portable drive would not receive enough power to run. So I had to plug the drive into the remaining macbook pro port.

The second unit never provided enough power to drive the portable hard drive. I made numerous attempts to contact DRBOT, but never heard back from them, even though the purchase was less than a week old.

Lesson learned. Stay with companies & sellers you know when purchasing a new product, that way, if it doesn't work as promised, you'll have an opportunity to return or replace the unit.

BTW: DRBOT was not an Amazon retailer at the time, so I was not able to work with Amazon to get the problem resolved.