This unit is a straight-forward USB hub, allowing you to turn one USB High-Speed bus port into four comparable ports, each with data transfer speeds of up to 480MB/sec. I tested this unit with my Mac Pro and found it worked as indicated, with a Vendor specification of Genesys Logic rather than Belkin, indicating the origin of the hub's design.

I compared it against Belkin's 8.8 ounce Hi-Speed USB 2.0 4-port Hub F5U234v1, which I already had installed on my Mac. The two hubs work similarly in that the power cord probably won't be necessary for any but the most power-hungry USB accessory. I never have my standard hub plugged in, and found I didn't have to bother with the cord on this one either. That said, if you have several daisy-chained hubs, your mileage may vary and you may find the AC cord a necessary evil. The older Belkin hub is currently $18.03 while this one is $29.99. So what do you get for your extra $12?

Actually, you get less - about three ounces less. This hub is tiny, barely larger than the space necessary for the four USB ports, the mini-port to plug it into the computer, and the AC cord port. And it is very light, so this is really best suited for the portable crowd. Otherwise, there's no reason not to spend a little less and get the larger unit. The larger unit also has an advantage in that it has LED's to indicate that it is plugged in as well as to indicate which USB port is active (something plugged in AND turned on).

So if you're buying for something that will fit in your laptop case or that you'll be toting around, and you think it's worth $12 to save three ounces and a small amount of space, then this is your hub. Otherwise, its actual function differs not at all from earlier heavier models. Five stars - it does exactly what it's supposed to do in just about the smallest amount of space possible.