external USB Port???

[surfnet]

Hi,

I looked at Belkin 4 external port, USB minihub 4 port and DLink 4 port. They are the same price. Which usb 4 ports do you like or Do you like another one?

 

[deuce]

I think if you are talking external USB hubs they don't make too much of a difference. I'd say Tripp Lite is also good... but if it were me I wouldn't care too much... it's just USB, but maybe some else has a different opinion.

 

[jtbethel]

I saw recently that Belkin make an external USB Hub with USB 2
and claim it is much faster than the old USB
True or False

 

[deuce]

Yes... USB 2 is much faster. The old USB is I think 16 mb/sec, and USB 2 is something like 32 or 64... but my numbers might be way off. Either way you are correct... USB 2 is much faster. I haven't seen a whole lot with the USB 2 yet, but if Belkin has it get that one.

 

[jtbethel]

Yes USB 2 is available (even in Wales)
It does depend on the hardware you plug into it. A camera should benefit from the speed increase but not so much a mouse etc...

 

[deuce]

Despite the mix of politics and technology, Intel has persisted on upgrading their USB--which they developed--to the new version 2.0. It may be fast, but not as fast as IEEE 1394 (Fireware on apple [who developed it] and iLink on Sony). My numbers before where a little wrong I think. On USB 1.0 and 1.1 low-speed transfer is 1.5 Mbps and high-speed is up to 12 Mbps. If Intel kept their word then USB 2.0 is now 480 Mbps. Quite faster than the last one. However when USB 1.1 came out Apple came out with Fireware (IEEE 1394) which had speeds of up to 400 Mbps--which no device was fast enough to test then-- and by now should be at 800 Mbps. (that was the last I heard that Apple was working on and I think they have it out now.) Fireware will be as fast as 1,600 Mbps in the near future. According to Intel, USB 2.0 will be less expensive to implement on motherboards than Fireware because Fireware comes with a hefty licensing fee. However in order for USB 2.0 to be compliant with 1.0 and 1.1 the hubs and ports must support all speeds, which increases prices, but with Intel involved that will slowly climb down as time passes on. I personally have both and for such things as gaming IEEE 1394 is much better, and in general it is a little bit nicer, but not in anything important. USB 2.0 might become the industry standard because it is made by Intel and Intel is the largest manufacture of motherboards in the world, so that may force it's universal adoption. Either way, both are equally good interfaces. Sorry for the wrong info before. It was a brain fart. As far as I currently know... I think USB 2.0 is only supported in Xp, Me and 2k... but I'm not real sure.