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Mac Mini Accessories |
Review: Belkin Hub for Mac mini 
Monday August 8, 2005 3:08 AM EST
The Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire 6-Port Hub for Mac mini is an excellent choice for anyone looking to add more USB and FireWire ports to their Mac mini. This Hub does everything advertised and really complements the Mac mini's small footprint. The Belkin Hub comes packaged in a snazzy looking white, silver, and light blue colored box. In the box, you will find the Hi-Speed USB 2.and FireWire 6-Port Hub, 6.75" USB Cable, 6.75" FireWire Cable, and User Manual. The 6-page User Manual provides ample information for the Hub's specifications and setup.
The low-profile Hub stands 3/4" tall and is made out of white ABS plastic. On the bottom of the Hub you will find two large non-skid pads. They do a good job of holding the Hub in place when the Mac mini is stacked on top of it. Plugging cables into the front ports didn't cause the Hub to slide around on our desktop. Connecting the Hub to the Mac mini is really simple. Plug the two included 6.75" cables into the downstream ports on your Mac mini, then plug the cables into the "to computer" upstream ports on the back of the Hub.
Once connected, the Hub provides four downstream USB ports compatible with both Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices. It also features two FireWire ports to connect up to two of your FireWire devices. The single USB and FireWire ports located on the front of the Hub make it convenient to connect temporary devices such as digital cameras, DV camcorders, flash drives, iPods, and portable hard drives to the Hub.
The front Main Power LED is white when the Hub is operational. The LED will stay on 24/7 if a FireWire connection is present, even if the Mac mini is turned off. You will have to disconnect the FireWire cable to the Mac mini if you want the LED to turn off. The LED light will turn off with a USB connection when the Mac mini is shutdown.
Overall, we can recommend the Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire 6-Port Hub for Mac mini and give it a score of 4 out of 4 stars. If you only buy one accessory for your Mac mini, this is the one to get. The Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire 6-Port Hub for the Mac mini is shipping now and retails for $58.99.
Pros:
 Design and finish
Adds 4 USB and 2 FireWire ports to Mac mini
Front USB and FireWire ports for easy access
Non-skid base
Included cables are perfect length and don't add clutter
White cables
Cons:
No switch to turn off LED
Hub is Bus-powered
More Pictures:  Click to enlarge
 
 
 
 
Technical Specifications:
Complaint with Universal Serial Bus specification 2.0
Data rate 1.5/12/480 Mbps
Advance Quad TT architecture low- and full-speed devices
Backward compatible with Universal Serial Bus specification 1.1
Approved by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF)
Support for Plug-and-Play specifications
Support for "hot swapping" of USB devices
Over-current detection and protection
Bus-powered
DC +5V voltage per port
Four 480Mbps downstream ports
OHCI 1.0 compliant
PCI 2.1 and 2.2 compliant
IEEE 1394a rev.5 compliant
More Information:
Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire 6-Port Hub for Mac mini
Buy from MacMall for $29.99
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