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Mac USB & FireWire

Pertec USB Hub Master

Dan Knight - 1999.12.15

Bob Moriarty of MacCPU call this The Ugliest USB Hub in the World. I can't verify that, but the Pertec USB Hub Master isn't one of the prettified, candy-colored hubs with translucent plastics Hub Master USB .

No, this hub is beige and strictly business. It's designed as a working hub, not a desktop ornament.

I've been using the Hub Master for months, ever since I got my USB card installed. I haven't reviewed it because, well, there's not a lot to say about it. It works. And it doesn't draw attention to itself.

In the process of testing different USB mice and keyboards, it's nice to have all those ports in a row right next to my beige Umax SuperMac S900. It's very easy to plug and unplug peripherals, which is what a hub should do best. After all, the concept behind USB is plug-and-play.

The Hub Master is self-contained; there's no power module on the floor. You plug the power cord into the wall, surge strip, or UPS, then connect the 6' USB cable between your computer and the seven port Hub Master. Then plug in your USB devices.

Lights on the Hub Master indicate power to the hub, USB bus power, and which ports are active.

Four of the seven ports are powered; three are not. I don't know why that is, nor do I have enough USB devices to worry about it. The three unpowered ports would be used by devices which have their own power supply, such as printers and other hubs.

Until the iMac came along, anyone looking at the Hub Master would call it a well designed product. Form follows function, not vice versa. Post-iMac, the Hub Master remains a well designed product, albeit not as colorful or plasticy as most USB hubs.

I see that as a good thing. If you're looking for a well-built USB hub that simply does the job well and makes using the USB ports easy, the Hub Master merits consideration.

Quad-Core CPU Makes Sense in MacBook Pro, OS X 10.6 Causing Overheating, Overseas Power, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.06. Also Late 2009 MacBook reviewed, how to add RAM to new MacBook, 18.4in Acer notebook used Intel i7, and SanDisk SSD chosen for Sony VAIO X.
Dumping Macs for Google Apps, SSD in iMac, Late 2009 iMac Performance Problems, and More, Mac News Review, 11.06. /newsrev/09mnr/1106.html
WiFi Paranoia, iMac-O-Lantern, Magic Mouse Does Click, Free Clipboard Managers, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.05. Also strange time stamps, problem with ColorIt on Intel Mac, and the story behind OS X 10.5.4 install discs.
IDE Is Dead; Long Live SATA!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
QuickTime X in Snow Leopard Imports, Trims, and Publishes Video Quickly and Easily, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 11.04. The long, slow process of importing video into iMovie to edit it, then render it to another format, is history as QuickTime X does that much more quickly.
More links in our archive.

Recent Deals

Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.03. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 8-core. $2,299; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.26 8-core, $2,799; 2.93, $4,999.
Best iPhone Deals, 11.03. New 8 GB iPhone 3G, $$99; refurb 16 GB 3GS, $149; new, $199; 32 GB, $299.
Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.03. Used 867 MHz SperDrive, $348; 1 GHz, $499; 1.33 Combo, $298; SD, $559; 1.5 Combo, $448; SuperDrive, $589.
Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; G4/366, $49; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733 MHz, $69; 933 MHz, $209; 1.25 GHz dual, $299.
Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.02. Used 2.0 GHz, $800; 2.2, $900; 2.4, $1,000; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,949; 3.06, $2,169; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
Best Mac mini Deals, 10.30. Used 1.33 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.42, $389; 1.5, $419; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $350; Core 2, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $770; Server, $990.
Best G4 iBook Deals, 10.30. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $225; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1 GHz, $349; 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $498.
Best Classic Mac OS Deals, 10.30. System 6.0.8 floppies, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5, $20; 7.5 CD, $4; 7.6 $13; 8.1, $11; 8.5, $20; 8.6, $90; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $30.
More deals in our archive.

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