USB-Cable Reviews

Installed this card in minutes including all the software upgrades available on the Adaptec website. Instantly hooked up all the existing USB peripherals and all worked just fine.

Hooked up a USB 2.0 peripheral and experienced the high speed transfer rates.

Bottom line? Nice card from Adaptec, well worth a slight premium over cheaper models.

I recently purchased a 4 megapixel camera, and I found that it took much longer to download the larger picture files it produced than the pictures from my old 2.0 MP camera, (using a CF reader with USB 1.1). I was also getting more errors, like refusing to open a preview picture, and occassionally freezing the whole system. Since I do a lot of photo editing, I decided to upgrade to USB 2.0. I installed this card in a 866mhz P3 Dell w/512mb RAM, running Windows 98SE. Installation of the card and the software was simple, and it works flawlessly. Used with a new USB 2.0 card reader, the speed is unbelievable, even when uploading images to a website and downloading and editing photos at the same time, with no glitches or errors at all. I had purchased a similar card (Belkin F5U220) from a different vendor, but it caused numerous system crashes, and when I called Belkin tech support, I found the rep to be inept and surly. I highly recommend this Adaptec product, and Amazon's service was superb, as usual.

The card itself is nice and there's a lot of documentation and support available at the company, which is a switch from the generics that I normally buy. This card is replacing a generic which didn't function all too well and had no support.

The USB view software is amazing. I now can see a map of all of my legacy and 2.0 USB devices, including printers, drives, camera, MP3 players, etc.

One point on installation: I have Windows XP Pro. During Plug and Pray, it automatically installed NEC drivers, not the Adapatec drivers. This is likely Microsoft's fault. Download the latest drivers for the 3100LP card from the support website, they are dated Dec 2002. You will have to go to the Control Panel, to the device and update drivers. When it asks you, specify a location where you installed the new drivers to, and ensure you are installing drivers for this card.

I just got this for Xmas to replace my undersized Belkin 4 port hub and it looks great. It works fine for most of my peripherals but don't bother hooking up your Soundsticks to it. The music skips about once every 20-30 seconds. It also requires a powercord (adding to the already overflowing powerstrip) unlike the Belkin which will work w/ or w/o external power (in accordance with USB specs I may add). So, I have the soundsticks plugged in directly to my TiBook and then the hub in the other port to all of the other peripherals. I debated returning it but the blekins are not stackable and take up a greater horizontal footprint. Sometimes I just wish I could find one product that did what I needed...

I had an old USB 1.0 hub that was not activating some of my USB devices when I booted my system. I researched the available USB 2.0 hubs and selected the Adaptec XHub7. I am not sorry I did. It was a snap to set up on my Window XP Home Edition system. all I had to do was plug in the USB devices, provide power to it using the included power supply and every USB device connected with no hithches.

It also fits nicely on my crowded desk, and I have not any problems with it like the ones I had with my old USB 1.0 hub. I plan to purchase another one as my system expands.

Not much else to say... It connected as soon as it was pluged in, I've got all 7 ports full, and everything works every time (fast). It's the most attractive piece of hardware on my desk. Benchmarking software shows it to be as fast as advertised. I have no problem with plugging it into AC, as I'd rather not have a laptop power supply running my accesories. I'm buying more.

I bought a 128mb card and am very happy with it. It's very nice and fast. It does cost more than some on the open market, but that's ok. It has a 5 year warranty, which isn't as long as I would like, but it's been my experience that in electronics if you are going to have a failure in workmanship you will usually find out about it early on. 5 years is acceptable.

As far as speed of the card I find it quite acceptable also. I have seen speed test of other cards and the usb enabled cards are much faster with my camera (nikon 990) if your camera doesn't support usb enabled code. Then I wouldn't bother spending the extra money that it costs. But at the time I bought my card I got it with a rebate and it was just a bit more than the others on the market.

As for the jumpshot cable, it will only work with compact flash cards that are usb enabled. I don't know of any other cards besides Lexar that have this yet.

I bought this CF card to replace my SanDisk 64MB CF card. I had heard about Lexar's reputation as making one of the fastest CF cards out there and thought I'd try it despite the price premium. Some digital camera users have said that the digital camera can only take advantage of Lexar's USB capability if it knows about it (i.e. it was programmed into the firmware/hardware to support the speed optimization). I received the card and proceeded to compare my SanDisk 64MB card with the Lexar one.

To do the informal test, I snapped an uncompressed TIF at 1600x1280 using my Nikon Coolpix 950 (a camera that supposedly is *not* optimized for Lexar media). With the SanDisk card, it took approx 45 seconds between snapping the shot and being able to use the camera again (it's loading to the media). With the Lexar card, it was reduced to 25 seconds!!! THAT'S FAST! ...and for an unoptimized camera as well.

I currently use the card either in the camera, my Compaq iPaq PDA, or in a PCMCIA slot via an adapter. I haven't used the JumpShot cable yet as I only have Win95 or WinNT installed. That will changed in a few weeks when I migrate to Win2000, but I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

As another test, I copied 60MB of mp3s from my laptop to the SanDisk and the same 60MB of data to the Lexar. The Lexar was by far much faster.

The Lexar 128MB USB-enabled compact flash card is really great for my 3 mega-pixel camera. Its capacity is relatively large, and it is faster by far than the earlier cards I had. Further, the Jumpshot reader is so compact that it is easy to carry around in the camera bag, and then it's a quick moment to download the pictures to any USB-equipped computer. It is a little pricey, and it's true that most cards don't work with the Jumpshot cable because they are not USB-enabled--but for me it's a great product that I use almost every day.

The biggest draw of this printer is the price, which becomes very attractive after a rebate from Lexmark. The print quality seemed to me to be pretty much standard for mid-range inkjets. Black text appears dark and crisp, and basic colors on the Better or Best settings are comparable to HP deskjet series printers. I haven't yet tried photos on photo paper, but on plain paper they are passable. The biggest drawback is the cost of cartridges from Lexmark, at $30+ for each (black and color). The color cartridge seems to drain pretty quickly, but the black one, if mostly text is printed out, lasted me over 600 pages, which is not bad. All in all, a very solid buy for this price.

This is my 3rd Lexmark printer. All lexmark printers that I have owned have been wonderful. They have never broken, I just replace to upgrade. This printer is excellent. Extremely nice print with good quality print....(just make sure the ink is dry before touching the paper tray!) Small photos look super (4x6). Great price, but ink is very high $$$$$$$. You might want to try buying refurbished cart. available on web sites.

I just got this printer today after having an HP for a few years. Set-up was a breeze! (I have win98) I was very impressed with this printer. I'm a college student so I could not afford the pricey printers, but I wanted to print picures. The pics come out awesome! It has a lot of great features, which I was surprised at. I love the on-screen ink indicator, which you can even customize!! The printer even talks to you(not much just says that printing is starting or complete-but still a cool option). Also, when you go into print-properties, an "I Want To" list comes up, click on what you want to print and it walks you through everything. It also has auto printer head alignment and a feature that eliminates paper jams. A GREAT PRINTER!!

I needed to get a USB2 card for my G4 so I could run a couple newer USB2 peripherals at speeds that weren't coma-inducing.
I ran out and got this card, and it was as easy of an install as possible -- turn off the power, open the case, pop the card in, screw it in, close, reboot. OS X 10.2.6+ & 10.3 recognize this card out of the box from my experience. I haven't had any problems with this card at all since the day I bought it, and haven't given it much thought. I can't vouch for its performance in OS 9, however, since I don't boot into 9.

I've used many Adaptec SCSI controllers over the years and had good experiences with them. So when it came time to buy a USB 2.0 adapter I decided to spend the extra few bucks and go with them -- plus this card comes with a 5 year warranty.

The NEC controller chip Adaptec uses on this PCI card works fine under Linux 2.6.6. Just be sure to enable both the ECHI *and* OCHI USB host drivers in the kernel. The OCHI drivers are used when USB 1.1 devices are inserted into this 2.0 card. I didn't realize this initially and thought there was something wrong with the card when I plugged in a 1.1 device and nothing happened. And, incidentally, if your motherboard has any built-in 1.1 ports you'll probably need to include the UHCI driver as well since Intel/VIA chipsets generally use this older USB controller standard.

Linux 2.6.x is recommended for USB 2.0, but a recent 2.4.x kernel might also work if you're only trying to use USB mass storage devices.

I had the card installed in 5 minutes. Popped the case, installed the card and started the computer. XP installed the correct drivers and the card works great.

The transfer rates of this modem are great but this modem gets way too hot. This modem had to be placed on the floor far from the computer. I returned this modem and got a Linksys and the heat problem is gone. This DLink modem can't be stacked because of the heat

Heck I didn't even have to install this. My cable guy came over to install the new Internet connection and he actually installed the modem. I watched how he did it and bascially all he did was plug in the cable, the ethernet, and the power and that was it.

There isn't much more to say about this. It looks cool on my desk, it is a nice hard metal and seems very sturdy. Sometimes it feels nice and warm on the outside, but it doesn't effect he performance from what I can tell.

This Modem was and is very easy to use. You just plug it in and you never touch it afterwards. Basically it connects to your ISP automatically and serves up your internet blazing fast. I used to use the modem that our ISP provided, but I did the math and it turns out to be cheaper if you buy your own instead of paying $5/month for theirs. Plus this router matches my D-Link home network so everything looks uniform on my desk.

This is one of the best keyboards on the market for a reasonable price. the good thing is it size. It's small enough to fit in your lap as you send messages to your friends with the control in your hand. It works great with online titles such as socom2 and resident evil outbreak. I highly recommend this product if you play on-line a lot.

This keyboard is basically the same kind you use for school. If you like that then by all means purchase the keyboard. I use a different one for computer but this one is still pretty nice.

The only problem is that this keyboard can't be used in that many games. RPG Maker is the big one. Maybe some online games will utilize it though.

This keyboard is perfect for any online PS2 game. I bought it for Final Fantasy XI and have been very happy with it. If you can afford it, though, I would recommend the Logitech Netplay thing that has the keyboard and controller in one unit so you don't have to switch between the keyboard and the controller.

I was abit suspicious when I heard of VOIP internet telephony, which (unlike typical internet telephony services like "net2phone" or "dialpad") is supposed to work really well with broadband/fast internet service (e.g. DSL, Cable, or satellite. However when I heard about the good reviews of VOIP I decided tyo give it a try since I had DSL. I decided to subsrcibe to DeltaThree's "iconnecthere" service and that meant that I needed to buy the Actiontec IPW in order to use it. The Actiontec IPW device is very easy to use and works just fine with the "iconnecthere" service. I have had no problems with it and the voice clarity is very good (I'd give it an 8/10). The only problem is that the instructions that came with the Actiontec IPW on how to connect it to the PC and Modem weren't clear so I had to figure it out on my own. However I have submitted a "flow chart" to Amazon.com which I assume can be found on this page, and it shows how to connect the device easily, I hope you find it helpful!

This product is excelent.
I also use iConnectHere, but this product is not mandatory for placing calls. I used a headset w/microphone in the first place, and later decided to buy the IPW.
The sound quality is very good. I have also been able to use it with the following providers/products:

Dialpad/DialpadChameleon
FreeWorldDialUp/X-ten lite

However, you cannot dial directly from the phone's numeric keypad with these. Only PcPhone (from iConnectHere) supports this feature.

Don't forget that a high network/internet load can affect the sound quality.

Configuration:

I just received the product a few days ago. The quality of the cables and hardware are very good compared to the similar products from Belkin and I/O Magic. The USB and RGB cables are connected but can be easily separated. This was necessary because my IBM T40 has the USB ports on the left side of the unit and the RGB out on the right, a stupid design by any stretch of the imagination.

I had to separate a thick molded attachment (about 18" down where the cable makes a "Y") and pull about 2 feet of the cable apart to make it work. The shielding is first rate and remained completely intact.

Hooking It Up:

The set-up of the KVM switch is simple: Turn everything off, hook everything up, power up the computers, and you're done. It took about 10 minutes. It's nice that all the connectors are on the back of the switch, saving you from the big and ugly 'spider' of cables on your desk. The supplied power supply was not necessary for my setup: IBM T40, Dell 400SC, Viewsonic CRT, MS PS/2 Natural Keyboard (w/USB adapter), and Logitech Mouseman USB Optical Wheel-mouse. Both system are running WinXP Professional.

Operation:

We are talking a standard KVM: hit the button, it beeps and goes to the other computer and enables the mouse and keyboard after a 3 second scan interval completes. Nothing fancy here. All of my keys work on the keyboard and all of the mouse buttons work with my Logitech Mouseware software. See below the one Mouseware issue.

Issues:

I typically use a refresh rate of 85hz on my monitor, but I found the scan lines to be very pronounced when viewing a white screen. This was not the case when directly connected. I upped the refresh rate to 100hz and that fixed it. The scroll-wheel will only go one line at a time on the IBM laptop, but works fine on the Dell server. This is not the case when I attach it directly to the laptop.

As I'm typing this review, I can honestly say it does what it is supposed to do. Leaning forward to hit the select button causes a moderate single "beep", but it's not overly annoying, yet. The ability to switch using a 'hotkey' on the keyboard would be nice, but I was willing to make the sacrifice for a good quality product.

Conclusion:

It was well worth the money. Yes, I'm lazy and would like to switch computers using my keyboard, but I made the trade-off for a good quality product. There's no software to install, so that's one less thing that could cause problems. If I could rate this 4.5 stars, I would, but that's not an option. In any case, I hope you found some of this information helpful.

First of all, this KVM is very well-made, with high-quality video and USB cables. The enclosure is actually metal, and feels very solid. Once it's hooked up and working, it works very well.

This KVM is actually a USB hub; the "switching" part simply moves the computer connection from one machine to the other. The good news is that you can hook up any USB keyboard and mouse and all of their functions work. I'm using a Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro, an Intellimouse Explorer, and a Contour Designs Shuttle Express with it - the KVM has USB type A connectors for three devices on it - and all three devices are fully supported by my Athlon/WinXP system and my Powermac G4 running OS X. Like one of the other reviewers mentioned, if you test your devices beforehand by disconnecting them, then reconnecting them, and they still work correctly, then this switch will work for you. Devices like USB memory cards, which have to be "stopped" before they can be disconnected, won't work.

The video quality is also very good; I'm running at 1280x1024 and it looks as good as it does with the monitor plugged directly into the Radeon cards in both machines.

This switch does not switch audio. It also does not have any keyboard-based switching ability, so place it somewhere you can easily reach it.

Setup was tricky, however, and involved some e-mail back-and-forth with Connectpro's support people. It turns out that what you have to do to get the switch working right is this:

1. Plug the power into the switch.
2. Plug the VGA cables for the two machines in. Do NOT connect the USB cables for the two computers!
3. Connect your monitor to the switch.
4. Connect your keyboard and mouse directly to the first computer.
5. Power up the first computer, and log in.
6. Now, connect the KVM's USB cable to the first computer. If you're running Windows 2000 or XP, the computer will detect the KVM as a generic USB hub.
7. Connect your keyboard and mouse directly to the second computer.
8. Press the "select" button on the KVM to select the second computer.
8. Power up the second computer, and log in.
9. Connect the KVM's USB cable to the second computer. The computer will recognize the KVM as a generic USB hub. (In MacOS X, it will show up in the Apple System Profiler.)
10. Now, move the keyboard and mouse to the KVM. You should be good to go at this point.

I'd have given this KVM five stars, were it not for the poor manual (like another reviewer said, it seemed to be for some other switch), and the need to contact tech support to get the proper connection instructions. To their credit, Connectpro's e-mail tech support person was very helpful and courteous, and responded within a business day to all of my inquiries.

I have a PowerBook and on old Mac G3. I use the laptop for work and the G3 is a family computer. Becasue I have limited space, I wanted to use the G3's monitor and keyboard for the laptop when I have extended or complicated tasks to do. The switch works great and allows me to use monitor spanning and an extended keyboard when I am working on large Excel spreadsheets or on PowerPoint presentations. Yet a simple push of a button allows the rest of the family to use the G3.

I prefer mechanical switching betweeen computers to a screen/keyboard based switch, because the former works with lots of different systems -- not just Windows.

Although the instructions were not clear on this, the switch comes with 2 cables, each of which includes a monitor cable and an USB cable. Therefore, you shouldn't have to buy any cables other than those that you already have connecting the monitor and the keyboard to your main computer. The 6 foot cables are heavy, which probably reduces signal loss but makes them a little awkward in my confined space.

The switch is small but heavy, suggesting that it is probably well made.

Hooking up the switch is so simple that no directions are needed. That's good because the instructions were not clear and seemed written for a different switch.

All in all, a product that does what is is supposed to.

i've tried to use this on two macs. terrible results

m-audio does not have forums on their site.

there is a reason. their drivers are unreliable and highly incompatible.

absolutely refuse to provide any documentation nor do they accept returns.

if you value the stability of your computer, stay clear. stay well clear.

I have been using this interface with both a Mac and a PC and it works well with both. Great product!

This is a good adapter for home use. Having been a roadie, I can pretty confidently say the Midisport Uno's build quality isn't roadworthy -- the attached MIDI cables are about as thin as the RCA cables that come with most home audio equipment, nowhere near as tough as patch cords for a stage rig. But the average home user, who's not plugging and unplugging in a hurry and stepping on the equipment and such, should have no worries. I have one, and it works fine.

A note about appearance: My Uno's body (the oval part, smaller than an average computer mouse) is a deep translucent blue, rather than the opaque color in the current photo here on Amazon. Also, the cables are all one color, black, though the IN and OUT plugs are clearly labeled in molded lettering. There are three green LEDs: one that lights up when the computer recognizes the adapter, one for MIDI in signals, and one for MIDI out -- handy for troubleshooting.

I bought the Uno to connect my Roland alphaJuno-2 to my PowerBook and play with GarageBand. I took it out of the packaging (a rare treat: a molded clamshell-type plastic package that isn't heat-sealed, so it doesn't have to be cut to shreds to open) and hooked it up, and nothing happened. I initially thought that Mac OS X would recognize it automatically, so it took me a few minutes to realize I needed to install the driver software. Although there are drivers on the included CD-ROM, I downloaded the latest version from the manufacturer's web site, installed, and the Uno instantly lit up and GarageBand informed me (because I already had the Roland powered up) that a MIDI device was now connected. It's worked flawlessly since.

Simple to use; no extra cables to attach -- I think this is the perfect USB MIDI adapter for GarageBand users or anyone else connecting one MIDI keyboard to a computer at home.