How do you arrange your USB hub?

[jmack549]

I like keeping my desk as clean as possible, and like the "minimum" of stuff. I got a usb hub, but I'm not really sure where to put it. Off the back, running down to somewhere on the bottom/back of the desk? Or display is somewhere up front in a nice manner?

Any advice? Are other iMac owners this anal?

 

[petemwah]

i have my USB hub stuck with velcro behind my desk, that way the wires are all hidden. I also make extensive use of cable ties and sleeves so that there's no tangling/mess at the back.

If i had an especially pretty USB hub i might be inclined to put it on my desk, but my monitor has a couple of USB slots so I just use those for day to day devices (USB sticks etc).

 

[jmack549]

Yeah, that's what I'm most worried about, the day to day stuff. The keyboard usb slots will work for the daily stuff I assume...

On a side note, I walked in the other day and my mom, who has had her iMac for about a year, was wrestling with the giant thing, tilting it over to try to plug something into the back of it. I laughed, then showed her there was 2 usb slots on the keyboard. It was like the first time she saw a sunset. She is in love with it now.

 

[Schtumple]

Mines under my desk, it's only a 4 port thing for uni, at home I have a 7 port one that's held in by screws, it's hidden by a piece of wood too so it doesn't light up my room at night

 

[petemwah]

well why not plug the boring stuff (permanent external hard disks, USB keyboard/mouse etc) into a hub which is hidden and then get a USB extension cable or a smaller hub for your desk?

something like this? (although that one's pretty darn ugly) x

 

[EB66]

gosh i hate wires....i use velcro and put it behind my desk too

 

[harry454]

I got one stuck underside of my desk with double sides tape, and then the wires run along the beams of the desk frame, with zip ties, its a Ikea Galant desk so it works really well, however I do want to get the belkin 3 port on for the 3 inch wire holes, that would be a nice one to use

 

[sickmacdoc]

Yeah, that's what I'm most worried about, the day to day stuff. The keyboard usb slots will work for the daily stuff I assume...

On a side note, I walked in the other day and my mom, who has had her iMac for about a year, was wrestling with the giant thing, tilting it over to try to plug something into the back of it. I laughed, then showed her there was 2 usb slots on the keyboard. It was like the first time she saw a sunset. She is in love with it now.

Yeah, it will do ok for day to day stuff as long as are only attaching low power devices- like the mouse, trackballs and most flash drives. Forget portable HDs or anything else that requires a normal full power port and you will be ok.

Nicest way to hide a powered hub and still provide access to it IMO is to velcro it back out of the way and use a USB extender cable (along the lines of this at Amazon ) up to the desktop for easy access to at least one port for daily use.

 

[BJMRamage]

I have this. I deleted my ipod dock/card reader and it has 2-3 USB hub in back.
clean lines too.

 

[blugoldimac]

While waiting on the iMac refresh i have spent time researching all the accessories to get with my (future) new iMac. I am now looking into usb hubs. To keep my desk clear i would prefer something wireless. Does anyone have any suggestions for a wireless usb hub? from what i have read they are slower than the wired versions but are there any 'highspeed' options or... would i not notice a speed decrease with my uses for this hub. my uses would include: printer (mostly document files, not photos), card reader, scanner, fax machine, pda dock, and an ipod dock. i would not expect to use the wireless hub with my external backup drives.

 

[sickmacdoc]

While waiting on the iMac refresh i have spent time researching all the accessories to get with my (future) new iMac. I am now looking into usb hubs. To keep my desk clear i would prefer something wireless. Does anyone have any suggestions for a wireless usb hub? from what i have read they are slower than the wired versions but are there any 'highspeed' options or... would i not notice a speed decrease with my uses for this hub. my uses would include: printer (mostly document files, not photos), card reader, scanner, fax machine, pda dock, and an ipod dock. i would not expect to use the wireless hub with my external backup drives.

Well, the first one I looked at after a Google search was the 4 port Belkin one that notes in the video demo that it supports high, full and low speed modes of USB 2.0 operation, so that should not be a problem. BTW- they show portable hard drives hung off it fine too.

That being said, even thought the technology is available I just about choked when I saw that a 4 port hub is listed at $199.99 ($146 on Amazon with some no-so-complimentary reviews about the line of sight requirements). Man I would really have to hate the single wire that using a wireless hub would eliminate (from the computer to the hub) to use this instead of a $10 powered hub and some .15 velcro! It appears that all the current generation wireless hubs (as shown in the Belkin demo and others I found) still require the devices themselves to be cabled into the hub so eliminating one cable sure would not be worth the price to me anyway.

 

[harry454]

I think, I might get a belkin one soon current bestbuy one is giving problems