USB2 - Card or Hub?

[kony]

Extension cords cost $$.

Hubs come in MANY more useful configurations than do PCI cards. He could
shop around for a pair of hubs that will accommodate his card readers
directly.

Nope, the hubs to get this done without bottlenecks would be
exceeding cost of a couple USB cards which are commonly
about $10-15, maybe $20 each.

All the cheap USB hubs have closely spaced ports, unless
I've missed out on some - do link cheap hubs that aren't
designed like this if you have some in mind.

 

[John Weiss]

Nope, the hubs to get this done without bottlenecks would be
exceeding cost of a couple USB cards which are commonly
about $10-15, maybe $20 each.

All the cheap USB hubs have closely spaced ports, unless
I've missed out on some - do link cheap hubs that aren't
designed like this if you have some in mind.

After a single quick look:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817801010

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817201604

 

[kony]

After a single quick look:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817801010

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817201604

While these may work they both have some potential issues.
The first has limited current w/o a separate supply except
the 2nd PSU plug adapter. Someone could buy or make a
supply for it, a relatively easy project but for the low
cost of most hubs it wouldn't seem a good use of time. Also
it may only be a personal preference but I don't like
octopus arrangements where devices or wires come out on more
sides than one, or two if only to keep the host data and
power cables in back.

Second one has the ports a bit close as I'd mentioned, some
devices may not fit side-by-side. Many would, but in
context the devices were card readers which could be the
pocket type w/integral plug, those tend to have larger
dimensions. It comes closer to my ideal but at $17
delivered, it's more expensive than a USB2 card and would
still have the bottlenecks with concurrent drive access.

PCI cards are about same cost delivered, maybe slightly
higher $2x range if extension cables are needed too (though
some thumb sized devices already come with extension
cables).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=USB2 PCI&bop=And&Order=PRICE

 

[kony]

PCI cards are about same cost delivered, maybe slightly
higher $2x range if extension cables are needed too (though
some thumb sized devices already come with extension
cables).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=USB2 PCI&bop=And&Order=PRICE

One good bang for the buck at present would be these,

2 pack of 4 port NEC chipped PCI cards, free S/H $12

http://www.meritline.com/192-077-002.html

PCI slots are starting to get precious on some newer systems
though, that is one mitigating factor against using PCI
cards instead of hub(s).

 

[~Mike Hollywood]

these have 3 on the back and one on board, so he'd have to wire the other
two fm the pci card to the front of the pc to use them. Better to use two
with 4 ports on the back.

 

[kony]

these have 3 on the back and one on board, so he'd have to wire the other
two fm the pci card to the front of the pc to use them. Better to use two
with 4 ports on the back.

Maybe, but a lot of cases now have USB on the front, it
depends on the system it's added to.

Plus, consider that each two port pair shares bandwidth, if
it's a matter of plugging in hign bandwidth devices it may
be no loss to have 3 instead of 4, only every other port can
be used anyway before concurrent bandwidth issues come into
play.

That's not the problem though, the problem is we are dealing
with a pseudo-polite troll, who wants to "discuss" more than
DO. We are expected to be educators without any real
expectation there is a fruitful purpose. A basic Google
search would've turned up basic info about USB and these are
trivial cost items.

 

[John Weiss]

While these may work they both have some potential issues.

While they may have issues, they fit the description: Cheap and not
closely-spaced ports (especially compared to those on most PCI cards).

In this case, your personal preferences do not trump the OP's needs/wants.

 

[kony]

While they may have issues, they fit the description: Cheap and not
closely-spaced ports (especially compared to those on most PCI cards).

In this case, your personal preferences do not trump the OP's needs/wants.

But they ARE closely space ports, in the latter case,
and the former is a poor arrangment. Surely you can see
that I meant a typical port, but, what i'd mentioned - not
closely spaced, just less closely spaced, not some oddball
means to that end, just space further apart.

In other words, not something screwy, a most-useable product
without the drawbacks. It is not so much to ask for such a
simple device.

In other words, not some dorked up arrangement, a properly
design hub that didn't make concessions to mean some silly
design criteria, and that at a price appropriate to the
trival increase in PCB size it would take just just put an
extra cm or so between the ports.