Syba PCI -Expres USB 2.0 5-port Host Controller Card Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this card because it has FIVE external USB ports, it is PCI-E, and the price was very reasonable. The instructions are easy to follow and installed on first startup. NOTE: This card does require external power from a molex connector which are in most PCs. NOTE: Do not worry if you have used up all available molex power connectors in your PC because along with the card comes an adapter that splits one power source to two so you can connect the card along with whatever other device you have in your PC.

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Belkin USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 3-Port ( 2 external & 1 internal ports) PCI Card Review

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(More customer reviews)Installed on an ancient Dell desktop running Win 2K and it came up, autodetected, auto-downloaded the drivers, installed and works. Belkin got it right on this product.

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Belkin USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 3-Port ( 2 external & 1 internal ports) PCI Card

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Brother MFC-210C Color Inkjet Multifunction Printer Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this today and I'm returning it tomorrow. The printer part is fine, but I do a lot of scanning and I am dumbfounded by what I discovered with this aspect of the machine. First off, when scanning you don't get a preview, you have no option of controlling the size of the scan, or the HSL or any other color/brightness control, nor can you control the dpi. You push the scan button and it scans the whole bed. If your object is smaller than the bed size, too bad. If you want something at 72 dpi (which is all any monitor can "see" so all you use for the web), too bad. If the colors aren't good, too bad. If there's a glare off of something you're scanning, too bad. No options are available. The files end up being large as they're the size of the bed and at 300dpi (the default).
When I first tried scanning and didn't get a preview window or any controls, I picked up the manual to figure out what was going wrong. Guess what? no mention of scanning in the 200 page book. When I looked "scanning" up in the index, it told me to look on the cd. When I looked on the cd, nothing. I went to Brother's site and downloaded a manual from there--only to read that you don't get any options on any part of scanning!

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If you work at home or in a small office environment, the cost in both money and space of buying single-use machines can be prohibitively expensive. The MFC-210C from Brother delivers printing, copying, scanning, and faxing capabilities, allowing you to free up office space and combine all your important office tasks into one effective machine. With its small 3-picoliter droplet size, the MFC-210C delivers print resolutions of up to 6,000 x 1,200 dpi and print speeds of up to 20 ppm for black and up to 15 ppm for color. The easy-to-use, 100-page, front-loading paper tray accommodates sizes up to 8.5 by 14.0 inches, while a 25-sheet output paper tray accommodates most print jobs easily.
The fax machine is capable of both black and color faxing, and has transmission speeds of up to 6 seconds per page. Twenty auto-dial locations are provided to help you keep track of your most important numbers, and a 70-location broadcasting feature allows you to send one fax to multiple locations. A redial function will automatically attempt to reach the dialed number until you receive an answer, while a 25-page internal memory means that you won't miss important faxes, even when you run out of paper.
The built-in copier is capable of both black and color copying, with copy speeds of up to 17 cpm for black and up to 11 cpm for color. You can reduce or enlarge your copies anywhere from 25% to 400%, while a multi-copy function lets you make up to 99 copies from a single original. The scanner has a 36-bit color depth and 256 levels of grayscale, resulting in crisp colors and subtle grays; and the 600 x 2,400 optical scan resolution provides accurate, true-to-life scans. Additionally, one-touch scan-to-e-mail, scan-to-image, scan-to-OCR, and scan-to-file buttons automate these frequently used scanner functions.
If you are a digital photo enthusiast, you'll be glad to hear that the MFC-210C has a photo capture center that allows you to create photo-quality prints directly from a wide variety of media cards, with or without your PC. Several helpful software tools, including ScanSoft PaperPort, ScanSoft OmniPage OCR Software, and Presto! PageManager Software for Mac, help you get the most out of your prints and scans. The unit connects to your computer via its USB port, while an optional wireless print server can be purchased to use the MFC-210C as a wireless print device. Energy Star compliant, the unit consumes only 20 watts during normal operation and about 3 watts during sleep mode. Compatible with PC and Mac operating systems, the MFC-210C also comes backed with a one-year limited warranty.
What's in the Box MFC210c multifunction, paper tray, ink cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, yellow), CD-ROM with PC fax/drivers and bundled software (ScanSoft PaperPort, ScanSoft OmniPage OCR Software, and Presto! PageManager for Mac), telephone line cord, instructions; USB cable not included

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Cables Unlimited USB-1375 60M USB Over Cat5e Extender with Power Supply 1 Pack (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)When we remodeled our bedroom we moved our TiVo into the closet. Running the HDMI cable to the TV from the TiVo was easy - figuring out how to get the remote was a little harder. We have aTiVoSlide remote control which works via Bluetooth: a Bluetooth receiver connects to the TiVo via USB cable. I needed to be able to get the receiver out of the closet and into the main bedroom, ideally behind the television. The maximum length of a USB cable is 10-15 feet, depending on the device, which was too short to reach from the TiVo to the television.
The first solution I tried was a Tripp Lite repeater cable, which is unpowered. The Bluetooth receiver appeared to work just fine with it: a blue light on it illuminated and the light blinked in response to button presses on the remote, just as it should. The commands, however, were not received by the TiVo. The repeater cable was able to boost the signal enough to reach from the TiVo to the receiver, but the receiver didn't have enough strength to send the commands back to the TiVo through the cable.
While I looked for another solution I connected the receiver to a 6' long USB extension cable, just to get the receiver out of the closet so it could receive commands from the remote. This worked but not very well. The commands were received by the TiVo but there was a delay so the response was very laggy. In addition, not all the commands were received by the TiVo which made it very hard to control the DVR.
Clearly a powered solution was required. Though this product didn't have any reviews when I ordered it I didn't have many options. I've used Cables Unlimited cables before so at least I was familiar with the brand.
Amazon's product page is a little light on information for this product and there are a couple of critical pieces of information which should be on the page. The product page at the Cables Unlimited site has more information. First, this extender is only USB 1.1 compliant, not USB 2.0 compliant. Second, only one device can be connected to this extender so putting a hub at the end of it won't work (according to Cables Unlimited, at least).
This extender couldn't be any easier to set up, which is good because the instructions consist of a single diagram. There are 3 pieces to this product: the sending and receiving units and a power supply. The sending unit is a small box labeled "local". It has a USB connection that plugs into your computer (or TiVo in my case) and a port for an Ethernet cable, so it has a male USB and a female Ethernet connection. The receiving unit is labeled "remote" and has a port to plug the remote USB device into (in my case the TiVo Bluetooth receiver) and an Ethernet port, so it has a female USB and a female Ethernet connection. The power supply plugs into the remote end as well.
I plugged the "local" box into the TiVo and connected a 35' Ethernet cable to it. Into the remote end I plugged the other end of the Ethernet cable, the power supply, and the Bluetooth receiver. That was it. The receiver came to life, the TiVo recognized it, and everything just worked. Not only did the remote work, it worked great. There was no lag, no dropped commands. It was as if the Bluetooth receiver was connected directly to the TiVo. I've got no complaints about how well this extender works or how easy it is to install.
My only complaint is the power supply. It doesn't plug all the way into the "remote" box - about 1/4" of the plug is left exposed. Where I have the "remote" box set up this isn't a problem but it could be an issue depending on where it's set up. The USB cable doesn't fit all the way into the "remote" box either. Thatt's just sloppy design so I docked the product a star. I've uploaded a picture to show the gaps.
Overall, though, this extender works great. Powering the remote box really made the difference. As responsive as the TiVo remote is I think this extender could be used for mouse, keyboard, or even a gaming controller, as long as they only need a USB 1.1 connection.

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HP Photosmart c6150 all-in-one - Multifunction ( fax / copier / printer / scanner ) - color - ink-jet - copying (up to): 32 ppm (mono) / 31 ppm (color) - printing (up to): 32 ppm (mono) / 31 ppm (color) - 100 sheets Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I looked for a replacement for my Canon MultiPass F50 and needed a Mac-compatible printer that has Ethernet connectivity, an auto-document feeder, and could print 4x6 photos. It came down to this versus the Canon MP830. I chose the HP since the Canon lacked an Ethernet interface.
PRO's:
First, the unit is very attractive and matches the style of my Mac Mini. Second, it has both an Ethernet and WiFi built in, which is great for sharing it amongst all the computers in our house, both Mac and PC. Third, it has a built in slot to hold 4x6 photoprints, which it prints directly from a camera or PC or memory card. Fourth, it has ADF, which is great when you have 10+ pages to fax and hate to feed them in one by one. Fifth, print quality looks great, nearly the same as the Canon 830. Sixth, I got it super cheap at Costco for $239 (they were running a rebate). Seventh, the unit is smaller than most multi-function printers, Eighth, it has a little color LCD for viewing prints off a memory card.
Cons:
It cannot scan 35mm slides (which the Canon is able to). Also, unlikely that it scans an 8.5x14 document. The print cartridges do not look like they can be manually refilled with ink kits (not that this is always a good idea). The included Mac software was wrong (it was for a 7100 series), so make sure you visit the HP site and download the right software, then it installs easy. Once I had the right software, it took me no time to configure it on a network with 2 Mac Mini's. Lastly, print cartridges are not exactly a bargain: the color ones are $10 ea (you need 5) and the black ink ones are $18 ea. The cartridges look really small, so it will be interesting to see how much print output I get. Buy refills at costco, where they are $56 for a complete set, and $46 for 3 black cartridges.
I'll play with it more, but so far, I am impressed it with the speed and quality, and the cost versus features is simply unbeatable. Especially if you are a Mac user, finding a Ethernet and wifi enabled multi-function printer with ADF is pretty much impossible at this price.

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Canon PIXMA MP760 All-in-One Photo Printer Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, if you're in the market for a printer, you can't go wrong with a Canon. Canon printers consistently beat out the competition in independent tests for print quality. Their items are elegant, well designed, and most importantly, ink is affordable.
We all know the razor and blade scheme: sell the printer below cost and make it up with pricey cartridges. Canon, however, saves you a lot of money by including the print head with the printer and not on each cartridge. Because of this, genuine Canon cartridges can be had for around $12, while 3rd party cartridges, which many claim work just as well, can be found for as low as $2.
If you've already decided on a Canon multifunction, lets see which model is right for you. Canon's current market list is as follows:
MP130 - New model, and the most affordable yet.
Copy/Print/Scan
18ppm black, 13ppm color
2 ink tanks
No auto sheet feeder!
Card slots
MP390 - Has a fax, About half the cost of the MP7xx's.
Copy/Print/SCan/Fax
18ppm black, 12 ppm color
2 ink tanks
card slots
MP750 - Older model - exactly the same as mp780 but no fax.
Copy/Print/Scan
25ppm black, 17 ppm color
5 ink tanks
Built in Duplexing
MP760 - New Model - geared towards photo enthusiasts.
Copy/Print/Scan + Special Photo Features
25ppm black, 17 ppm color
5 ink tanks
No auto sheet feeder!
Built in Duplexing
*Unique photo features:
2.5 inch lcd screen
Built in film adapter for 35mm slides or negatives
can print directly from negatives
Card slots
MP780 - Does it all except for the mp760 photo features.
Copy/Print/Scan/Fax
25ppm black, 17 ppm color
5 ink tanks
Built in Duplexing
Now, let's look more closely at some key differences between these models:
*Fax: The first thing you should do is decide if you need a fax or not. If you do, you should choose between the MP780 or the MP390. If not, don't rule those two out just yet, they may have have other features you can't live without.
*Note: There is NO auto fax/telephone switching on these models if you wish to use the same line for faxes and voice calls.
*Number of ink tanks: The next important thing you should look at is whether you want to be able to replace each color individually or not. The MP750, MP760 and MP780 all have 5 individual ink tanks (photo black, black, cyan, yellow, magenta), while the MP130 and MP390 have only 2 (black and tricolor). The cost of each cartridge is about the same, but you will waste some leftover ink by throwing out the MP130 or MP390's color cartridge when just one color runs out.
*Photo printing: If you're planning on printing a lot of photos, you should probably go with an mp7xx. These have a superior print head, as well as the 5 separate ink tanks. The MP760 is especially noteable with all the features Canon has added specifically for photos. These come at a price however, as the MP760 does not share the auto sheet feeder of its MP750 and MP780 cousins, or the fax of the 780.
*However - If you plan on printing directly from memory cards, beware! The mp750 and mp780 do not have card slots! The 2 cheaper models and the mp760 do.
*Auto sheet feeder: The mp130 and mp760 do NOT have an auto sheet feeder. All 3 of the others do. An auto sheet feeder is very useful when doing a lot of scanning or faxing.
*Duplexing: The mp7xx models each have built in duplexing.
*Size: The mp7xx models weigh around 30 pounds and are quite big. The MP390 is a smaller, and weighs 18 pounds. The mp130 has a tiny footprint for a multifunction printer, and weighs 14 pounds.
Some features that all of Canon's current MFPs share:
*Copying: Each of these models has a copy function, and all have the same resolution (600x600 black, 1200x1200 color).
*USB 2.0 connection
*Pictbridge direct photo printing support
*All 5 models are great looking and will complement almost any decor.
My recommendations:
If you want a great price on an excellent printer and don't need a fax: MP130
If price is an issue but you still need a fax: MP390
If you can afford an MP700 series and don't need a fax, card slots, or the MP760's photo features: MP750
If you need its exclusive photo features (but no fax or auto sheet feeder): MP760
If you can afford an MP700 series and need a fax (but no card slots and none of the MP760s photo features): MP780

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Brother MFC-8500 Laser Multifunction Center Review

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(More customer reviews)The truth is that a "really good fax" will separate you from about a thousand of your beloved George Washingtons; they don't sell them at places where most of us shop. For the average SOHO buyer the options in Laser multi functions are limited at best. This is my fifth printer and second multi function through the years, my first Brother product. I am a retired Network Engineer and I have personally laid hands on some of HPs biggest and badest printers, lets just say I have been around the block.
I bought the MFC 4800 and a Panasonic and returned both within three weeks because of misfeeds; so far the 8500 has not skipped a beat yet. Is it fast? Yes, very fast and the print quality is as good as it gets. Notable differences from the 4800; prints faster, scans faster, copies more clearly, has a larger capacity sheet feeder, has one touch faxing, is network capable, holds more paper, can add another 250 sheet paper tray, has a larger LCD, and ships with a full toner instead of a starter. The warranty may also be better. Also the feed mechanism is better than the 4800 thus eliminating misfeeds. The 8500 will suck up your 20-page fax faster than you can say, "I'm a nine to five slave", spit it out, and let you get back to playing solitaire while it takes care of business.
For those of us who own real office equipment the 8500 feels light and flimsy but remember it is only four hundred street price, you get what you pay for. I like the fact that it goes silent in sleep mode, that's good. The dedicated left and right arrow keys make programming the unit such a snap that even a CEO can do it. For support ask for a supervisor when you call Brother, the front line people don't know how to turn it on much less trouble shoot it. The manual is horribly lacking, it will do more than the manual tells you it will and Brothers web site about using the online manual is wrong, it is not any better. If you have trouble with the software and want to just install the drivers they are on the CD. Use the Distinctive Ring feature from your phone company if you don't have a dedicated line but be sure to read the manual to set up the unit.
In my epinion this is a great unit, full of features at an entry-level price. It's a laser and remember a few years ago these things did not even exist yet so we are lucky just to have them at all. Stay away from ink jets, they are loud, slow, messy, very expensive, and just don't belong in a real office setting. Go for the high capacity toner, for ten more bucks you get twice the toner, it's a no brainer and it gives you about a penny a page printing cost. Get the 8500, take it home, love it and it will love you back but watch the return date on your receipt in case you want to file for divorce but I doubt that will happen, this is one sexy, snappy little baby....

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While most all-in-one machines sacrifice quality for convenience, Brother's MFC-8500 multifunction center compares favorably with dedicated machines on the market. A fast 15-page-per-minute print time combined with 600 x 600 dpi output provides quality images with little wait time, while an 8 MB memory can up to 500 pages for out-of-paper reception.
Three quick scan buttons provide plenty of convenience, while a maximum scanning resolution of 9,600 x 9,600 (interpolated) dpi provides ample quality. The fax machine is call waiting, caller ID, and distinctive-ring detection ready, has 116 auto-dial stations, and has a super-quick setting, which can scan faxes in as little as two seconds.
The copier has a multicopy function of up to 99 pages, can enlarge copies anywhere from 50 to 100 percent, and is capable of a 600 x 600 dpi output. USB and parallel port interfaces are provided for easy connectivity, while ScanSoft PaperPort and TextBridge OCR are included with the MFC-8500 to help you get the most out of your scans.
Even with all these features, the best thing about this machine could be the price tag. The MFC-8500 also comes backed with a one-year limited warranty.

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