Why Can't PCs have more USB sockets?

[OwlHoot]

I need to plug in the following USB gadgets, among others, at various times and would prefer if they could all be connected at once:

- mouse
- A4 scanner
- A3 scanner
- 4 SATA cradles, each with 2 Tbyte disk
- memory stick
- camera cable
- mobile phone cable
- printer

and how many USB sockets does my PC case I have? A poxy four, and two of those are tucked round the back and very hard to reach.

Why can't PC cases have a decent number of USB sockets, like 16 or something?

PC hubs are useless, even powered ones it seems, as I can never get disks to work reliably with them. I wonder if one can get PC boards whose sole purpose is to expose a load of USB sockets at the back.

Oh well, at least USB 3 is due out later this year.

[cojak]

I feel your pain.

I have to put my iPod on the motherboard usb socket, it doesn't recognise anything else (and I have a powered hub too...)

[Sysman]

That's why I chose Firewire for external disks and CD/DVD burner. You can daisy chain Firewire devices together off one port.

One of the extras you get when you spring for a Mac
(although not all models unfortunately)

[scooterscot]

The more socket the less bandwidth, if you like, becomes available for each device.

Ive done the same as sysman - Firewire 800 to an external scsi drive - ouch. Only one failure in two years - cheap Chinese power adapter

[d000hg]

My complaint is when they put USB ports so close together that you can't plug things into adjacent sockets.

[TimberWolf]

Oh well, at least USB 3 is due out later this year.

Hmm, approaching HMDI bandwidth. I'll still end up trying to put it in the wrong way up though.

[Clippy]

Agree with OwlHoot.

When looking at buying a new PC, I always check to see how many USB ports it has. For me, the minimum would be 4 - 6 ports.

Had a similar issue a few years ago and ended up buying a cheap USB 2.0 PCI card similar to this.

[AtW]

and how many USB sockets does my PC case I have? A poxy four, and two of those are tucked round the back and very hard to reach.

How old is your PC? All modern PCs have a lot of USB ports.

In your case you should connect SATA disks to SATA ports like the nature intended them. There might be a case for one portable connected via USB, but if you've got 4 of them then it ain't right config.

0 ports should be used in this case really.

--------------

A4 and A3 scanner at the same time, can't you use A3 one to scan A4 papers?

1 Port used.

--------------


A good USB hub should be perfectly capable of handling these devices:

- mouse
- memory stick
- mobile phone cable

1 port (via HUB)

----

Connect high bandwidth ones to real ports:

- camera cable
- printer

2 Ports used

-----

Total 4 ports usage.



HTH

[dinker]

USB runs at about a third of the speed of SATA, hard disks should be plugged into SATA ports.

[AtW]

USB runs at about a third of the speed of SATA, hard disks should be plugged into SATA ports.

SATA 300 GBytes/sec independent - USB 2.0 - 480 Mbits (all devices).

If you really need to pull out disks easily get one of these:

http://www.retrevo.com/s/Supermicro-...17dj883/t/1-2/