mini USB hub advice

[[CoRdOvA]]

Hi, im new to the forum,,, and i have a small question about USB hubs. I know near to nothing about them, but have come to find that having one would be extremely convenient. I am interested in having a mini one for a 15" powerbook... i have looked all over ebay and online stores to find one, and there are a lot. (i'm just a little unsure if i am getting the right thing or not). There are heaps of cheap ones... but would these be sufficient?

If anyone could please give me some guidance as to what would be a good buy e.t.c... (what to get and what not to get). i dont really want to have to spend over $40 AU, and dont really want one that has an external power source.

any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks! :cool:

[advres]

i bought a 3 port firewire 400/4port usb 2.0 hub for a lot less than that - go to meritline.com and search hubs. i wasnt let down.

[cubist]

Some devices, mostly disk-drive-type devices, won't work through some USB hubs. I'm not sure why; some say it's the power.