iMac needs more USB

I use an GigE NAS instead of USB drives, Bluetooth mouse & keyboard, and WiFi sync my iPhone while it's in a speaker charging dock.

Of course if you need more USB ports a simple solution is a powered hub.

 

I think 4 is fine - If I am not using my external CD DRIVE (which ive used 2 times) then all of them are open.

I have a wireless printer, wireless mouse and keyboard and wireless number pad attached to the keyboard. I also have the Apple Time Machine which is wirelesss.

When I game I use the magic mouse and apple wireless keyboard -so far no issues there.

At the most I have had 3 USB Ports in use - CD Drive, Flash Drive and Iphone at one time.

Tom

 

Yes, that's why I bought one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZGKWQI/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Oh yes, and my printer is on the network. So plenty of USB ports for me.

You could put most of your HDDs in a Thunderbolt array, costly though.

 

Get a Thunderbold Dock of some sort with USB and other ports.

I'm thinking for those who want an optical drive, the best bet is probably the Echo 15 from Sonnet since it has lots of USB ports and also room from for a drive inside.

 

Interesting product. Like many others, I'm in that mode where I use an optical 3-4 times a year and wonder if it's worth buying one more time.
Caldigit has a new Tbolt dock coming, like the Belkin but adds HDMI and 100 bucks cheaper.

 

Get this:



It matches the iMac very, very well. USB 3.0 too and 10 ports! Now I'm not short of USB ports . Far cheaper than any Thunderbolt setup.

 

New iMac owner and also feel the need for more USB ports - I bought the powered USB 3.0 Hub shown below - should serve my needs (did not need more than a couple extra) - BUT w/ 2 Thunderbolt ports, why aren't there cheaper options (or adapters) to use those ports?

 

More USB ports would be nice but you're never going to have enough for some people. That said one or 2 underneath near the air vent would be good, easier to reach to plug in things like thumb drives and don't get me started on the SD slot. Surely a slot in the bottom center (under the Apple) for the US would not block too much air and allow easy access to an SD slot and still keep the nice side styling without 'ugly' slots and USB ports messing things up.

But my solution is I'm using 2 USB Hubs, an older USB 2 Belkin with 7 ports, 2 facing forward so it sits under my 27" iMac with easy access to plug in USB thumb drives. I also got a cheap 4 port USB3 hub which is used for my newer USB3 drives, it's on a shelf behind the iMac, hidden out of the way.

FYI I have a USB keyboard, iPhone lead and 7 USB HDDs plugged in at any one time. My printer/scanner is plugged into the network with it's own Ethernet connection. And on a side topic I have speaker plugged in the back with a volume knob under my iMac where I can plug in headphones when needed.

 

Yeah, 4 is minimal. I use a Kanex 4 port hub. Works very well with macs

 

I hate fiddling around at the back of mine, so got the 4 port D-Link USB3...works well, but I may buy an 8 port shortly...With wifi syncing now the norm, the need for connecting my phone and ipad to the imac is pretty mcuh gone, but I do have peripherals like my control yoke, pedals etc which I connect to the hub....same goes for my cameras. The rear ports have always bugged me though....they are only at the back for cosmetic reasons, and it's easy to scratch up that area when plugging things in.

 

Well, the SD slot in the back was really silly (and pretty much worthless to me!) - tried to search for a cabled adapter that would plug into the back SD slot and then have a SD receptacle @ the other end - found none, although I can't for sure say none exit?

So, I settle on getting the device below which will plug into my USB 3.0 powered hub and accept standard & smaller SD cards of any capacity -

 

I think it's easy to use, but I might be outside the norm.

Like this?


Many choices on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/46cm-Card-Ext...d=1368979676&sr=8-7&keywords=Sd+card+extender

 

Well, guess that I'll have to just give inserting the SD card in back of the monitor another chance, but will likely just use that USB adapter (since I bought it - ).

Thanks for the images on the SD card extender - my problem was that I was using the term 'adapter' - looks like a cable that belongs inside a computer, though?

 

That's pretty good but I just wish Apple had placed it else where.

 

That looks very simular to what I purchased. I got one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Orico-Adapter...369105753&sr=1-1&keywords=10+port+usb+3.0+hub

 

Looks the same apart from the colour. The days of rebranded Chinese goods continue . It's not far off what I paid in the UK.

I added some stick on rubber feet to mine to stop it sliding around the desk.