iMac needs more USB

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passey

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 28, 2013
89
0
Any 1 else fining that there imacs could do with more usb ports?

Im currently using the wireless keyboard and magic mouse and have used all 4 of my usb ports.

1 x SSD os drive
1 X 2TB HDD
1 x Wacom tablet
1 X Iphone / ipad

I needs another for printer and another for 500GB portable HDD.

If i play games I then need 1 for a wired mouse.

On another note wish they would do a thunderbolt to lightning not for the speed just so I can actually use 1 of the thunderbolt ports.
 

blueroom

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
25
Toronto, Canada
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.
 
tomwvr

tomwvr

macrumors regular
Jun 12, 2012
213
98
Frederick Maryland
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
 
P

passey

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 28, 2013
89
0
blueroom said:
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.
Click to expand...
yeh didn't really want to have to use 1 but it might come down to that.

Gotta get a backplate yet to hid the external HDD and SSD
 
blueroom

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
25
Toronto, Canada
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.
 
B

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,089
4
Sol III - Terra
passey said:
Any 1 else fining that there imacs could do with more usb ports?
...
On another note wish they would do a thunderbolt to lightning not for the speed just so I can actually use 1 of the thunderbolt ports.
Click to expand...
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.
 
T

thedeske

macrumors 6502a
Feb 17, 2013
963
58
Bear said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
PJM82

PJM82

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2013
74
0
United Kingdom
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.
 
RadDave

RadDave

macrumors regular
Apr 6, 2013
186
0
North Carolina
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? :confused:


 
Lancer

Lancer

macrumors 68020
Jul 22, 2002
2,123
82
Australia
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.
 
O

opinio

macrumors 65816
Mar 23, 2013
1,171
4
passey said:
Any 1 else fining that there imacs could do with more usb ports?

Im currently using the wireless keyboard and magic mouse and have used all 4 of my usb ports.

1 x SSD os drive
1 X 2TB HDD
1 x Wacom tablet
1 X Iphone / ipad

I needs another for printer and another for 500GB portable HDD.

If i play games I then need 1 for a wired mouse.

On another note wish they would do a thunderbolt to lightning not for the speed just so I can actually use 1 of the thunderbolt ports.
Click to expand...
Yeah, 4 is minimal. I use a Kanex 4 port hub. Works very well with macs
 

Macman45

Macman45

macrumors G5
Jul 29, 2011
13,199
133
Somewhere Back In The Long Ago
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.
 
RadDave

RadDave

macrumors regular
Apr 6, 2013
186
0
North Carolina
Lancer said:
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.
Click to expand...
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 - :)

 
N

Nuke61

macrumors 6502
Jan 18, 2013
325
0
Columbia, SC
RadDave said:
Well, the SD slot in the back was really silly (and pretty much worthless to me!)
Click to expand...
I think it's easy to use, but I might be outside the norm.

- 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?
Click to expand...
Like this?


Many choices on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/46cm-Card-Extension-Cable-Case/dp/B007X0GV5S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1368979676&sr=8-7&keywords=Sd+card+extender
 
RadDave

RadDave

macrumors regular
Apr 6, 2013
186
0
North Carolina
Nuke61 said:
I think it's easy to use, but I might be outside the norm.

Like this?
Image

Many choices on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/46cm-Card-Extension-Cable-Case/dp/B007X0GV5S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1368979676&sr=8-7&keywords=Sd+card+extender
Click to expand...
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 - :rolleyes:).

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? :)
 
PJM82

PJM82

macrumors member
Apr 28, 2013
74
0
United Kingdom

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