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need more usb ports!

M

mitchellm

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 11, 2007
29
0
hello,

so im using my baseline rMBP for audio production and am in need of more usb ports for my keyboards and controllers. i got so wrapped up in the machine and didnt even realise theres only 2 usb ports on here, how can you have 2 usb ports on a pro machine anyways, what are my options? some type of hub? i noticed they make thunderbolt to firewire but no thunderbolt to usb or course.'
any suggestions?

mike
 
Many of us don't want or need more than two USB ports on our portable.

On the other hand, Acer managed to squeeze a VGA, HDMI, three USB, mic, earphone, Ethernet, ports as well as a SD slot into something thinner and smaller than a rMBP .... a netbook even ... must be a thunderbolt issue :)

I use a plugable brand USB 3.0 hub with my rMBP, but I hear there are issues with USB audio devices and USB 3.0. You may want to check on the plugable web sight, they seem to provide a good deal of technical support. It maybe be best to use a USB 2.0 hub, you can get them with dozens of ports for ~$20. I have a plugable 10 port USB 2.0 hub on my old macpro that has been solid, but I don't do much audio.

I'm waiting for the right kind of thunderbolt solution. The sonnet echo seems to be perfect, but it has not been released yet. There are other TB solutions I think.
 
Last edited:
Definitely need more USB ports.

i use my Retina as a portable gaming machine, carry it around with me everywhere..

at home i usually add an external keyboard, mouse, and want to add an external hard drive too, for mass storage.. but on the go it kinda sucks to bring a powered USB hub with me everywhere.
 
Last edited:
Zeov said:
usually add an external keyboard, mouse, and want to add an external hard drive too, for mass storage.. but kinda sucks to bring a powered USB hub with me everywhere.
Click to expand...

Carrying a keyboard, mouse, and external hard drive, of course, is no problem whatsoever. But a USB hub? O calamity!
 
Qaanol said:
Carrying a keyboard, mouse, and external hard drive, of course, is no problem whatsoever. But a USB hub? O calamity!
Click to expand...

:p

I have a passive USB 2.0 hub in my bag but have never used it on my base mid-2012 rMBP. I use the 2 ports to charge my iPads/iPhone at work but 2 at a time is plenty.
 
well temporary solution was to get a magic mouse and get rid of my usb mouse, couldn't find any powered usb 3.0 hubs at frys man i used to love that store but they never have **** in stock anymore oh well
 
Just get a Thunderbolt dock.
Its getting cheaper and only around 200USD.
You can get additional USB3 ports, TB ports, as well as ethernet, etc
 
yusukeaoki said:
Just get a Thunderbolt dock.
Its getting cheaper and only around 200USD.
You can get additional USB3 ports, TB ports, as well as ethernet, etc
Click to expand...

Closer to $300 ($299), if you're referring to the Belkin dock and that gets you a whole 3 more USB3.0 ports that don't even operate at full speed. ;)

USB hubs are 1/10th the price or less.
 
Yahooligan said:
Closer to $300 ($299), if you're referring to the Belkin dock and that gets you a whole 3 more USB3.0 ports that don't even operate at full speed. ;)

USB hubs are 1/10th the price or less.
Click to expand...

Wow thats expensive in the US!
In Japan, you can get it for 220~250 so I thought it would be cheaper in the home country.
When I was over there, I remember it being 300 so I assumed it came down but guess not.

I need the TB ports as well so Belkin TB dock is a must for me.
 
yusukeaoki said:
Wow thats expensive in the US!
In Japan, you can get it for 220~250 so I thought it would be cheaper in the home country.
When I was over there, I remember it being 300 so I assumed it came down but guess not.

I need the TB ports as well so Belkin TB dock is a must for me.
Click to expand...

Yeah, hopefully the price will come down eventually, I think it'll take a wider adoption of TB before that happens and until then it'll probably remain a niche device. :(

I'm somewhat interested in the TB -> PCIe enclosures as a way to upgrade the GPU. This has been tested already and shown to work pretty well, better than the discrete GPU anyway. Downside is I'd have no way to connect that video card to my ATD.

Fingers crossed that TB takes hold in the PC market, I think that's the only way these things are going to drop in price. Either that or the price drops when the products are discontinued due to poor sales.
 
Yahooligan said:
Yeah, hopefully the price will come down eventually, I think it'll take a wider adoption of TB before that happens and until then it'll probably remain a niche device. :(

I'm somewhat interested in the TB -> PCIe enclosures as a way to upgrade the GPU. This has been tested already and shown to work pretty well, better than the discrete GPU anyway. Downside is I'd have no way to connect that video card to my ATD.

Fingers crossed that TB takes hold in the PC market, I think that's the only way these things are going to drop in price. Either that or the price drops when the products are discontinued due to poor sales.
Click to expand...

Ah, Ive heard of eGPUs before.
Its available for MBAs so it should as well for MBPs.
 
Go For a Powered USB Hub

Find a USB hub. But make sure you can also plug it into a wall to make sure it gets enough power. Some computers can't power every device on a hub because they're only meant to power so many devices.
 
mitchellm said:
well temporary solution was to get a magic mouse and get rid of my usb mouse, couldn't find any powered usb 3.0 hubs at frys man i used to love that store but they never have **** in stock anymore oh well
Click to expand...

I would be careful about just pulling just any USB 3.0 hub of the shelf unless the store has a generous return policy. Most USB 3.0 hubs do not work well with Macs and USB 3 hard drives, let alone audio.

USB 3.0 protocols and architecture forces hubs to do processing and contain firmware, where 2.0 have were more passive. Many hub firmware versions do not satisfy all the 3.0 specs and macs have trouble with them. Look for hubs that have newer firmware or mention fully MAC compatible. rMBPs are sometimes OK, but minis are notoriously picky about who the play with.
 
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