Advantages: Easy to install
Disadvantages: None

...I have bought this PCI card a week ago. Reason: I have got a MSI K7T266Pro2 motherboard that only offer USB1.1 ports (1.5Mbytes/s maximum transfer rate). Since I have got devices that uses USB2.0 and without breaking my piggy bank to upgrade my computer, the most economical way is to install a PCI card that offers USB2.0 connections (up to 480Mbits/s or 60Mbytes/s, 40X faster than USB1.1) for 1 internal port and 4 external ports. Before you buy a USB2.0 PCI card, make sure that your motherboard got version 2.2 PCI slots which are USB2.0 compatible. If your motherboard hasn't got version 2.2 PCI slots or higher, don't bother. You need a motherboard upgrade. Also, your operating system needs to be windows 2000 service pack 4 or windows XP which provides appropriate drivers to support USB2.0. For the other operation systems... Read review

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Advantages: EASY ACCESS TO USB PORTS
Disadvantages: INITIAL SETUP FOR NON-PC PEOPLE

...STABILITY Perfect, never had it drop out while in use and always performs perfectly. Only problem I could foresee is if you were using Windows 95 or Windows 98 First Edition. But this is only due to the fact that they didn’t support USB and will only work via a patch, but I’m told the patches themselves are unstable. SPEED Running at USB 2.0 speed this is pretty much the fastest you will get at the moment. USB 1.0 – 12mb a second FIREWIRE – 412mb a second USB 2.0 – just over 450mb a second Now just because it is USB 2.0 doesn’t mean you can’t use your older USB 1.0 devices on it because it is fully backwards compatible with the older equipment. However should you have a device capable of the faster protocol then you will see that high data transfer speed come in to action. EASE OF INSTALLATION Not the easiest thing... Read review

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Advantages: 15 in 1 Card Reader & Writer, Small & Compact, Fast USB 2.0 & Very Easy To Use
Disadvantages: None

...The Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 15-in-1 Media Reader and Writer lets you simply drag and drop images, music and basically any files or folders to your computer from your PDA or handheld, MP3 player, digital camera, or other device which takes any of the 15 types of storage cards. This makes it very simple and easy to transfer media from one place to another, this is the reason I bought this device. You can edit and store your files at transfer speeds of up to 480Mbps which is 40 times faster than USB 1.1 media readers. This Media Reader & Writer lets you transfer files from one media card to another and transfer files from all four media cards simultaneously. It features four dedicated slots for all popular types of media which are: 1- XD Picture Card 2- CompactFlash I 3- CompactFlash II 4- SmartMedia 5- Secure Digital 6- Mini... Read review

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Advantages: Small, High Capacity, Quick Transfer Rate
Disadvantages: None As Yet

...I bought this pen drive when I came across a website that I found on google by accident. They were selling it in their sale for £14.99. So I though that I would give it a try. It cam in the post, and I opened the bag that it came in, and I was shocked by the size of the pen. It was the smallest pen that I had ever seen. I was worried at first because it is so small that it would be easy to lose it, and I thought that I would very quickly. Although there is a hole at the end where you can put a clip through so you can attach it to something, i.e. around you neck, on a key ring, etc. It has a lid to keep the USB connection clean and so that it can not be broken. Once it has been taken off, you can plug it straight into the USB port on you computer. It works at its best via the USB 2.0 port. This allows high speeds of data transfer... Read review

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Advantages: ummmmm
Disadvantages: Doesn't work very well, slow, intermitently recognises disks, poor back up service, need I go on?

...I ordered my Freecom DVD Recorder LS USB 2.0 after my CD/DVD drive packed up on my 15 month old HP Desktop. I wanted it mainly to load CD ROM and burn DVD's from movies already converted to DVD format on my hard drive. Being that my PC had no disk drive I relied upon this external drive to load the bundled DVD burning software (Roxio 9). This took several days and many attempts. Then I tried burning my first DVD. After taking 3 hours to do a task that previously took about 30 minutes, this recorder produced a disc that no dvd player in my home recognised (and I have 4). I found the user interface very unfriendly and it simply didn't work. Needles to say, I'll be getting a refund!... Read review

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Advantages: Portable, easy to use, never failed on me yet!
Disadvantages: Perhaps only the disc size, but it has taken me 2 years to fill it!

...Wester Digital, a respected brand name, and i agree! I have owned the unit now for around 2 years, and have 0 problems. My internal hard drive has died on me twice but my external one, never! This 80gb HDD is perfect for storing large files, home movies, photo albums, music etc. It's ideal when transfering data from one place to another, simply unplug it, plug it in elsehwre and hey presto! It supports drag & drop so moving files couldn't be easier. Standard power adpater with 3-pin plug, and USB 2.0 connection to your pc, mac, server etc. It is easily recognised by each operating system and i have yet to find one that doesn't support the unit. Plug it in, wait around 30secs and it's up and running. Can be stored horizontally, and if you have 3 like me, you can stack them perfectly, or store them vertically... Read review

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Advantages: The internet, mobile.
Disadvantages: Can be fiddly to set up software on Win XP

...note to buy one when the price came down (as it always does with mobile phone related items). At my last Orange contract renewal, last February, the price was £150, so I bought one. At the moment, the Nokia Card Phone 2.0 are retailing (with contract) in Orange outlets for £29, subject to appropriate contract. This price reduction may be due to 2 factors, one being the natural fall in price of mobile phone equipment as it ages, the other could be due to a similar item Nokia have marketed for GPRS wireless internet (see the Nokia website for more details). Having bought my card phone, and got it home, I found that the driver CD-ROM only had software up to WIndows 98/NT, and I have XP, so I tried the software and it didn't work, couldn't even detect the card phone. Now, Nokia's website has a help forum, broken down into many sub... Read review

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Advantages: Simple, basic, USB 2.0 High-Speed port is FAST!
Disadvantages: C'mon, what do you expect out of a card reader, a genie?!?

...Last March I purchased a Concord Digital Eye-Q Duo 2000 camera (see my review at http://www.ciao.co.uk/ConcordEyeQDuo2000Review5383052). I've been very happy with this camera, but the one disappointing aspect, in the long-run, was that to get the data off of my SD media cards, I had to hook the camera up to my computer via the internal USB 1.1 ports on my 233MHz AMD K-6 computer. Transfer was SLOOOOOWWWWW to say the least - I use my camera weekly to take over 300 photos for pro wrestling organizations, and fans want to see these results in color yesterday! The experience didn't get much faster when I added a USB 2.0 High-Speed card to the computer, because the camera's interface was only USB 1.1. So I craved MORE POWER. Remember those nice, nifty Best Buy Bux from the latest round of McDonald's Monopoly game? I had a client... Read review

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Advantages: Fast USB 2 Hub, Ports well spaced out
Disadvantages: Only for Desktop PC's really, Must have adequate PSU

...It should first be stated that this product is intended for use with a desktop computer and indeed it would only be practical to use it in such a manner. The hub comes with an AC adapter which has a good length cable to reach the mains socket. A USB cable is also included to connect the hub to your computer. The hubs cannot function without the AC power. There is nothing more frustrating than ports or sockets being too close together, meaning that large or bulky adapters or plugs can't fit in next to each other. This problem is avoided by the Belkin 7-port hub as the ports are well spaced out with four on one side and three on the other. There is an indicator light for each port to indicate whether it is working or not (on or off). There is no switch to turn off the hub - this would have to be done by disconnecting it from... Read review

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Advantages: USB FRONT AND BACK
Disadvantages: Fitting For Novices

...without the hassle of moving and scrambling round the back of the PC. STABILITY As with the other Trust products I’ve used this is again perfectly stable and never causes me any problems or conflicts. SPEED Running at USB 2.0 speed it’s darn fast. At around 480mb a second even firewire isn’t going to touch it (that is only about 412mb a second). But it will also run at the slower 12mb a second should you have a USB 1.0 product as it is fully backwards compatible. EASE OF INSTALLATION Slightly more to do here than with the other front plate as in addition to fitting the front plate you also have to fit the PCI card. Now once you’ve fitted one in the past it’s pretty straight forward. However for those of you not wanting to open your PC up (and don’t forget if it’s under warranty it will void the warranty) you may want to take... Read review

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