Free Glide

Looking around for a cracking deal on a great new Panasonic Viera television? The John Lewis web-site is certainly a brilliant place to shop for a broad plethora of technology & add ons. They stock a substantial array of items, for example; plasma televisions, Sony Bravia TVs, iPods, Sony digital cameras, laptops, etc. You don’t need to be told that all the LCD televisions the John Lewis website keep available are from class leading brands such as; Samsung, Panasonic and Sony.

So you are looking around for a shiny new LCD flat screen television and do not know which place to commence looking. Not surprising with the bewildering choice of items on offer in the market; LCD, plasma, flat screen, HD, Freeview etc. a really convenient online resource for battling your path through all the jargon is the John Lewis buyers guide - this unprejudiced page should guide you through the technical jargon and help you best choose the TV that’s most suited for you and your family. It’s fundamental not to overlook the add ons too! Eventually deciding on the right television stand and cabinet, which will most accent your designated room and also hold up your great new plasma television is certainly an often ignored part of the decision making process. When it comes to quality and design you’d find it hard to beat Panasonic TV. Find them online at the John Lewis site.

Your follow up inquiry could be at which place to shop online for your great new Panasonic television? There are a number of web-sites on the net sating that they offer tremendous deals on TVs, but how do you know which site you can really trust? With John Lewis you and your family can buy in total confidence, and here is the reason; Completely free national delivery service on all orders - no need to fret about that ‘great price’ you think you have found suddenly not looking so good when you take stock of the price of postage. Also, if you need any Television in a big hurry, next day delivery is available on virtually every one of their products. One more superb thing is, if you’re not totally happy with your brand new Panasonic television then returns are free of charge. However, saving the very best for the end - John Lewis offers a free five year warranty for all of their 2 which is a feature you would pay a substantial premium for at most other sites.

With a product in mind you might well now be ready to peruse the great array of plasma screen TVs on offer on the John Lewis site. Their web site is extremely painless to navigate and making your way to the right category and product will require very little effort at all. So why not give John Lewis a try for your new plasma screen television Happy shopping!

Fairly recently Sprint PCS Wireless made headlines in USA Today for offering credit to its business customers for lulls in its nationwide network. Lulls are explained as dropped calls, fast busy signals and other minor problems. However unlike its competitors, Sprint PCS Wireless made a bold offering of a
refund for such problems, and some are customers receiving up to 30% of their monthly Sprint cell phone bills.

Such dedication to customer service is at least part of what has driven Sprint PCS Wireless to the top of the charts where it has a strong hold as the number 4 cell phone carrier in the U.S. with around 20 million subscribers nationwide. One thing Sprint does have in common with other cell phone carriers is an interest in improving network design in order to be more accommodating to the most demanding consumers.

Sprint has a solid line of cell phones and cell phone calling plans which run the gamut in prices and offerings which help Sprint to achieve their goal. These plans range in price from $35.00 a month for a basic plan to a comprehensive 1-800 plan for under $100.00 a month. For instance Sprint’s Free and Clear Nationwide plan at $35.00 a month gives you 300 peak minutes and unlimited nights and weekends with nationwide coverage. The cost and strength of coverage varies in major cities. Sprint offers a family plan, Sprint PCS Free and Clear Nationwide 700, for about $128.00 a month. This plan gives 700 shared minutes and unlimited nights and weekends. It costs an additional $20.00 a month for each additional line.

One of Sprint’s most popular plans, Free and Clear (area wide), is perfect for those who rarely travel outside their calling area. The plan offers 1000 peak minutes and unlimited use on nights and weekends. If you travel outside of your calling area on a regular basis you may want to consider one of Sprint’s PCS Free and Clear nationwide 1000 plans, at about $80.00 a month. You can choose a plan with 1000 peak minutes and unlimited nights and weekends or
3000 any time minutes which includes nights and weekends.

Take a look at Sprint’s PM6625 top of the line Nokia phones. This is one of the most complete phones available anywhere. The PM6625 has all the bells and whistles including VGA camera, full customization capability and even has infrared Port. Second on the list is the Sanyo SCP-8100, which includes a camera, is easy to use, can be customized with Sprint ring tones and is small and light weight. Third on the list of phones offered by Sprint is the Handsprint Treo 600, a true cell phone/palm top combination. With a reliable speaker phone, built in camera, Palm OS and more, this phone is great but rather expensive.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Cell phones Plans His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

This article series will be broken down into the following sections: Processor and Memory, Hard Drive and Multimedia Drives, Audio, Video, and Graphics, Data Fax and Modem, and Ports.

These articles are about the components of the Compaq Presario SR1617CL-B; however, the knowledge you gain from these articles will equip you to make better buying decisions regarding any home desktop computer purchase. I will also add information and tips about computer components that are not in the Compaq Presario so that you have a solid understanding and that you are equipped to do good comparisons when shopping.

Hard Drive and Multimedia Drives: First of all, the hard drive type used most in home computers is the ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) drive (better known as the IDE drive). This drive type has a 16 bit parallel interface and it supports up to 133MB/s data transfer rate. The version of ATA drive that supports this speed is ATA-7 and is the last drive of this type to be made.

When someone refers to a hard drive as an ATA drive, it is commonly a Parallel ATA hard drive. ATA hard drives are also often called IDE, EIDE, Ultra-ATA, Ultra-DMA, ATAPI, and PATA hard drives (each of these acronyms does imply specific details, but are commonly interchanged). Since the Compaq Presario SR1617CL-B uses a 160GB 7200RPM Ultra DMA hard drive, I will go into the specifics of Ultra DMA.

Ultra DMA can be best understood by breaking down its parts. DMA stands for Direct Memory Access. DMA allows the hard drive to send data directly to memory without visiting the processor (CPU). Since the CPU is busy doing all sorts of things, DMA increases performance by not having to wait on the CPU to get to the task. The Ultra in Ultra DMA means that the ATA transfer rate of 16.6 Mbytes/sec has been increased to 33.3 Mbytes/sec. There is an Ultra DMA hard drive that can transfer 133 Mbytes/sec and it is based on the ATA-7 standard and it can be found written as Ultra DMA-133 in desktop computer descriptions.

Therefore, if someone tells you that the computer you are buying has an Ultra DMA hard drive, make sure you ask if it is a 33,66,100 or 133 hard drive. The higher the DMA number the faster it can transfer data to the rest of the computer system. One last note Ultra ATA is the ATA hard drive standard developed by Intel, Seagate and Quantum for desktop computer systems.

In my next article of this series, we will move from the Ultra DMA drive to the workings of the SATA hard drive. Currently, the SATA drive is a little above the value priced range but as the popularity increases and the prices decrease the SATA will most certainly become the new standard.

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Olan Butler is the Chief Architect of BHO Technologists, a computer productivity & organization software and service provider http://www.bhotechnologists.com with headquarters in Kansas City.

ATXPowerSupplies.Com writes this article on “choosing the right computer case for your computer” to help you in your decision making process. There are literally thousands of computer cases on the market which sometimes makes choosing the right computer case quite a task.

First and foremost select a computer case that appeals to your personal tastes. Once you have found one that looks good to you then there are a few other attributes about computer cases that you should be aware of.

Does it have front USB? It almost doesn’t make sense to have a computer case without front usb. Front USB ports come in handy for hooking up digital cameras and downloading images. This enables you to avoid pulling the computer out to search for the usb ports in the back. Almost all motherboards have ports for front usb as well as rear usb. Other uses of front usb ports are: memory stick insertion, mp3 player docking, portable printer docking, and temporary networking between computers.

How does the motherboard install into the case? If possible try to find a case that has a removable backplane for mounting the motherboard. The backplane is able to be removed from the case to mount the motherboard. Using this method it is possible to install the motherboard out in the open where there is plenty of room to work. Installing a motherboard in a computer case without a removable backplane can be cramped. You also run the risk of cutting your hands on the surrounding case chassis. Of course, if the computer case is large then it may not be necessary for it to have a removable backplane. The removable backplane feature becomes more important if the computer case is small sized.

What form factor is your motherboard? There are several form factors that motherboards are usually manufactured. The major form factors are: Micro ATX, Full ATX (commonly referred to as ATX), and Extended ATX. Every computer case should denote which motherboard form factors it accepts. If the case doesn’t describe which motherboard form factors it accepts then it’s best to move on; you run the risk of buying a computer case that doesn’t fit your motherboard. Physical measurements of a motherboard are mostly unimportant. As long as the form factors of the case and motherboard match then you should have no problem with installation.

What size power supply does the computer case have? Ask yourself this important question because most companies that sell computer cases will include a small power supply that is, most of the time, too small for your application. Having an undersized power supply can lead to erratic computer operation, most often denoted by frequent rebooting. Most computer cases at ATXPowerSupplies come standard without a power supply. People have different needs so we provide the opportunity for the customer to add whichever size power supply they need in their case.
Be sure to check out our article on choosing the right power supply for your computer.

How many device bays will your computer need? It is necessary to know how many 5.25″ and 3.5″ bays you’ll need in your computer case. If you’re installing four cdroms in your computer then it will be necessary to have a case with at least four 5.25″ bays. You’ll also need a certain number of 3.5″ bays. Floppy drives and hard drives fit into 3.5″ bays. For floppy drives the bays should be external, meaning that they are accessible from the outside of the computer case. Hard drives are mounted in the internal 3.5″ bays. The bottom line is to be sure you have enough bays for all of your devices.

Will the physical dimensions of the computer case fit into your location? Be sure to pick a computer case that fits inside whatever space you have designated for your computer. Pay close attention to the overall height, width, and depth.

Does your space provide for ample cooling of your computer? In most applications where the computer is set in open space the fans in the power supply and on the cpu are enough to cool the computer. In places such as cabinets you might want to add one or two fans to aid in the cooling process. Another application that might call for additional cooling fans is when overclocking of the processor is performed.

Check out our other article on how to install a front usb adapter.

Copyright 2005 Two Point Enterprise
Matthew Thompson, webmaster
http://www.ATXPowerSupplies.com

With more and more people buying cell phones, it becomes more significant to know how to use your cell phone without looking obnoxious. Cell phones play an important role in our lives, but cell phone rage, like road rage, air rage and general rage is rising. Here are some tips for cell phone etiquette.

Out with a group of friend(s) and your cell phone rings? Excuse yourself from the group and take the call elsewhere. Taking the call elsewhere will not disrupt the flow of conversation within the group.

With a friend and the cell phone rings? Keep the call short and sweet. Otherwise, it gives the appearance that the friend you are with is less important that the caller.

Out on a date? The point of the date is to be able to spend time to get to know the other person. I would suggest that you disregard such calls. The romance is lost by the sound of the ringtones of your cell phone. Your date will appreciate your undivided attention.

It’s a good idea to put your cell phone on vibrate when in restaurants, theaters, churches, weddings and funerals. When I’m out in a restaurant, I feel like asking for the non cell phone ringing section. Like many others, it is not often do I get to spend a quiet evening away from the children, work or other distractions. An evening going out to dinner with my husband is supposed to be relaxing, and we do not enjoy being distracted overhearing how wonderful your life has become since you started using Viagra.

I was in a movie theater once and someone’s cell phone rang and the individual took the call. Someone else in the theater did not react well to the intrusive call and started shouting at the cell phone user. The cell phone user ignored the cell phone raged individual and the focus of the movie was lost and everyone’s attention was on these two people. While nothing came of the incident, a relaxing evening out with my husband was lost. I felt like asking for our money back. The next time we will.

There is no question that cell phones are an important part of our lives. Use cell phones with good manners. Everyone will appreciate it.

P.S. - As for ringtones… Not all people will appreciate listening to the latest pop tune or classical music each and every time your cell phone rings. May I suggest using the vibrate feature instead of your ringtones in a public place.

Catherine Kenyeres is a free lance writer and publisher for http://Best-4u-Cell-Phones.com. Catherine provides the latest information, reviews and comparisons for cell phone clients.

Data loss is an expensive reality. It’s a hard fact that it happens more often then users like to admit. A recent study by the accounting firm McGladrey and Pullen estimates that one out of every 500 data centers will experience a severe computer disaster this year. As a result, almost half of those companies will go out of business. At the very least, a data loss disaster can mean lost income and missed business opportunities.

The other side of data loss is the psychological and emotional turmoil it can cause to IT managers and business owners. Despair, panic, and the knowledge that the whole organization might be at risk are involved. In a sense, that’s only fair, since human error is one of the two largest contributing factors in data loss. Together with mechanical failure, it accounts for almost 75 per cent of all incidents. (Software corruption, computer viruses and physical disasters such as fire and water damage make up the rest.)

Disk drives today are typically reliable. Human beings, it turns out, are not. A Strategic Research Corp. study done in 2000 found that approximately 15 per cent of all unplanned downtime occurred due to human error. A significant proportion of that happened because users failed to implement adequate backup procedures, either having trouble with their backups, or having no backup at all.

How does it happen that skilled, high-level users put their systems - and their businesses - at such risk?

In many cases, the problem starts long before the precipitating system error is made, that is, when users place their faith in out-of-box solutions that may not, in fact, fit their organization’s needs. Instead of assessing their business and technology requirements, then going to an appropriate engineered solution, even experienced IT professionals at large corporations will often simply buy what they’re sold. In this case, faith in technology can be an vice instead of a virtue.

But human intervention itself can sometimes be the straw that breaks the technology’s back. When the office of a Venezuelan civil engineering firm was devastated by floods, its owners sent 17 soaked, mud-coated disks from three RAID arrays to us in plastic bags. A tough enough salvage job was made even more complex by the fact that someone had frozen the drives before shipping them. As the disks thawed, yet more damage was done. (After eight weeks of painstaking directory-by-directory recovery, all the data from the remaining fifteen disks was retrieved.)

Sometimes, the underlying cause of a data loss event is simply shoddy housekeeping. The more arduous the required backup routine, the less likely it will be done on a regular basis. A state ambulance monitoring system suffered a serious disk failure, only to discover that its automated backup hadn’t run for fourteen months. A tape had jammed in the drive, but no-one had noticed.

When disaster strikes, the normal human reaction is panic. Because the loss of data signifies critical consequences, even the most competent IT staff can jump to conclusions, and take inappropriate action. A blank screen at a critical time can lead to a series of naive decisions, each one compounding the preceding error. Wrong buttons get pushed, and the disaster only gets worse. Sometimes the pressure to correct the system failure speedily can result in an attempt to reconfigure an entire RAID array. IT specialists are typically not equipped to deal with crisis modes or data recovery techniques. Just as a good physician is trained to prolong life, the skilled IT specialist is trained to keep the system running. When a patient dies, the physician turns to others, such as nurses or counselors to manage the situation. When significant data loss occurs, the IT specialist turns to the data recovery professional.

Data recovery specialists are innovative problem solvers. Often, the application of basic common sense, when no-one else is in any condition to apply it, is the beginning of the journey towards data recovery. The data recovery specialist draws on a wealth of experience, married to a “never say die” attitude, and a comprehensive tool kit of problem-solving procedures. Successful recovery outcomes hinge on a combination of innovative logistics, applied problem-solving, and “technology triage,” the process of stabilizing an affected system quickly, analyzing and treating its wounds, and preparing it for surgery. The triage process sets priorities, such as targeting which files are needed first or which are absolutely vital to the functioning of the business, and establishes whether files might be recovered in less structured formats (such as text-only), which may be desirable when time is crucial.

The art and science of professional data recovery can spell the difference between a business’ success or its failure. Before that level of intervention is required, though, users can take steps to ensure that the probability of a data loss disaster is minimized.

Basic to any business technology plan is a regular fire-drill procedure. Back-up routines may be in place, staff may assigned to specific roles, hardware and software may be configured - but, if the user isn’t completely sure that everything works the way it should, a data loss event is inevitable. Having adequate, tested, and current backups in place is critical. A hardware breakdown should not be compounded by human error - if the malfunctioning drive is critical, the task of dealing with it should go to a data recovery professional.

Just as data loss disasters are rooted in a combination of mechanical failure and human error, so, too, the data recovery solution lies in a creative marriage of the technological and the human. The underlying philosophy of successful data recovery is that technology is something to be used by human beings, not something that uses us.

Name: Darryl Peddle
Company: CBL Technologies, Canada
Author description: Darryl Peddle is an Internet Marketing Specialist with CBL Technologies, one of the largest data recovery specialists in the world.
Website: http://www.cbltech.com

The video gaming experience is different for everyone, it could end in hours of entertainment for a family or for the less experience, the final result could be disappointment due to lack of knowledge of how to operate the game console. When you are shopping for a new game console, you may find it difficult as there are so many different options to choose from. The information you are looking for can be very difficult to find, but you will find there’s a lot of misinformation out there.

First off, here are some questions that you need to ask yourself and you should keep in mind while reading:

-What are the types of games that interest you?
Do you plan on buying an HDTV anytime soon or do you already have one?

What type of budget do you have to work with?

Do you prefer multi-player games, or single-player games?
Have you got any of the old school gaming systems?

The PlayStation 3 was the most pricey for quite a while. Fortunately, prices are lower now than at that time. For only 400 USD (it all depends on the model you plan on buying)this price is more comparable. Prices change constantly so chech the latest video games console prices online.

The PS3 is an experience, it is more than just a game console. As it’s compatible with Blu-Ray, CD, and DVD media, it also has the ability to play DVDs in HD. The PS3 would be perfect for those with an HDTV and no HD movie player as you can get both of your movie and gaming experiences in the same box. This is with the latest technology of Blu-Ray, the leading high-definition movie format. Without an HDTV display, movies in Blu-ray format don’t provide any better quality. This feature doesn’t translate well for use with a standard definition set.

While virtually the same as the PS2 controller, the controller features motion sensing technology known as Sixaxis. The controller, which can be tilted in six different directions, is able to sense which of the directions to which it has been tilted. How well this is going to work varies from each game. Doing it well means you’ll gain lots of experience, doing it wrong means you’ll be nothing more than a problem. You need to keep in mind that the Sixasis controller is missing the vibration feature. The DualShock 3 controller with vibration will not be included with the new PS3’s, even though it has been released, until June 12, 2008.

Video games for the PS3 and Xbox 360 are pretty much the same the same for either system.

Are you ready to get your laptop battery to last for a while? Understanding what type of battery you have and how to care for it can go a long way toward that goal. Steps that will extend the life of one type of rechargeable battery will kill another type of battery. Being knowledgeable on the type of laptop battery you own can go a long way towards being able to use your laptop battery for a long time to come.

Know What Kind of Battery your Laptop Uses

The three most common rechargeable batteries on the market include lithium ion, nickel metal cadmium, and nickel metal hydride. Most laptop batteries today use either lithium ion batteries or lithium ion polymer batteries for a number of reasons. You can confirm this by pulling your laptop battery out from the bottom or back of your laptop and examining the tiny writing on it. Look for something that says either lithium ion, nickel cadmium, or nickel metal hydride.

Advantages of Lithium Ion Batteries

The most common battery in modern laptops uses lithium ion technology. This battery has a number of advantages over the other types of rechargeable batteries. I’ll list them below:

Lithium Ion Batteries don’t develop a battery memory. Both other types of rechargeable batteries can develop a ‘memory’ for shorter charges drastically shortening the amount of time your battery lasts between charges. Lithium Ion batteries though, don’t suffer from memory problems.

Lithium Ion Batteries hold their charge for a long period of time. The other battery types will lose their charge if left to sit around even if they aren’t being used. Lithium Ion batteries will hold their charge for a lot longer between charges even if the battery ends up sitting around for a while.

You get more battery life than the other rechargeable types. For the same size and weight, lithium ion batteries last longer between charges because more of the bulk of the battery is dedicated to capacity rather than just ‘overhead’.

For information on the disadvantages of lithium ion batteries, check out printerinfosite.com.

Quick Way to Kill Your Lithium Ion Battery

Avoid the following list of things in order to get the maximum life out of your laptop battery. Some of the most common things to avoid include:

Do not subject your battery to extreme temperatures. Lithium ion batteries do not handle heat well. One of the quickest ways to kill your battery is to leave it in a hot car even for a short period of time. In fact, if you aren’t going to use your battery for awhile, you are better off storing it in the refrigerator but NOT the freezer, that will kill it too.

Avoid completely discharging your battery where possible. While other types of rechargeables like nickel cadmium batteries need to be completely discharged, doing this with lithium ion batteries will kill it. As much as possible, recharge your battery when it has around 40% of its battery power left. Recharge often.

Lucila Duchesne is the webmaster of http://www.AskLaptop.com a site dedicated to laptop battery related information as well as other topics relevant to laptop owners. Reprint freely as long as you maintain the links in this resource box and this article.

What’s Your Processor?

First and most important thing to consider when buying your motherboard - what CPU or processor are you using? Motherboards are made differently, not all motherboards will support all CPUs. What CPU you select will determine the type of motherboard you get.

For example, if you want to use an Intel Pentium 4 CPU, the motherboard you select must be able to support that brand and model of CPU. The motherboards are also designed to support specific speeds for a CPU, so make sure it can support the speed of the processor as well.

Choose Your Chipset

What is a chipset? Well, chipsets are the main controllers on the motherboard - they allow the CPU to interface with the various components and expansion cards installed.

When choosing your chipset, always bear in mind the type of memory supported by the motherboard. Make sure that the board supports the type and amount of RAM you need. Generally, choosing a chipset that supports high speed memory will allow your system to perform better.

Expansions Slots and Connectors

If you intend to various peripherals to the computer, then the number and type of expansion slots and connectors is important. By default, most motherboards these days have USB 2.0 ports incorporated into their design. If you do a lot of video capturing and editing, you’ll also want to have a Firewire (IEEE 1394) port. If you intend to buy expansion cards, make sure the board comes with an ample number of PCI slots.

Do You Need to Overclock?

If you want to overclock your CPU (though I don’t particularly encourage it) - you should ensure you get a motherboard that supports overclocking. You’ll want a motherboard that has a wide range of adjustments to CPU settings, including CPU voltage and bus speeds.

Other Features

These days, most motherboards have a whole host of extra features loaded into them. These can include things such as on-board Ethernet, audio, a RAID controller or even graphics. I find such features very handy as they help you save money - you need not buy additional expansion cards.

Conclusion

In short, make sure you do your homework when purchasing a motherboard. Go to the motherboard manufacturer’s website and read about its products. Download the motherboard manual and see if its well documented.

At the risk of sounding biased, I’ve always preferred ASUS motherboards. However, its all up to you. Consider what features are important to you and go get your motherboard. As I said earlier, don’t scrimp on the motherboard. Its one of the most important PC components, so get the best you can afford.

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on building computers. Visit his
website at Build-Your-Own-Computers.com for tips and tricks on assembling a PC, as well as buying good computer components.

The USB standard has become the universal means of connection peripheral devices and equipment to the computer. Computers have either two or four USB port connectors. Each of these can support a large number of connections but to be able to attach more than two or four devices requires a multi-connection hub. There are many different types of hubs and this article seeks to explain some of the important considerations in selecting the best choice of hub for your system.

The USB bus system in computers was introduced in 1996 and has gone through a number of developments and enhancements. It started out as USB 1 which was very slow and had many bugs. Version 1.1 brought a higher bandwidth of 12 MBits/second. The latest version of 2.0 gives a bandwidth of 480MBits/second and is fully backward compatible with USB 1 and 1.1.
Link to a table showing differences between USB speeds (http://www.usb-products.com/usb-speed.aspx)

Port Connections and Power
All USB standards support up to 127 connections (or devices) per computer port. It is unlikely that this would be achievable as the port can only supply 0.5 Amps maximum. Some devices consume a full 0.5 Amps, so are powered from a power adaptor from the mains supply.

Bandwidth Sharing
Generally, the bandwidth of the port (http://www.usb-products.com/usb-port.aspx) is shared between all the devices that are attached through a hub. This means that if you want to add two USB 2 devices with a USB 1.1 device, the bandwidth is shared between all three devices. However, there is an extra complication. Most hubs (http://www.usb-products.com/usb-hub.aspx) have a single chip controlling the bus. This means that the hub will work at the lowest bandwidth determined by the connected devices resulting in the USB 2 devices working at much lower transfer speeds. Nearly all USB hubs on the market today (passive and powered) operate like this.

Multiple Chip Hubs
The transaction translator (TT) is the name for the controlling chip that assigns bandwidth to each connected device. In hubs that have one TT all devices share the same bandwidth and operate at the speed of the slowest. In hubs with a TT per socket, each receives a share of the bandwidth, but this is not restricted to the slowest device.
Examples of this type of hub is the Belkin Tetra hub (http://www.usb-products.com/Products/Hi-Speed-USB-2-0-4-Port-TetraHub.aspx) This has 4 ports each with its own TT.

What this means in reality is that a multiple TT hub will provide much higher bandwidth per port when several devices are connected from one hub.

Maximum Performance and choice of Where to connect a device
If you are after maximum performance for each of your USB 2 devices, each device should be plugged into its own USB port in the computer. Additional plug in cards can provide a vast number of USB ports for most needs. However, this situation might be going too far except for the most demanding of situations. Although several USB devices might be connected at the same time it is unlikely that they will all be in use together.

A useful compromise is to plug small bandwidth devices together into a single hub. These would include: mice; keyboard; Speakers; little used devices.

For devices that require a high bandwidth and are used often, direct connection in to a USB port is the best option. Devices would include: Flash memory drives; external disks; Web cams; Other frequently used devices.

If you don’t have sufficient ports then either more ports should be added with a plug-in card or a good quality hub with multiple transaction translators should be used. The devices placed on the hub are those that are used less often. Those devices placed directly on the port are used most often.

Link to a selection flow chart that helps in selecting a hub (http://www.usb-products.com/USB-Hub-Selection.aspx)

Access Considerations
What type of configuration and mix of port and hubs will depend on the number of devices that you wish to attach. Desktop computer cases usually have ports in the front of the case for easy access. These can be used for devices that are often plugged / unplugged and require the highest bandwidth. These are flash memory drives and portable external drives and MP3 players.

USB hubs tend to clutter up the area with cable connections and power lead. These naturally go out of sight if possible or behind the monitor. For mobile computers, a small compact hub can be obtained. These may have there own wind-in or tidy away cables.

Powered and Passive Hubs
Hubs may be restricted in their use without a power connection as passive hubs rely on the power of the USB bus. Powered hubs have a mains power adaptor to provide additional power for devices. These devices range in the power they require. It is possible to run a number of different devices all from a single passive hub running of a USB port as long as they have low power requirements. With only 0.5 Amps current it only takes one of the devices requiring the full power requirement for the hub to be overwhelmed. Nothing serious is going to happen though except that the single will degrade and many or all the devices will loose connection with the computer. To avoid this situation a powered hub should be used.

Nigel Stephens heads an online business at http://www.usb-products.com supplying computer hardware products. Nigel’s emphasis is in providing useful information so that consumers can make more informed choices.