For years, Targus has built a solid reputation manufacturing a range of laptop cases. They are now branching out their product line to include AC adapters, international power connection kits, and laptop security cables/alarms. Recently, Targus has entered the USB arena and, by nearly all accounts, have created an indispensable accessory for any USB-equipped laptop or desktop Mac.
This new product is the USB Mobile Mini-Hub, a four port, harmonica-sized hub in "PowerBook black" color. The hub is a marvel of engineering, measuring just 4.5" x 5" x 1" and weighing in at barely 2.5 ounces. Among other features, the USB Mobile Mini-hub comes with power and port status indicator lights, and an included ac adapter.
One of the most unique features of this tiny hub is the internally housed 12" USB cable and connector. Basically, it folds out of a hollow back panel when needed and hides away snugly when not. For mobile road warriors, one less cable to pack away or secure is one less problem to deal with.
The USB Mobile Mini-hub worked flawlessly on a number of different devices. It was tested on a Rev. "A" iMac running Mac OS 8.5.1 on two different kinds of keyboards (bondi iMac and MacAlly iKey), two different kinds of mice (bondi iMac and Kensington USB Mouse-in-a-Box), and a USB Zip drive (100mb version). These tests were done in bus-powered mode; self-powered mode wasn't necessary but probably would be if additional devices such as scanners or printers were connected. The included ac adapter was standing by just in case.
No crashes or freezes occurred after repeated hot swapping of all devices, and the Zip drive had no problems mounting disks or transferring files. Switching devices from port to port had no negative effect, either. Each worked fine in all four ports.
The downsides to this hub are few. The ac adapter is somewhat large, being roughly the same size as the hub itself. Then again, it isn't needed all the time -- particularly when traveling and using lower-powered USB devices.
At a SRP of $69.99 the Targus USB Mobile Mini-Hub is roughly twice the price of a similar product by MacSense called the "USB Mini-Hub". However, the Targus hub does include the ac adapter to provide enough power for full and low speed devices. While the MacSense hub claims it can do this without an ac adapter, that seems unlikely. Additionally, the Targus hub does have the fold away cord, while the MacSense one doesn't.
In spite of the somewhat high price, the Targus USB Mobile Mini-Hub is superior product. Tiny size and weight, combined with decent performance, a fold away cord, and an included (though large) ac adapter make this a must-have for any USB-equipped PowerBook or desktop Mac.
