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Targus is well known for its line of accessories, particularly for its notebook bags that not only protect your precious computer, but are also comfortable on the hands and shoulders. But did you know that Targus has also expanded into producing computer accessories and peripherals? And did you know that it has a line of products especially for the Mac?
One of those Mac-targeted products is a USB hub . This little device measures about 9cm by 4cm by 2cm. That's small enough to grip in your hand! And its rubbered exterior provides some cushioning in case you ever drop this device off (which, of course, is NOT recommended!).
To keep it compact, the 4 USB ports are hidden behind the outer rubber "arm", which also doubles as the USB plug that you connect to the computer. As the image shows, you slip out the USB connector from its rubber housing, then unwind it around the hub to reveal the 4 ports at the bottom of the hub.
But don't tug too hard and accidentally pull apart the rubbery exterior!
The 4 ports are USB 2.0 compatible, so you can plug any USB device to your heart's content, like a mouse, thumb drive, etc. But probably not hard disks, especially the portable ones. (And maybe not iPods or iPhones too.) This is because the hub doesn't seem to provide sufficient power to make these disks work.
I was told that the USB hub provides power through all 4 USB ports, but that was not my experience. When I plugged in my disk, the drive's light lit up as expected, but there was a strange -- and worrying -- grinding sound, like the drive was trying to start up but couldn't. Also, the drive never mounted successfully in Finder anyway. Even when I plugged in the drive's 2 USB connectors (usually these portable disks' USB cable have an extra USB connector that's strictly for delivering power), the drive continued to grind. Not wanting to spoil my disk, I unplugged it immediately.
Based on the above feedback, I was provided with another USB hub. Alas, the same issue occurred. I tested with two hard disks across all 4 ports and got the same results for all. So it would seem that the USB hub does not provide sufficient power for hard disks.
From an aesthetic point-of-view, the USB hub is designed for people on the move. That's why it's built in such a compact form factor with extra rubber protection. Of course, the device also worked with my desktop iMac, but because the rubber cable wasn't long enough, the hub was left dangling just above the table.
Personally, I think there are better USB hubs out there, even if they're not specially designed for the Mac. With portable hard disks so prevalent, it has almost become a necessity for USB hubs to provide sufficient power for these disks. Thus, I don't know if there's any use for this Targus USB hub , aside from connecting the occasional mouse.
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