I don’t know if you noticed, but people got really mad about it. However, there’s one thing they don’t understand. The goal for Apple was to make their laptops as slim as possible.

And they managed to achieve this goal. People love that a laptop can be so thin. But what they seem to forget is that the lack of ports makes a notebook so slim. The more they are, the thicker the device. But that’s why USB hubs were created. What is a hub? A hub is for USB devices what a power strip is for electrical equipment. Photos app mac says no photos for import from iphone.

It will split the capability of a single USB port among some devices that you may need to plug into your laptop. Just like a power strip that you use to plug in the electrical appliances in your home or office. Simple as that. So basically you use one USB port to create more ports. I don’t know if there is a simpler explanation.

The point is that when you have only two ports, a USB hub is a must. That is if you want to use more than two USB devices at once. But I assume you don’t like taking turns. The best hub for Mac buying guide One thing you should know. Not all hubs are the same.

They come in different shapes, sizes, and let’s not forget about quality. The latter is crucial because you would not plug in a device that cost you a couple grand in a 5 dollar power strip, would you? Same goes with hubs. You need to pay attention to quality, the number of ports, and last, but not least, you need to consider what pieces of hardware you are going to use.

• The number of ports – that really depends on your needs. Are you a person who uses many USB ports at once?

First and most importantly, Satechi’s hub just flat out offers the best port selection: three USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, HDMI, and both MicroSD and SD card slots, along with a USB-C port for. This USB 3.0 hub comes with an advanced high-performance VIA chipset for the best compatibility and stable data transfer. Another great feature that distinguishes the HooToo hub from the competition is the inclusion of 2 ports exclusively dedicated to charging your devices.

Does your work require that? You must know that there are many models, from the ones with just 4 ports to the ones that have 10. Fortunately, you have where to choose from. I believe that you can even find a filter on some sites that sort the hubs considering the number of ports. But, as I said, it all depends on what you need. • The existence of a power play – there was a time when I believed that all USB hubs can also be used for charging certain devices like your tablet or phone, but I couldn’t be more wrong. There are some that don’t charge at all, there are some which cannot deliver a significantwattage, so the charge takes forever, but then there are the power play USB hubs that can fast-charge your phone.

That’s what you will want to aim for. Nowadays, a lot of people charge their phones through a computer, rather than using a wall outlet. • The price – and now youwould say that it doesn’t matter, but it does. The price of a particular item is dictated by the number of resources used in its manufacturing. The fewer resources, the smaller the price. So, the middle of the road scenario is that you purchase a 2 $ knock-off with poor construction, poor wiring, and insulation that could potentially fry your beloved devices due to poor design. I don’t think anybody wants that.

Which is why you should aim a bit higher when it comes to price. There is a reason for which they are expensive. But if you think about it, who buys a 2$ knock-off to plug in a 2000$ notebook? • Beware of the standard – USB, just like anything else, evolves.There have been several iterations since its release in 1996. Each iteration comes to its own new features. The most notable of them all is the speed transfer.

But there are also battery charging specifications and data handling for concurrent connections. As one may have expected, I don’t think they make USB 1.0 anymore, but the battle is between 2.0 and 3.0. The former can still be found, but the 3.0 is the best so far. So depending on your devices, aim for a USB 3.0 for a little more. The chances are that in a couple of years 2.0 will be what 1.0 is today. • Powered vs.

Non-powered – powered hubs use an external power source to bring all ports to the same energy level. The most common power source is a wall outlet. That is if portability is not an issue. You cannot plug in a USB hub wherever you go. On the opposite side, we have non-powered hubs which do not have an external power source. They pull power from the device they’re plugged in (a computer or laptop). They are more portable than the powered version, they can read USB flashes and all, but you may have issues when you are trying to charge a device because the energy is limited to the hub’s capacity.