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I work on a laptop - allows me to work at the customer site and the home office. If the damn dog would stop barking, I'd work at home more. To support all of the development I do, I went out and purchased a 10 port USB powered hub expander. At the moment, I have two USB to Ethernet adapters, two usb to rs232, a multiformat CF card reader, a smart phone, and some other things I can't quite figure out.
Works flawlessly... I like it when technology works.
How much USB devices do you use?
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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All the time. I use one port for internet and one for charging phones. Other than that, one for backing up my data on to another hard disk.
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Sorry - posted in the wrong place! 
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Mouse and keyboard are wireless and I rarely use them. I have become so accustomed to track pad that I can even play computer games without needing a mouse.
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I hate wireless keyboards and mice. Both because they run out of battery when I don't have a spare, and it's too easy to lose the mouse. At least with a wired one I can just follow it back... 
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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But with wired ones, I miss the opportunity to use chopping board as mouse pad while operating computer from kitchen. 
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Mouse, keyboard, graphics tablet, phone cradle, tablet (occasionally), external HDD, MP3 player. I think that's the lot.
Everything else is direct onto the LAN or wireless.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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At home I have 4: keyboard, mouse, speakers and headphones.
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This is interesting : you have made up a (laptop brand independent) docking station using a USB hub and some adpaters, correct ?
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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I guess if you phrase it that way... 
I've got all sorts of hardware I need to connect to. I develop in Embedded VC++, VS2008 for CE devices and some desktop development. Depending on the project, I need static IPs, DHCP, one or more serial ports, etc. It's not as simple as connecting keyboards and mice. I don't really like docking stations, as I consider them overpriced. I $30 10 port USB hub does the trick.
I just got to thinking about how I just slap more and more devices in there, and it all seems to work....
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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I ask because my wife could need a docking station at work, but they would not pay for one (morons!), and we do not want to pay for one either just because these folks do not take care of their employees properly, plus we would have to change it every time her work decide she needs a new laptop.
I never thought about the solution you mentioned : if this works, she would only have to plug/unplug one USB connector to have LAN/Monitor/Keboard/Mouse etc... available, and a hub and some adapters seem to be a cheaper alternative.
[Edit] I should have known it, this exists as a product, and is named a USB docking station. Great !
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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 happy to help.
I just hate playing cable wars... sitting here trying to figure out why my socket connection keeps failing... then I look over and I'm using the wrong cable. doh!
Interesting! I'm looking at these on Amazon now. As for vender specific docking stations, I suspect that stable USB support will do them in. There just isn't any need to spend $200+ for something custom when something like a USB docking station can be used over and over.
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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I had to recently replace my hub so I got an 8 port hub with 2A supply since I power my uControllers and other goodies with it. While I was at it I also purchase a 1-3 HDMI switch so I could use my monitor for my Beagle Bone Black and RaspberryPi boards.
Along with Antimatter and Dark Matter they've discovered the existence of Doesn't Matter which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever!
Rich Tennant 5th Wave
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I use USB technology a lot; it's a serial port finally done right. I'll stick with it until something a whole lot better and simpler comes along, preferably without wires.
Will Rogers never met me.
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Roger Wright wrote: I use USB technology a lot; ... I'll stick with it until something a whole lot better and simpler comes along, preferably without wires.
Do you mean something like Bluetooth?
The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
I'm on-line therefore I am.
JimmyRopes
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I had high hopes for Bluetooth when it was introduced, but to date I haven't found a single thing that it does well, or reliably. But, yes, done well the Bluetooth platform would be a positive advance worth adopting.
Will Rogers never met me.
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Roger Wright wrote: I had high hopes for Bluetooth when it was introduced, but to date I haven't found a single thing that it does well, or reliably.
I can think of two bluetooth devices, mouse and headphones, that worked fine. I can't think of other devices I have had in the past but don't remember bluetooth being a problem.
What type of devices gave you problems?
The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
I'm on-line therefore I am.
JimmyRopes
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I had expected a true connection for things like the phone/computer, but I've found (so far) that the phone is only useful with a headphone. I can't, for instance, access the Contacts lists, or voice mails or anything else on the phone using the Bluetooth connection. That, to me, should have been a painfully obvious use for it, but the phone makers didn't bother. Even the headset function is unreliable, with audio dropping out frequently. It's an old technology by now, and should be ubiquitous. Oh well...
Will Rogers never met me.
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Roger Wright wrote: I can't, for instance, access the Contacts lists, or voice mails or anything else on the phone using the Bluetooth connection.
Could be a good business opportunity.
Roger Wright wrote: Even the headset function is unreliable, with audio dropping out frequently.
Is this a bluetooth headset or a plug-in one? If it is the plug-in type your phone may be ready for an upgrade.
If it is a bluetooth headset it may not be a good one.
I don't remember how much I paid for the bluetooth headphones but they were not cheap. Actually, I use them on my Android tablet, not a phone, but the audio is good quality and I don't have problems with volume changes or audio dropout.
The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
I'm on-line therefore I am.
JimmyRopes
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Force of habit: the government is run by politicians who, by definition, are power junkies.
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In the USA the beauty of the concept of checks and balances has been lost.
The idea is that the government, separate from big business, would help referee problems between the people and commercial interests. You see this sort of thing working out really well when it comes to safety issues. However, government officials have found that they can make big cash by getting into bed with big business - they both now are all about raping the citizenry.
The perfect example of how absolutely brain dead people are these days is the whole government health care fiasco.
It used to be if an insurance company or hospital ripped me off I could go to my Congressman and raise a stink. The government, acting as a 3rd party, could step in and battle the big companies in ways I simply couldn't manage. However, our stupid population elected fascists and now they're in the process of combining the courts, insurance companies, and health care providers into the same self-interested mega-lith that will leave absolutely no recourse for the consumer. The checks and balances are being eliminated in our health care system.
But a stupid population gets what they deserve.
We're a nation of people who sh*t themselves over a racial slur.
They've no sense of proportion - no context to decide what matters - we don't deserve decent health care anyways.
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You're blaming the government when you should be blaming the quest for profit: capitalism. Who do you think pushed to get the law watered down?
Big money, as the giant ISP's have, is the key to getting into government and thus having it do what you want instead of what's right for the country.
Want to vent? It's certainly a worthy cause!
Get rid of politicians who advocate a blank check for donors. Instead, maybe a 500% tax on political donations that exceed $500 or so (which affect few real people).
Get the @ssholes in the Supreme Court who decided companies-are-people by appointing enough liberals so that the court is always nearly balanced.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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W∴ Balboos wrote: enough liberals so that the court is always nearly balanced
I thought the purpose of the court was to enforce laws, not ideologies.
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And that is why I want it balanced - not stacked to one side or the other.
Ideally, we'd say get nine politically neutral judges.
Reality says one wants a balance.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Why is the government always pissing in everybody's cornflakes?