"Passive" USB Hub for MacBook?
Hello!
I've seen related threads on this board, mostly dealing with exteral HDDs or other peripherals. I hope this is not a duplication.
I was wondering, in general, do MacBooks require USB hubs to be self-powered? Is the available power through the MacBook USB ports set so low, that a "passive" hub will not function properly?
I recently purchased a Mac/PC "passive" USB hub, hoping to expand my USB connectivity. First thing I tried was my USB optical mouse via the 4-in-1 hub. The laser seemed to work fine, as it lit up once i plugged the device in. However, the mouse was unresponsive, either through tracking or clicking.
I also tried my self-powered external HDD. Same thing, no recognition on the MacBook end, despite the HDD spinning and the activity lights coming on. Both devices worked fine when I hooked them up to the MB directly.
The odd thing is, I treid the same hub on my office Thinkpad, and it worked, at least with the mouse. Same thing with my friend's iBook G4.
Is the MacBook USB power now set lower than the iBook G4? Why would this be advantageous, or why would the design be such, if this is so? Power savings? Battery life?
Thanks.
I've seen related threads on this board, mostly dealing with exteral HDDs or other peripherals. I hope this is not a duplication.
I was wondering, in general, do MacBooks require USB hubs to be self-powered? Is the available power through the MacBook USB ports set so low, that a "passive" hub will not function properly?
I recently purchased a Mac/PC "passive" USB hub, hoping to expand my USB connectivity. First thing I tried was my USB optical mouse via the 4-in-1 hub. The laser seemed to work fine, as it lit up once i plugged the device in. However, the mouse was unresponsive, either through tracking or clicking.
I also tried my self-powered external HDD. Same thing, no recognition on the MacBook end, despite the HDD spinning and the activity lights coming on. Both devices worked fine when I hooked them up to the MB directly.
The odd thing is, I treid the same hub on my office Thinkpad, and it worked, at least with the mouse. Same thing with my friend's iBook G4.
Is the MacBook USB power now set lower than the iBook G4? Why would this be advantageous, or why would the design be such, if this is so? Power savings? Battery life?
Thanks.
MacBook 2.0GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.8)
