Satechi Premium 4 Port Aluminum USB 2.0 Hub Review

More Ports, Mac Styling

The market is flush with Apple-esque Mac accessories designed to mesh well with the aesthetics of Apple products. Seemly every one of them is named iSomething so it’s a little surprising that Satechi sent us over a Mac themed device with a name that simply describes what it is – a Premium 4 Port Aluminum USB 2.0 Hub. While it has no fancy iName, it does do a nice job of mimicking the form of Apple accessories. We recently had a look at Satechi’s four port USB 3.0 hub which performed admirably so we go into this one having high expectations that it will follow suit.

For a current price of $27.99, you can pick one up to accompany your Apple computer to expand your complement of USB 2.0 ports to net an extra three (one is taken up by the hub). PC users aren’t left out as this isn’t exclusively for Apple computers since USB 2.0 ports are used identically. It just may not mesh as well the design of the computer; if that sort of thing is important to you. It consists of an aluminum curved body with white plastic encompassed ports and a white shielded USB cord.

Satechi 4 Port Premium Aluminum SUB 2.0 Hub Features and Specifications:

• Sleek Apple-style design ideal For Mac Pro, iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook, and Mac mini
• Adds 4 USB 2.0 ports to your computer
• Easy to set up, Plug-n-Play, Hot swappable, Hot pluggable
• Shielded Cable makes a safe and efficient data transfer for maximum performance and longtime usage
• Compatible with Mac OS 9.1 & higher, Windows 98SE /ME /2000 /XP /Vista /7, Linux 2.4 or above
• Short Name: Satechi Premium 4 Port Aluminum USB Hub
• SKU: B007X6XJ98
• UPC: 879961002633
• Warranty: 1 Year
• Connectivity: requires connection to a Mac or PC USB port
• Compatibility: Mac OS 9.1 & higher, Windows 98SE /ME /2000 /XP /Vista /7, Linux 2.4 or above
• Product Dimensions: 1.5 x 0.9 x 3.5 inches
• Product Weight: 1.8 oz

Unlike the Satechi USB 3.0 port that was made in China, this one happens to be made in Korea as evidenced by the sticker on the rear of the box. The company is based in San Diego, CA according to their website. We only point this out because consumers are being more and more selective about products based on where they are manufactured.

Looking at the hub from the side, it looks very much like the Apple magic trackpad, complete with the circular piece which only serves as a function of design and is not a button or a cap for batteries is is the case with the magic trackpad.

The bottom, although tough to see from this image, has a non-slip matting attached so it stays put and won’t scratch any surface in which it comes in contact. It comes covered with a protective plastic sheet that should be peeled off before using.