14 DAY TRIAL // Even though there isn't a very large number of motherboards with built-in support for USB 3.0, system configurations can still benefit from the theoretical 5Gbps transfer speeds by means of expansion cards or hub controllers, such as VIA's VL810. Now, five weeks after this device was introduced, Buffalo has emerged with what is described as the industry's first four-port USB 3.0 hub, the BSH4A03U3.
This isn't the first USB 3.0 device launched by the company. Back in December, Buffalo presented the USB 3.0 ExpressCard, IFC-EC2U3/UC and the company also offered USB 3.0 hard drives and a Blu-ray burner. The USB 3.0 is, theoretically, capable of achieving data-transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, which is ten times faster than those possible through USB 2.0. The company's latest product will allow up to four devices to be connected simultaneously and can operate both as a self-powered and as a bus-powered hub (Buffalo recommends that the self-power mode be used).
The BSH4A03U3 will come in both black and white colors and will not only enable a USB 3.0 connectivity, but will also be backwards compatible with the USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 interfaces. In this case, however, the speeds will, obviously, be restricted by the bandwidth. The product weighs 58 grams, measures 94 × 62 × 19mm and is designed compatible with multiple operating systems. The list of supported OSes includes Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit, Widnows 7 64-bit and Mac OS 10.4.
The Buffalo BSH4A03U3 USB 3.0 four-port hub can operate at temperatures ranging between five degrees and 35 degrees Celsius and has a maximum power consumption of 100 mA. It is scheduled to arrive in Japanese stores at the middle of next month and will come bundled with a 1.5m USB cable and the required AC adapter.