14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that LaCie's really serious as far as its SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) lineup is concerned, since, beside rolling out quite a few storage solutions (both HDDs and Flash Drives) equipped with this ultra-fast interface, the company has decided to offer users a compatible USB 3.0 hub as well, with their brand-new LaCie Hub4 USB 3.0.
As mentioned right from the start, the hub offers users 4 x USB 3.0 ports, enabling data transfer speeds of up to 5Gb/s when connected to an USB 3.0 storage solution (on one side) and an USB 3.0-equipped computer (on the other).
Of course, the hub is also backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 storage solutions, but transfer speeds, in this case, are capped at 480Mb/s (nevertheless, a lot better than older USB hubs, which never really achieved the maximum supported USB 2.0 speed).
However, unlike some USB 3.0 connectors around, this thing will require an external power adapter in order to work, a shortcoming that we're quite sure will be easily overcome in future models, as SuperSpeed technology advances further.
Additionally, we'll also have to mention that this thing should only take a minimum amount of space around one's desk, since it measures 116 x 71 x 25 mm / 4.6 x 2.8 x 1 in. and weighs around 69 g / 2.4 oz.
Furthermore, we'll also have to mention the fact that the OS will work with the latest versions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 / Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6 (USB 2.0 only).
Pricing for the LaCie Hub4 USB 3.0 hub has been set at around 60 US dollars, which might seem a bit much at start, but it's actually pretty OK, given the fact that we're talking about a latest-gen product (remember, USB 2.0 hubs were equally expensive when they've first arrived on the market a couple of years ago).
