Friday, June 10, 2011

StarTech 2 Port Express Card Laptop USB 2.0 Adapter Card (EC230USB)


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This USB Express Card lets you add two USB 2.0 ports to your laptop computer, with support for high-speed USB transfer rates of up to 480Mbps. Compliant with the Express Card Type II standard, the USB Express Card can be installed in any 34mm or 54mm Express Card slot, and offers broad operating system compatibility supporting Windows 2000/XP/XP 64-bit/Server 2003/Vista™.

This review is from : StarTech 2 Port Express Card Laptop USB 2.0 Adapter Card (EC230USB)
Simple easy to use and works. . This fits both sizes of ExpressCard slots, this card being the smaller of the ExpressCard sizes. I got this card because my laptop only has two USB ports, and I needed two more. The Startech 2Port USB 2.0 ExpressCard works as advertised. I've had no problems with it, save for my mouse not being recognized in the same way when I connect it through this ExpressCard instead of through the built in USB ports on my laptop. I've connected my iPod Nano, iPhone, external hard drive, and external DVD burner to my laptop through the USB ports on this thing, and everything worked fine.

There's no software or drivers to install. Windows XP recognized the card just fine. Basically, you put the card into your ExpressCard slot (both types of ExpressCard slots will accept this card, so don't worry which type you have, because this product will work in both), you plug external devices into this product's USB ports, and your external devices work just fine.

Only real drawback to this is that it will come out easily of your ExpressCard slot, so if you're burning a DVD through a device connected to this product, and you bump the card accidentally, the burn process will be interrupted. In fact, if I pull the USB cord of an external device out of the ExpressCard, instead of the cord coming out of the ExpressCard, the ExpressCard just gets pulled out of my laptop. So it's not very securely held into the ExpressCard slot. This may be a problem with all ExpressCards though, so I won't count against it for this.

Does what it's supposed to. 5/5
StarTech 2 Port Express Card Laptop USB 2.0 Adapter Card (EC230USB) Reviews
2Port USB 2.0 Expresscard Adapter . I really enjoy my Gateway P-7811 FX laptop, but it was just a couple of USB ports shy from fulfilling all of my needs. This expresscard was/is very inexpensive and great for travelling.

Some people complain that it falls out too easy, but I found out, quite by accident, that this laptop has a locking mechanism. You engage the locking mechanism by pushing the card in firmly. Works great!

Macroweb
StarTech 2 Port Express Card Laptop USB 2.0 Adapter Card (EC230USB) Opinions
USB adapter . This product is an excellent option if your computer has limited USB ports and an unused Expresscard slot. It does provide power for devices that don't have a large draw. My phone charges just fine through this USB connection. It also has an AC adapter connection for devices that need more power. The AC adapter is *not* supplied with the product.

The product is somewhat bulky - it sticks out from the edge of my laptop about 2 inches - you will have to remove it to put your computer in a bag - and comes unplugged fairly easily, but if you don't move your computer around a great deal while using it, you should be just fine.
Very goog product performs as advertised . I had a previous experience with another similar card which did no work very well. This one works perfectly as advertised.
Clunky . The adapter does what it's supposed to do, but is unwieldy and protrudes almost 2 inches from the side of the laptop.
Great but only if you have to . My laptop came with only two USB ports, and when they broke, I was stranded on an island of slow trackpads and cheap keyboards. After two months of burning CDs to transfer files (very unsustainable), I decided to try and fix my computer. I called the local computer repair shop to get a quote and lab tech told me that it is probably much cheaper to buy one of these PC cards than to open the laptop and fix the problem.

As an aside, for those of you who are looking at this page because you broke your laptop USB ports, there is usually two solutions to actually fixing the ports. If you are lucky, the USB ports are located on an add-on board that is separate from the motherboard. You are even luckier if you have a Dell, HP, or some other common brand because there will probably be plenty of spare parts for you to find. If you are not so lucky, the USB ports are located on the motherboard itself, which would be very expensive to replace. In that case, you are much better off buying this card. I

The card itself is great but I am only using it because I had no other choice (I can't find a replacement add-on board). It's great for your wireless mouse or keyboard. I've tried it once with a portable hard drive and it was fine but the hard drive also had a separate power cable so it is not just powered by the USB card. I don't think you can expect great transfer rates with a card like this.

If you only have 1 broken port, I highly recommend just getting a USB hub. This card is big and kind of clunky. You look like a dork using it so I only use it at home.

So overall, this card works fine if you are forced to use it, but expect lower performance and a large thing sticking out of your lap toy.
Works well under linux . The only complaints I have about this unit is the difficulty in inserting and the usb connectors. It grips very tightly. It does have a tendency to be a bit loose in the expresscard slot in my S10.
Does not work with Ipod or Iphone on MacBooks Pro . So far it has been a great purchase, the only issue is that it does not work with Ipod touch nor Iphone, keeps trying to power them up, but not even synchronize. So if you're planning to use with your Ipod touch or Iphone keep looking, this is not for you. Other than that, it's great for mac users. Don't need to install any driver and it works right out of the box, reads usb sticks and flash drives very fast.
Bang for the money . Thanks to Amazon Prime got it in 2 days flat, no-cost shipping. Product works as described, no notable performance penalty, works like a charm. Tested in Windows Vista 32bit Home Premium, Windows 7 32bit Ultimate and Kubuntu 9.10 and no driver installation was needed in any case. Once caveat is ugliness factor - I believe it's possible to make it slimmer and less protruding, but at this price point I take it without any complains.

Cons Review
Does it's job... . I bought this Expresscard adapter to compliment the dismal number of USB ports on my Sony Laptop. While it does exactly what it's advertised to (provide two additional ports), the adapter does not provide enough power to charge a device. I don't know if this is a limitation of the card, or of the ExpressCard bus, but it was an inconvenience. It has more than enough power to run a USB mouse, however.

The card I received was shoddily manufactured. on the top of the card, nearest the ports themselves, it looks as if the two pieces of metal that comprise the body of the card were haphazardly slapped together. I had to pop one end in with my Gerber Multitool in order to prevent a hazard to the user.

The business end of this card is unwieldy, at best. If you're going to have your laptop on a tabletop, it should be fine, but anywhere else, and you have this gigantic black protrusion sticking out. Not esthetically pleasing, but as I said before, it performs as advertised. I would not buy this a second time.


Feature StarTech 2 Port Express Card Laptop USB 2.0 Adapter Card (EC230USB)

  • Easily add two USB 2.0 ports to your laptop computer
  • Hot swap capabilities allow you to connect and disconnect devices without turning off your computer
  • PC and Mac compatible
  • Supports all available USB transfer rates: High-speed (480Mbps), Full-speed (12Mbps), and Low-speed (1.5Mbps)
  • Compliant with Express Card (34mm) Type II Standard
  • Backward compatible with USB version 1.1
  • Optional power adapter accommodates high current consumption devices


Product Details

EAN : 0065030824255
UPC : 065030824255
MPN : EC230USB
Brand : StarTech
Weight : 1 pounds
Height : 3 inches
Length : 7 inches
Width : 7 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Format : CD
Hardware Platform : PC
Manufacturer : STARTECH.COM
Model : EC230USB
Operating System : Windows
Platform : Windows 2003 Server
Publisher : STARTECH.COM
SKU : 0065030824255MCR
Studio : STARTECH.COM

Where To Buy


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