USB Hubs

[Matamata]

I have an IBM Thinkpad R31 laptop and want to have access to extra USB ports. I would like to connect USB 2.O ports. Would my laptop be able to support this?

[Buenchico]

If your laptop has USB 2.0 ports you can use a hub to create additional USB 2.0 ports. If you're not sure whether you've got USB 2.0 on your laptop, simply look for the word 'enhanced' in the relevant place. See here:
http://www.usbman.com...hecking_for_usb_2.htm

You need to remember that devices connected to USB sockets (where those devices don't have their own power supplies) draw power from the host device. The power supply from a PC/laptop USB port will be shared among all of the devices linked to it via a hub. That can sometimes mean that a peripheral device might not get enough power to operate properly. Additionally, connecting lots of devices (without their own power supplies), via a hub, to a laptop's USB socket will add to the drain on the laptop's battery.

Chris