Pressure Drop PaperHub

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

March 25, 2005

 

It is easy to overlook everyday objects as ho-hum necessities. One such object that we probably never give a second thought to, is the paper tray or in/out box as it used to be called. Most of us have either seen a paper tray or have one on our desks at work and home. Usually they are just there to collect incoming and outgoing documents. Nothing too technical about that function huh? Well, you've obviously not seen the PaperHub from Pressure Drop.

The PaperHub is a paper tray on steroids. It is made entirely of anodized aluminum with a soft brushed finish and smooth edges. As far as paper trays go, this one looks more like a piece of artwork than a receptacle for paper pulp. The top tray can accommodate A4 and US letter sized documents (8.5 x 13), while the bottom tray is US letter sized. Both trays are 1 inch deep.

Besides having an ability to hold quite a few documents, this tray has another more powerful feature. It is also a 4 port USB hub and a 4 port FireWire hub.

Included with the PaperHub is an AC adapter capable of powering both the USB and FireWire hubs, 1 USB cable, 1 FireWire cable, and 3 Velcro wire ties.

To connect the PaperHub to your PC or Mac, you just plug in the AC adapter, and then attach the USB and FireWire cables to the back of the tray and to your computer's USB and FireWire ports respectively. Once you do this, you now have an additional 4 USB 2.0/1.1 ports and 4 FireWire 400 ports. Nice! The USB ports are rated up to 480Mbps for USB 2.0 devices, and 12Mpbs per channel for each 1.1 device. The FireWire ports are auto-switching 100, 200, or 400 Mbps.

Each USB port is provided with up to 500mA @ 5V, and each FireWire port receives up to 300mA @ 12V. If you don't have FireWire capability on your computer, you may still connect up to four USB peripherals to the PaperHub. Any FireWire peripherals that are then connected will not be able to communicate with your computer. However, power will still be provided to each FireWire port (this can be useful for charging some battery-powered FireWire peripherals). If  you don't have USB capabilities on your computer, You may still connect up to four FireWire peripherals to the PaperHub. Any USB peripherals are then connected will not be able to communicate with the computer and will not receive any power.

I only have 2 nits that I can pick with the PaperHub. The first complaint is that all of the ports are on the back of the tray. This makes it a little inconvenient to connect something quickly like a flash drive. It would be nice if there were at least 1 USB and 1 FireWire port on either side of the PaperHub. That said, a widget like the FlexUSB could help give a little better access to a port.

My other complaint is that while the trays are large enough to hold magazines and papers, the trays are not quite wide enough to accommodate a standard file folder. As you can see above, the folder tab sticks over the side of the tray.

The PaperHub is very nice, but also very expensive. While you could definitely buy a run of the mill plastic paper tray, a 4 port USB hub and a 4 port FireWire hub for less than $150 total, the combo won't be nearly as nice as this one integrated product. If money isn't an issue and you ports and paper storage, the PaperHub is a office accessory.

 

Price: $149.99

Pros:
4 USB 2.0 ports
4 FireWire ports
AC powered

Cons:
File folders don't lie flat in tray
Ports not convenient to access for flash drives