24.5 Our Picks
USB 1.1 ports are ubiquitous on
recent motherboards and systems. USB 2.0 ports are standard on
chipsets, motherboards, and PCs designed after mid-2002, although
low-end USB 1.1 PCs and motherboards were still being sold as of July
2003. Don't buy any new system or motherboard that
does not provide native USB 2.0 ports.The good news is that upgrading older systems to USB 2.0 is easy and
inexpensive. We have used numerous USB port cards and
hubseverything from high-quality, name-brand components from
Adaptec and ADS Technology to no-name Pacific Rim garbage. Our
advice? Buying cheap USB port cards and hubs is a mistake. In our
experience, name-brand components cost little more, are more
reliable, and are much less likely to cause device conflicts.For specific recommendations by brand and model, visit: http://www.hardwareguys.com/picks/usbl.
