I think the other reviews largely get it right. Two things I haven't seen in them, however: first, the plug on the power cord is in the shape of a wide black monolith, so, like bulky a/c adaptors... Second, the included documentation says that the hub will revert to a USB 1.1 hub FOR ALL DEVICES if you have any USB 1 device connected. It says that to get USB 2.0 throughput, you must disconnect all USB 1.0 or 1.1 devices from the hub first. That's worth knowing.
Finally, if you buy the hub, I suggest going to Windows Update and downloading the optional USB 2.0 fix for WinXP SP 1. D-Link DUB-H4 High Speed USB 2.0 4-Port Hub
I bought this product to work with my Dell Inspiron laptop running WinXP Pro. So far it works great with my wireless mouse, keyboard, and digital camera plugged in simultaneously. The AC power ensures that your USB-powered devices will work properly. However, there is one issue to be aware of: this hub only works when plugged into AC power, which was not clearly indicated in the specs. For this reason, it is not a good hub for laptop users on the go, which is why I give it only 4 stars. Other than that, it is a solid performer. It is small, so it doesn't clutter your desktop too much, and has rubber feet to keep it from sliding. The AC adapter is sideways so that it only takes up one plug, which is a nice detail. This would be a good choice if you are planning to use it for a desktop, particularly if you have several USB-powered devices.
I originally purchased this hub to make it easier to use multiple USB devices with my laptop while using it at my desk at home. My printer, mouse, barcode scanner, and thumb drive are all USB devices, and pulling the laptop out to unplug one and attach another was getting rather old.
It's a smallish hub, but not one so tiny that the ports are so crammed together so as to be nearly useless. At 4 inches wide and less than an inch tall, the hub should easily fit on any desk, and the rubber feet help hold it in place. The ports are widely enough spaced that you shouldn't have a problem attaching cords, thumb drives, or other USB devices.
Since I planned to use it only at my desk anyway, the caveat that an A/C adapter is required didn't bother me--but I've found that the hub works fine without any A/C power at all, and despite the instructions claiming it doesn't draw power from the USB bus, the power LED lights up, and all devices work fine. Without the A/C adapter in use, the hub also runs quite cool and doesn't suffer from the lock-up problems others have mentioned.
If you plan on using mostly powered USB devices--like printers, external hard drives or CD/DVD drives--you should be fine using the hub "unpowered." Using it for a keyboard, mouse, barcode reader, and thumb drive may require the use of the A/C power for reliable operation. And if you're worried about putting too much of a power strain on your laptop's USB bus, connect it via a docking station (as I do) or use the A/C adapter. Still, with that said, many people should be able to use it just fine without having to add another bulky "leech" to their power strips.
Finally, the manual does state that the use of both USB 1 and 2 devices at the same time may cause the hub to drop into USB 1-only mode. I stress "may," as so far the tests I've run with older devices in combination with a USB 2.0 CD burner have worked fine at USB 2 speeds--I assume then the compatibility depends largely on the actual devices used.
I have this hub hooked up to a Dell 5100 laptop. Installation was quick and easy. I have not had any issues and have the following devices hooked up to it: Hp printer, Creative Labs Extigy sound card, Microsoft Optical mouse and Palm Hotsync cradle. Scanner is connected to the spare USB port on PC. In reading some of the comments, I feel the need to say that scanners and web cams historically cause problems when hooked up to any USB hub as they tend to "HOG" the bandwith leaving little for the other devices. I am surprised that D-Link claims to have not had complaints on this issue. My advice would be to hook these items directly to the pc's USB port and use the hub for the other "less power hungry" devices.
What's not specified in the item description is that if you mix and match USB 1.1 and USB 2 devices, the hub may only provide the much slower USB 1.1 speed for ALL ports. You don't read that in the product description. You have to wait until you purchase the item and read the documentation. So, don't plug an iPod mini and a USB 1.1 device (in my case a wireless mouse) into the same hub or your iPod may have major problems, as mine did. The iPod wants to run at full USB 2 speeds.
Why is there a problem with the manufacturer providing that info in the description before you purchase the hub? This is highly deceptive, in my opinion.
I've had this hub for two months and have had no problems with it. Installation was a snap, as it should be for a basic hub. The hub is small and a bit too light, but it's definitely not for laptop users, as it needs an AC adapter. The power brick is actually smaller than most other brick-style adapters and rises straight up from the prongs, saving you space on power strips that have the plugs aligned vertically or on wall outlets (a nice touch). I have an iPod and a multifunction printer attached to the hub, and have had no problems with either. A word of warning, however--as other reviewers have noted, if you plug a USB 1.0 device into the hub, all USB 2.0 devices will slow down to 1.0 speeds.'
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