I have external hard drives that I like to use firewire with for better speeds than USB, & so far I have been using my firewire external hard drives with a single firewire cable connected to my mac, & plug & unplug the drives when needed.
My hard drives are in these enclosures:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...0.html/bi/4166
and
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...L.html/bi/4166
both enclosures have can use firewire 800 & esata.
I would like to be able to use either esata or firewire 800 on a hub that can support the speeds. Instead of plugging & unplugging from a single firewire cable. But I also dont want to be too impractical & spend too much on something that may not be needed. Also would like port multiplier, so I can have more than 1 external hard drive plugged in & on/running & transfer between drives.
I have been looking at these 2 hubs:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B00506K4NC
and from nitros website:
http://www.nitroav.com/store/nitroav...-repeater.html
and this:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...b.html/bi/4166
and from LaCies website;
http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?id=10574
If I go for one of these, which would be better? or better value for money & tech? or should I just stick to plugging & unplugging from the single firewire cable connected to my mac?
The AV has the firewire 800 ports, & the LaCie has esata with thunderbolt, of which seems to be the tech of the future so with this, it might be more future proof. I read that firewire is a last gen tech that may go extinct soon & be replaced by thunderbolt. The LaCie also has esata, of which my enclosures do have ports for, is this faster than firewire 800?
So if I get the firewire 800 hub, am I investing in an aging /about to expire tech? or should I go for the future & esata with the LaCie?
there is also this;
http://www.belkin.com/thunderbolt/ for the future of new connectors, but the price of this is way too much for me now, & not practical, so that is why I was looking at the AvNitro & the LaCie hubs.
I am also looking for a way to reduce or tidy up the wires that I have amassed on my old desk that my mac is on.