Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsArachnophobes beware. What they don't want you to see.
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 26, 2021
Have you noticed than none of the sellers of these devices ever show you a real life picture of these devices actually being used?
Marketers generally love to show pictures of their product in use. It helps people visualize themselves using the product. That makes people more inclined to buy their products.
So why not this product? See my attached picture. Arachnophobes relax. Despite appearances that is not a tarantula on top of my Mac mini. That is what these USB switch devices look like in actual use. My Mac mini has just many cables connected to it, but you don't see any of those cables. That's not because of Apple design magic. It is just plain simple, common sense that should be obvious to everyone. Unless, apparently, you are a USB switch designer. The Mac mini like most consumer electronics devices, has all connections at the back.
I searched in vain for one of these products on Amazon where ALL the connections were on the back. All of then have this terrible design flaw. Maybe it keeps costs down, but this particular USB3 switch is among the more expensive. It has no excuse for such poor design.
That is why I can only give this device a 3 star rating, despite none of its competition doing anything better. I think I might have seen a device like this with a wireless remote switching button. Maybe this is why?
If you can live with the virtual tarantula on your desk the functionality of this product is flawless. I have had no problems. I have it attached to my Mac mini and my gaming PC. I have the other side connected to a Logitech webcam, plus a gaming keyboard and mouse, with a lot of built in fancy lights. I have to use an eternal power supply because this is too much drain for a single USB port.
The overall performance works well. Despite having a mix of USB 3 and USB 2 devices connected, the USB 3 devices seem to operate at full speed. For technical functionality I give it a full five stars. But with a cluttered real world design that even the mothers of the product designers could never be proud of, overall I'm being generous with a 3.
