 I bought this CardBus primarily for the USB 2 func ... Strengths: Firewire & USB2 in one CardBus - dongle-free
Weaknesses: (1) Price - twice the price of the comparable Siig CardBus
(2) Does not provide the power needed by USB / IEEE devices
Summary: I bought this CardBus primarily for the USB 2 functionality. I was in the market for a USB 2 CardBus and figured for a little extra money I could also have a dongle-free IEEE/Firewire experience. I have had Adaptec stuff in the past and never had any serious issues, so I purchased this product even though the comparable Siig product (JU-NPC012) was much cheaper. What a mistake. Here is the problem with this CardBus: No Power! I bought this CardBus for my Dell Laptop to communicate with my Canon LiDE 30 scanner. This scanner is designed to receive all of its power via the UBS 2 cable - it does not get plugged into its own power supply. When I attempted to use it with this CardBus all I got was a moan (like a moose in heat!) and then silence. I understand that a CardBus cannot provide an unlimited power supply, but the real issue is that the User Manual specifies you must use a a "UL-approved power supply rated at 12 Volts and capable of 2.1 Amps" (that does not come with the unit). It does not exist - even Adaptec Technical Support (eventually) admitted that 2.1 Amp Power Adapters are not available on the market (by Adaptec or anyone else). So, if you need a USB2 / IEEE CardBus, buy one that is packaged with a power supply. You might not need to use your CardBus to power an external device today, but maybe tomorrow you will ... Do yourself a favor: buy the Siig JU-NPC012 instead of this dog.
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