USB connections are everywhere - chances are if you purchase a device that plugs into a computer, it uses a USB connector. Not all USB peripherals perform the same - many of the latest operate at high-speed and push data up to 40 times faster than standard USB. But you'll need a new connection to get maximum performance - the USB 1.1 connections on your computer won't do. Add the low cost Sonnet Allegro USB 2.0 PCI adapter card to your computer (install it in any available PCI slot) and bring it up to speed with the latest USB technology, "simply fast"!
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
Simple to install. Automatic & Transparent in operation., October 10, 2009
By
T. Kuhle (San Luis Obispo, CA USA)
PC is an Apple Power Mac G4 (Quicksilver, c. 2001), Dual 800MHz CPU, 1.5GB RAM, 80GB HDD, USB 1 and Firewire 400.
Mac OS X 10.4.11 (Tiger).
Physical installation was simple; open the de-energized case, plug in & secure the adapter card--no problem.
On power up the Sonnet Allegro was detected and installed automatically, no CD needed, nor anything else--no problem.
Three devices plugged into the Sonnet Allegro: A-Power External Backup HDD; Canon Scanner; HP Laser Printer. No problems.
PC has been put to sleep and awakened several times--no problem.
Keyboard is still on the native USB 1 hub--no problem.
This is not proof that a problem will never arise--but after 1 month of operation no problem has been noticed.
The Sonnet Allegro has a "quality" look & feel--but again, this is just my impression, not a guarantee.
Purchased direct from amazon.com.
Enjoy.
Awesome product, May 19, 2009
By
D. Marcoot (Baltimore, MD USA)
Im on a older G4 model and had tried other USB 2 cards for my mac (10.5). This card has worked like a charm.It has yet to fail.
Deep Sleep and G4 Quicksilver - nope..., April 18, 2009
By
Steven MeuseI read all the reviews and was glad to hear this product supported Macintosh deep sleep, as long as OS X 10.5.2+ was used. My daughter's Mac is a G4 QuickSilver G4 2 x 2.0 model (last Quicksilver before the Mirrored Drive Doors) and she needed a USB 2.0 port for her iPod Touch.
I had originally given her a Belkin FireWire + USB 2.0 card, which she quickly found wouldn't support sleep. The Bellkin web site confirmed this. So I found this Sonnet Tech card, which had great reviews touting the Deep Sleep ability.
My first experience was that the system didn't even recognize the card, except to say in System Profiler that it didn't have a driver loaded. The usual Open Firmware commands and Parameter RAM resets didn't seen to help, and the card itself didn't fit well in the G4. Tightening the capture screw pushed one side of the card down an extra mm or two, and consistently made the card non-functional. Only by tightening the screw far enough to give light pressure to the top of the card's backplane bracket made the card work. The iPod touch was able to charge at USB 2.0 levels, and sync at 2.0 speeds. Nice.
Having solved that problem, I found that sleep failed whether the iPod touch was connected or nothing was connected. The symptoms were the same as the Belkin card... The Mac would wake, and usually respond to one click (menu, Dock, whatever) but then go into the spinning beach ball ad infinitum. Before clicking, plugging the iPod in did not launch iTunes, which was one clue.
I was ready to love the card, and have it solve my problems, but alas, it didn't. Sonnett does generally make super products, but this one doesn't work for me. The outside of the box said Deep Sleep wasn't supported, but the instructions inside said 10.5.2+ would be OK. I've had to tell my daughter, "don't use Sleep mode!"
crashed my Mac G5 tower, April 4, 2009
By
Kevin Olson (Del Mar, CA)
I read the other reviews that said this card is supposed to work in my G5 tower, including the well-documented sleep issue. Took a chance on it but wasted my time. No problem after initial install but once my computer went to sleep, the infamous "jet plane fan roar" began, wouldn't wake up and required a total shutdown to correct (and nothing was even hooked up to the Sonnet card yet). After a reboot and allow to sleep again, the same thing happened. Removing the card cured the problem. Evidently Sonnet still can't get it right.
Works great, February 7, 2009
By
Barry Fogleman (Reading, PA USA)
This product is everything it says it is. I was a little thrown by the fact that it fits into the slot even though it isn't the standard PCI slot size, and it isn't mentioned in the instructions, which is why I only gave it 4 stars. Almost returned it until I tried it, now I'm glad I didn't.
