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Marathon RePorter USB/FW/Audio port snake


By Daniel M. East

So I'm a sucker for a good play on words, but I am happy to report that, if you need to RePort, the RePorter is a handy little extension to your Mac's (or PC) connectivity, uh... ports. No more reaching around to the back of your PowerMac or iMac every time you need to plug in your digital camera, digital video camera or other items that might travel with you when you can use this handy little extension.

reporter For those familiar with the term "snake," this is just that for your desktop. Your FireWire (400 and 800), USB (2.0 and 1.x), audio ins and outs are within reach in a handy little tennis ball sized orb that resides at the end of a relatively tangle-free 6 foot cable.

At the "male" end are each of the respective connectors (2.5mm for audio in; TRS 2.5mm stereo mini for speaker/headphone out; FireWire 6 pin 400 and 9 pin 800; and, USB).

While those Mac users who prefer the Powerbook/iBook varieties, this accessory may only be a glorified extension cord; however, if you have a nice new iMac G5, this will be your tether to your Mac.

With a clean, white design and substantial tactile feel to both ends of this extension set,even the connectors and cable strain relief are solid and make a clean, firm fit.

There are only two drawbacks I found in the RePorter in that the rounded "female" side has no flat surface to allow the orb to remain stationary so, once your devices are connected, you must find a "happy place" to avoid movement from the snake, itself. Also, and while this is no major issue (yet), the audio output doesn't support the new optical out option in the newer G5 desktop models.

In addition, I would have preferred gold connectors on both ends; however, the potentially consumer cost-prohibitive addition of this option may not be necessary for most users.

I was quite pleased to be able to return to my office, unpack my Powerbook, cameras, iPod and earphones and just plug in without the need to perform any Yoga maneuvers. My back thanks you. iSync is easier and transferring my images and music is less of a hassle. I like convenience items that help me to avoid tension and clutter with regard to my cabling to my Macs.

Marathon has come to my rescue before with their MacSkate in order to place my Mac desktop on wheels, but this is one step further and helps save valuable time when I'm on the go.

The RePorter USB/FW/Audio port snake

Other articles from Dan East

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CREDITS:
Daniel East is the founder and president of The Mid-Atlantic Macintosh User Groups Team (MaMUGs); a member of The Apple Consultants Network (ACN); a member of The Apple Developer Connection (ACN); a panelist on "PC Talk Radio;" a live speaker/presenter and a freelance columnist for several Mac publications. This review may be reproduced with proper attribution. Please notify author of placement and provide a copy/URL for reference. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. (c) 2004 Daniel M. East for The Mid-Atlantic Macintosh User Groups Team (MaMUGs) ... Event dates are subject to change. Some products, programs, or promotions are not available outside the U.S. Prices are estimated retail prices and are listed in U.S. dollars. Product specifications are subject to change. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, Power Mac, Velocity Engine, FireWire, AirPort, Safari, Sherlock, QuickTime, iLife, iTunes, iChat, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iCal and Apple Store are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither a recommendation nor an endorsement.

 

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