Price : Too low to display
Dimensions: 4" x 4" x 6.5"
This review is from : Star Wars R2-Q5 4 Port USB Hub
Well made and fun USB port and collectible in one . This is a well made and very nicely painted model of the R2-Q5, a black version of R2-D2, that shows up in one of the movies. When you plug it into one of your computer's USB ports, it swivels its head about 20 degrees left, and then back across to 20 degrees to the right, does that about 4 times when plugged in. At the same time it makes R2 beeping sounds, like you hear many times in the movies, which basically is R2 language!
The color of the highlights are a Copper color, which looks to be a perfect match for an actual photo I saw published on the Net of the droid in the movie, even though I have seen websites claim it should be gold, and one site said this item itself had red highlights.
Every 3 minutes of being idle it makes a quick single back and forth swivel of its head, again with R2 sounds. The very top round part of the head is a button - press that and it also does a quick single back and forth swivel of its head, although a little faster. And it makes sounds and swivels when you plug in an actual USB flash drive.
I searched all over the Net for reviews of this item and could not find out if you can turn the sounds off. Well, you can! R2-Q5 does have a switch to turn off the sounds. It is flush with the case, and located just above the USB cord connection point. It is not immediately apparent, which explains all the reviews on the Net not mentioning it. With the sounds turned OFF the head still swivels back and forth every 3 minutes, and you can still make it swivel back and forth on demand by pushing the button on the top - but you just get no sound.
The front LED light "sensor" light blinks blue then red at all times, non-stop. The sensor light on the back blinks on and off an amber yellow color. There is no switch to tun off the lights, but you can just unplug it from your computer to do that (remember that USB is hot swappable, you can do that all you want and it will not bother your computer - as long as there is no drive in any of the R2's ports).
You will need a display location for this R2 that has about 6 inches clearance for the height, and about 4 inches clearance front to back and 4 inches side to side.
When plugged into my computer running Windows 7 it was detected perfectly, and it transferred files from a flash drive (thumb drive) as normal, no discernible issues (I did not run benchmarks on the file transfer times).
Well made and fun USB port and collectible in one . This is a well made and very nicely painted model of the R2-Q5, a black version of R2-D2, that shows up in one of the movies. When you plug it into one of your computer's USB ports, it swivels its head about 20 degrees left, and then back across to 20 degrees to the right, does that about 4 times when plugged in. At the same time it makes R2 beeping sounds, like you hear many times in the movies, which basically is R2 language!
The color of the highlights are a Copper color, which looks to be a perfect match for an actual photo I saw published on the Net of the droid in the movie, even though I have seen websites claim it should be gold, and one site said this item itself had red highlights.
Every 3 minutes of being idle it makes a quick single back and forth swivel of its head, again with R2 sounds. The very top round part of the head is a button - press that and it also does a quick single back and forth swivel of its head, although a little faster. And it makes sounds and swivels when you plug in an actual USB flash drive.
I searched all over the Net for reviews of this item and could not find out if you can turn the sounds off. Well, you can! R2-Q5 does have a switch to turn off the sounds. It is flush with the case, and located just above the USB cord connection point. It is not immediately apparent, which explains all the reviews on the Net not mentioning it. With the sounds turned OFF the head still swivels back and forth every 3 minutes, and you can still make it swivel back and forth on demand by pushing the button on the top - but you just get no sound.
The front LED light "sensor" light blinks blue then red at all times, non-stop. The sensor light on the back blinks on and off an amber yellow color. There is no switch to tun off the lights, but you can just unplug it from your computer to do that (remember that USB is hot swappable, you can do that all you want and it will not bother your computer - as long as there is no drive in any of the R2's ports).
You will need a display location for this R2 that has about 6 inches clearance for the height, and about 4 inches clearance front to back and 4 inches side to side.
When plugged into my computer running Windows 7 it was detected perfectly, and it transferred files from a flash drive (thumb drive) as normal, no discernible issues (I did not run benchmarks on the file transfer times).
Star Wars R2-Q5 4 Port USB Hub Reviews
Okay item but gets annoying. . PROS: Fun product, looks great, nice sounds, the blinking lights are nice
CONS: 3-minute beep gets annoying after a while - even with sound off, really have to mash the USB plugs in to get a solid connection, not really worth $90
Being something of a Star Wars fan I thought it would be cool to have this act as one of my USB hubs on my main computer. I had seen similar ones before, but just the European ones that are an R2-D2 housing on USB jacks. The idea of something that blinked and beeped and such sounded almost like it would feel like you had your own little R2 unit on your desk interfacing with your USB add ons. While it is a fun product, it has a few flaws that really don't make it worth the asking price.
The unit has four USB plugs and sits about six inches tall. When you plug an item in, the unit swivels its head and makes a series of beeps like you hear from the R2 astromech droids in Star Wars. There is also a button on top of its head that will let you make it turn its head and beep in a different sequence when you want to show it off. It also turns its head and emits a single beep every 3 minutes. There is a light at the front of its head that will flash blue-red and an amber light at the back of its head. Both stay on as long as the unit is powered. It is pretty well built, but the instructions show the arms can be removed, so they are a little wobbly as you handle the unit. This isn't much of an issue since you probably wouldn't be handling this much, but it's not built like a tank which can be an issue for the handling you do have to do. So, overall it is a cute little desktop item that can be fun for your hardcore Star Wars aficionados. However, the problems I experienced may make all but the most die-hard fans think twice about paying $90 for the item.
INCONSISTENT CONNECTION
A couple of the USB ports on my model didn't always register the attached device consistently. On occasion I would plug in a memory stick and it would appear under My Computer and disappear, then appear and disappear. All the while the droid is spinning its head and beeping for 3-4 minutes straight. (I let it go that long since I was putting it through its paces.) Overall the performance wasn't bad, but that issue did crop up on a couple of the ports enough that it became a concern in terms of considering whether or not I would deem this a worthwhile purchase in the long term.
REALLY HAVE TO CRAM THE USB PLUGS IN
The USB port connections are *tight*. While a secure connection is obviously desirable, this means you not only have to brace the unit to plug a device in, but you may have to pick it up and cradle it securely in your hand to have enough leverage to suitably push the USB plug in. If the unit was more solidly built this might not be an issue, but since it is a little wobbly and you don't want to put any force on the head it means you have to brace the body solidly while handling the rest of it gingerly to plug an item in. If you're going to use this as a hub for devices that stay plugged in consistently it shouldn't be an issue. But if you're using this largely as a memory stick hub and will be swapping items out a lot you will probably find it a bit inconvenient to always have to brace this thing while being mindful of its more delicate parts. With a standard USB hub you can generally manhandle it pretty well as you brace it. The R2-Q5 hub, however, has to have a little more consideration.
3-MINUTE BEEP
This, combined with the price, was the real deal-breaker for me. The sounds and lights on the unit are really nice. The tones they selected for the droid are some of the more pleasant ones in the standard Star Wars astromech "language." Some R2 toys use many of the more shrill tones that can be downright unpleasant but these ones are less of the "beep, whistle, and shriek" sounds and more of the "boop, chuckle, and woo" tones. The tones and movement are fun when you plug a device in. However, it also makes a soft beep and turns its head every three minutes. The sound itself isn't bad, but the consistent 3-minute interval starts to wear on you after the novelty is gone. In fact, there were a few times that it startled me because I was focused on what I was reading. You can turn the sounds off, but the motor that drives the head is also loud enough that it actually kind of drowns out the beeps and boops. So even without the beep the 3-minute motion causes a "whrrr" from the motor.
All in all it's not a bad item, but the issue of having to cradle it to cram the plugs in and the 3-minute beep eventually becoming an annoyance convinced me to return this product for a refund. The other issue was these annoyances on top of the price of almost $90 at the time of purchase and review. If this was maybe $30 then I'd connect it to my laptop that I use largely as a music and movie player and let it do its thing when I'm in the mood for it - plus it would actually be handy access to that laptop's USB interface. But at $90, I just can't see keeping this thing to have on when I'm in the mood for it. It's too bad, as I really like it overall. I just wish the 3-minute beep could be turned off entirely (not just the sound) and that the price would come down. After all, for about $40 more you can actually get the big, interactive R2-D2.
Okay item but gets annoying. . PROS: Fun product, looks great, nice sounds, the blinking lights are nice
CONS: 3-minute beep gets annoying after a while - even with sound off, really have to mash the USB plugs in to get a solid connection, not really worth $90
Being something of a Star Wars fan I thought it would be cool to have this act as one of my USB hubs on my main computer. I had seen similar ones before, but just the European ones that are an R2-D2 housing on USB jacks. The idea of something that blinked and beeped and such sounded almost like it would feel like you had your own little R2 unit on your desk interfacing with your USB add ons. While it is a fun product, it has a few flaws that really don't make it worth the asking price.
The unit has four USB plugs and sits about six inches tall. When you plug an item in, the unit swivels its head and makes a series of beeps like you hear from the R2 astromech droids in Star Wars. There is also a button on top of its head that will let you make it turn its head and beep in a different sequence when you want to show it off. It also turns its head and emits a single beep every 3 minutes. There is a light at the front of its head that will flash blue-red and an amber light at the back of its head. Both stay on as long as the unit is powered. It is pretty well built, but the instructions show the arms can be removed, so they are a little wobbly as you handle the unit. This isn't much of an issue since you probably wouldn't be handling this much, but it's not built like a tank which can be an issue for the handling you do have to do. So, overall it is a cute little desktop item that can be fun for your hardcore Star Wars aficionados. However, the problems I experienced may make all but the most die-hard fans think twice about paying $90 for the item.
INCONSISTENT CONNECTION
A couple of the USB ports on my model didn't always register the attached device consistently. On occasion I would plug in a memory stick and it would appear under My Computer and disappear, then appear and disappear. All the while the droid is spinning its head and beeping for 3-4 minutes straight. (I let it go that long since I was putting it through its paces.) Overall the performance wasn't bad, but that issue did crop up on a couple of the ports enough that it became a concern in terms of considering whether or not I would deem this a worthwhile purchase in the long term.
REALLY HAVE TO CRAM THE USB PLUGS IN
The USB port connections are *tight*. While a secure connection is obviously desirable, this means you not only have to brace the unit to plug a device in, but you may have to pick it up and cradle it securely in your hand to have enough leverage to suitably push the USB plug in. If the unit was more solidly built this might not be an issue, but since it is a little wobbly and you don't want to put any force on the head it means you have to brace the body solidly while handling the rest of it gingerly to plug an item in. If you're going to use this as a hub for devices that stay plugged in consistently it shouldn't be an issue. But if you're using this largely as a memory stick hub and will be swapping items out a lot you will probably find it a bit inconvenient to always have to brace this thing while being mindful of its more delicate parts. With a standard USB hub you can generally manhandle it pretty well as you brace it. The R2-Q5 hub, however, has to have a little more consideration.
3-MINUTE BEEP
This, combined with the price, was the real deal-breaker for me. The sounds and lights on the unit are really nice. The tones they selected for the droid are some of the more pleasant ones in the standard Star Wars astromech "language." Some R2 toys use many of the more shrill tones that can be downright unpleasant but these ones are less of the "beep, whistle, and shriek" sounds and more of the "boop, chuckle, and woo" tones. The tones and movement are fun when you plug a device in. However, it also makes a soft beep and turns its head every three minutes. The sound itself isn't bad, but the consistent 3-minute interval starts to wear on you after the novelty is gone. In fact, there were a few times that it startled me because I was focused on what I was reading. You can turn the sounds off, but the motor that drives the head is also loud enough that it actually kind of drowns out the beeps and boops. So even without the beep the 3-minute motion causes a "whrrr" from the motor.
All in all it's not a bad item, but the issue of having to cradle it to cram the plugs in and the 3-minute beep eventually becoming an annoyance convinced me to return this product for a refund. The other issue was these annoyances on top of the price of almost $90 at the time of purchase and review. If this was maybe $30 then I'd connect it to my laptop that I use largely as a music and movie player and let it do its thing when I'm in the mood for it - plus it would actually be handy access to that laptop's USB interface. But at $90, I just can't see keeping this thing to have on when I'm in the mood for it. It's too bad, as I really like it overall. I just wish the 3-minute beep could be turned off entirely (not just the sound) and that the price would come down. After all, for about $40 more you can actually get the big, interactive R2-D2.
Product Image
Feature Star Wars R2-Q5 4 Port USB Hub
- 4 Port unpowered USB 2. Hub features R2-Q5
- Connect your gadgets with the Dark Side
- Officially licensed Lucasfilm Japan collectible
- Shipped directly from Japan
- 480 MBps of digital connectivity in a simple four-port USB 2.0 hub sits on your desk
Related Post
- Seagate FreeAgent Go Special Edition 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External
Hard Drive and Docking Station ST905003FNA2E1-RK (Black with Chrome
Trim) - Western Digital My Book Studio 3 TB FireWire 800 External Hard Drive
- Iomega 32324 Zip 750MB External USB Drive
Product Details
EAN : 4902314088810Brand : CUBE
Weight : 1 pounds
Height : 6 inches
Length : 9 inches
Width : 7 inches
Binding : Toy
Manufacturer : CUBE
Model : 888
Publisher : CUBE
SKU : 355-088810
Studio : CUBE
Where To Buy
You can buy Star Wars R2-Q5 4 Port USB Hub on Amazon . Click here to Read More
