Product ReviewsInput devices
The adoption OF USB and FireWire as connectivity standards on all new Macs has left users of legacy machines out in the cold when it comes to using many of the latest peripherals. To access both USB and FireWire devices, you need two PCI cards, and with only three PCI slots in many machines, this simply isn't practical. Orange Micro's solution is to put both USB and FireWire on a single board. The Orangelink FireWire/USB PCI Board is a compact piece of engineering which will fit in either full-length or half-length slots. It features two USB ports and two FireWire ports. Installing the card is just a matter of sticking it in a free slot and installing the driver software from the supplied CD. Ease of access to PCI slots varies according to your Mac, but on most machines it's simply a matter of removing the casing or part of the casing and placing the card. Once the card and drivers have been installed,
Orange states that the card is compatible with all known USB and FireWire devices, and we had no problems with any of the peripherals we connected. The card draws power from the host system when needed by peripherals, so is compatible with devices that don't have their own power supply, such as the small VST hard drives. It's good to see Orange has put some thought into the packaging of the product. Not only does it include a copy of Adobe Premiere LE (Unlead Video studio for PC) for those interested in turning their hand to video editing, but it comes with one FireWire cable and a USB cable. It's this kind of attention to detail that makes good products and gives buyers confidence that they're dealing with a company that will look after them should anything go wrong. Many new peripherals are only available as USB or FireWire products, which would be enough to make this card worthwhile. But USB and FireWire are also superior technologies to those they replace. The ability to connect multiple devices, whether via a hub or by daisychaining, and the hot-pluggable nature of the two technologies alone will tempt users of legacy Macs to replace existing peripherals with USB and FireWire equivalents. The Orangelink card is the neatest way to do this we've seen, and, at £129, it's also excellent value for money. By Kenny Hemphill
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