HEXUS.reviews Sima Hitch USB-101 file transfer device

[Tarinder]

Ever had the need to transfer files on USB-enabled devices but weren't near a PC?. Sima may have just the thing for you.

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=6362

[impossible]

Dont belkin have a box of tricks like this, thats out at the moment?

Imp

[chrestomanci]

Having read that review, and considering that alternatives exist, I don’t think it should get any awards.

The Hitch is competing against simple USB copy devices and hard drive enclosures that can copy from other devices. (eg the Thecus YES nano 2.5” enclosure) Both are relatively cheap and foolproof to use, but copy everything and only recognise FAT file systems. Alternatively people can use a PC, laptop or USB equipped PDA, but these are more expensive, and less portable.

The Hitch should be able to fit between the two, offering more versatility to choose which files to copy and work with many file systems, but without the bulk and cost associated with a laptop. However from reading the review, I think it fails in most areas.

1. You where unable to get it to connect to any USB hard drives. Considering that this would be a major use for this device, having it not work is a major limitation. You thought that the 2.5” drive might be drawing to much current, but that was not confirmed. You could have measured the current draw using the windows device manager, or confirmed that it was the problem by connecting via a powered hub. As for the powered icybox enclosure, there is no excuse. That should work; if it does not there is a problem.
2. The manufacturer is deceptively advertising the device as USB 2 when it does not transfer at USB2 speeds. I know what the standards say, but to most consumers, USB2 means fast. The reviewer should not be defending this deception. I would expect a device like this to be limited by the speeds of the devices connected to it, not the pedestrian slow speeds of 12 megabit/s USB.
3. Considering that this device runs Linux, I would expect it to be much more versatile in the protocols it speaks. Linux contains file system drivers that can read almost anything; including Mac HPFS and windows NTFS so why is this device limited to FAT file systems. (Even read)?

From reading the review I would not buy this device for the price. If it where £20 I might be willing to live with its limitations, and perhaps do some Linux hacking to fix them, but not for £100. It needs to go back to the drawing board.