Tablet with an AC-powered USB hub

[Pink Ranger]

I was thinking of purchasing a tablet (with a USB port) and using it as my primary computing device. The key to that would be the ability to hook up to a non-portable AC-plugged in USB port, where I can attach different peripherals like an external hard drive or DVD burner. Kind of like a control centre at my desk, with the benefit of picking up the tablet as a portable device.

Is that even possible? Anybody here ever tried this?

 

[Chance Jackson]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Are you using an Android tablet or Windows? I ask because I don't know how android tablets handle Hubs

 

[Teelie]

I've never seen anyone try that before. Thinking about it, probably not. The USB hub would just be like a charging station. You need a motherboard or something like that where everything plugs in for each device to be recognized as part of the system.

I might be wrong on that and everything would detect via a USB hub plugged into an AC outlet but it would have to be able to connect devices.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I haven't purchased anything yet, but likely I will be purchasin an android-powered device.

 

[Teelie]

I see what you mean. I thought you meant just a AC-USB charging station with an Android tablet as the "brains" of the whole thing. If the android USB charging station can detect and connect everything then it might be possible. I haven't toyed with any tablets enough to know if it will pick up and be able to send/recieve data from an external disc drive though.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Thanks for the input. The strange thing is, every bit of research I've looked up seems to run the range from it working well, to working only under certain conditions, to not working at all.

 

[Teelie]

I've seen people do crazy things with electronics (with Raspberry Pi frequently cited) so I'm sure it's possible but not the technical details of how to pull it off.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I eventually decided on a Microsoft Surface (first post on this device). It seemed to most closely match the functionality I was looking for; the full monty I described above will be a step-by-step process, but so far so good. Currently, I managed to get this tablet to host a keyboard (an Apple keyboard no less), a mouse and a flash drive simultaneously. The USB hub will be the next test.

 

[<(o_o)>]

I eventually decided on a Microsoft Surface (first post on this device). It seemed to most closely match the functionality I was looking for; the full monty I described above will be a step-by-step process, but so far so good. Currently, I managed to get this tablet to host a keyboard (an Apple keyboard no less), a mouse and a flash drive simultaneously. The USB hub will be the next test.

Were they all wireless/Bluetooth?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Were they all wireless/Bluetooth?

Nope. Through the USB port. Not up to pure wireless yet.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Good news, the USB hub works. So I can basically use my Surface 2 as a "naked computer."

 

[Teelie]

Eww, now you've sullied the internet by being naked... nevermind. That's how 86% of the internet is actually accessed. By naked people.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Well, to be honest, I am wearing a hat.