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Every
once in a while a product arrives at the Hot
Hardware labs that really gets our
attention. It doesn't necessarily need to be
the fastest, largest, or most powerful item, but
rather innovative in its design. Needless to
say, the FrontX Multimedia Ports from FrontX
is just the kind of product that fits this
criterion.
When
the folks at FrontX contacted us about reviewing
the FrontX Multimedia Ports, I thought the timing
couldn't have been better. For the last few
months I've been attending local computer shows
looking for a unit that would move my USB ports to
the front of my machine. Sure, I could've
picked up an external hub, but I'm a neat
freak. Running cables all over the place and
cluttering up my desk with components is not my
idea of a good time. So I began keeping an
eye out for a self-contained unit that would fit
into one of my drive bays. I found one unit
that turned 1 USB port into 4, but the thing was
poorly made and really buggy. Many of today?s
new motherboards have adapters included, but
finding one for sale has proven to be a
challenge. So to get the job done, I broke
out the trusty soldering iron and made one
myself. It wasn't pretty, but it worked
great. When FrontX contacted us about the
FrontX Multimedia Ports, I thought that my prayers
were answered. This unit offers the
flexibility to move virtually any port you may
have to the front of your rig. This sounded
too good to be true. I welcomed the
opportunity to get my hands on one to see if it
delivered on all its promises.
Let's
take a look and see what this thing has to
offer...
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| Specifications
Of The FRONTX
Multimedia Ports |
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FUNCTION
Xtend computer ports to the front
INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
1 free 5.25" drive-bay and PCI/ISA
opening
DRIVER
Not required
CPX088 FRONTX CASING
Contains 1 large and 3 small port holding
bays
Can hold a maximum of 8 computer ports
Includes a Metal Plate and 4 pieces of M3
screw
CPX100 MULTIMEDIA PORTS
This package includes Casing, Earphone,
Microphone, Audio-In and Game ports
PORTS CONFIGURATION
Option 1 - purchase one CPX100 FRONTX
Multimedia Ports plus additional ports to
add onto it
Option 2 - purchase one CPX088 FRONTX Casing
plus the ports of your choice
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
Earphone Port
Game Port
Audio-In Port
Microphone Port
USB Type A
USB Type A Internal
Serial D-Sub 9 Pin
Serial D-Sub 9 Pin Internal
FUTURE RELEASE
Video, IEEE 1394 and Parallel ports
Others - to be announced
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As you
can see, the FrontX Multimedia Ports comes well
equipped but it doesn't stop there. If you
want to add an additional USB, DB-9, or Game Port,
they offer additional add-ons at an exceptional
price. I've seen external 5 port USB hubs
selling for 70 bucks at my local STAPLES.
With the extras that FrontX offers, you could
build your own for half that and have it
self-contained in a 5.25" bay.
Let us
jump on over to the Quality and Installation to
see if this is all that it is cracked up to be...
Quality,
Installation & Conclusion
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