My USB dilemma, can you help?

I feel your pain. We're forced to choose between the iMac, whch is great but totally unable to expand, and the Pros which are way too much overkill.

A nice, sleek tower somewhere in the middle would be my dream...

In the meantime I would reccomend a good USB hub (like Belkin) and a cable manager solutions like Cable turtles.

Ditch all the USB hard drives and switch to FireWire. USB used CPU time and is slower than the FireWire ones. I run a 7 port Belkin with a single power cord, and it works excellent. That should fix you right there.

Just buy a nice powered usb hub.
I have a belkin 7 port (http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=158910) Which connects my time machine drive, another external drive, 2 ipods, card reader, printer, and usb mouse to my powerbook. It works great and its also stackable if you want to buy 2 (or 3)!

The question is not what to replace G4 with (that will take care of itself based on your computing needs, not your peripheral needs - that's like buying a car to go with your stereo) but what to do with your peripherals.

1. Combine the printer and scanner into one device and get the NW version so you it requires either a wired ethernet cable or no cables at all (preferred). So that's -2

2. Swap the 3 externals out for a Drobo (you can even re-use the drives from them). -2. So total we're -4

3. iPods. My first impulse was to say you need to confront your addiction head on but who am I to cast stones. iPods, you need a hub, a single powered hub with 6 ports and that's -5 which brings us to -9.

You now need only two usb ports, one for the Drobo and one for your powered hub.

Now go out and buy the Mac you need, not the Mac your peripherals need. If it's not your primary machine, get a refurb'd mini.

Kell

Easy, buy a 16 port USB hub:

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/en/news-13191-A+16+ports+USB+2.0+hub.+Who+wants+it%3F.html

You can get it here:

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=530

ON my primary desktop computer, my B&W G3 (that's right, still using a ratty old G3 - Hell, my laptop is a Powerbook G3 Pismo. Stuck in the stone age here), I have a total of 9 USB ports on it. There are the 2 1.1 built in ones, which I use for devices that do not need speed, like my printer and Imation Super Disk drive. Then I have my USB 2.0 card, which has 4 external and one internal ports. I have the internal hooked to my Bluetooth adapter, and my keyboard, camera, hard drive, and cable for my digital camera/PSP on it. My keyboard is an Apple Aluminum dealie, with 2 additional USB ports, for a total of 9. I have my USB mouse, a Logitech optical, hooked in to the right one, and the left one is free for my thumbdrive. The total cost of this rig was $76 in 2005. $60 for the tower, and $16 for the USB card at a trade show.

Just get a B&W G3 and a few USB 2.0 cards. They are cheap, dependable workhorses. Load it with as much RAM as you can, and tiger. That can be your dedicated USB machine.

Dude, get a PC. Windows, FTW!!!

Buy a Mini then add three Newer Technology miniStacks. They fit great with the Mini and contain hard drives. Daisy-chain-um together and your done. with the three hard drives built in you wont need your old externals. Depending on the the size and type of the external HDs you have you might get away with buying empty miniStacks and switching the drives over.

i'd grab one of the new imacs - refurbed would be a nice replacement for the G4. there are four usb ports on the back - one required for the keyboard but the standard keyboard brings two of it's own, leaving you with a starting point of five. 20" Alimacs are starting at $949.

then, to it i'd add a LaCie USB hub 2.0 for seven more. the hub is powered so it works for transfer and charging. $79.

you get good performance, nice use of space - and plenty of ports.

good luck!

http://www.synchrotech.com/product-usb/hub_03_usb_13-port.html

13 ports?