Touch Kobo usb cables

[mikegetz]

the thing to remember is, that USB on a computer only provides 500mA PER ROOT HUB, unless you are using an externally powered USB hub.

so if your laptop has 4 USB ports, most likely, there are 2 ROOT HUBs on the motherboard. If you plug your cable into one, and plug, say, a USB mouse into the port right next to it, some of that 500mA is powering that mouse, giving the charging cable less than 500mA. Plugging into the other set of ports will probably charge faster.
note: manufacturers differ, mileage may vary, stuff happens </disclaimer>.
Cable impedance is also going to limit the power available on the business end - all cables have some degree of impedance. Thats is why most usb charging cables are only 3-4 feet long.

my wife's kobo takes about 4-5 hours to charge from the "plug me in" screen on my desktop. sometimes longer, if power saving kicks in. From a 800mA call phone wall charger, it takes about 2.5 hours. the pc will lower the voltage if you are not actively using the pc - especially if you are on a newer OS, like Win7 or OSx (insert cat name here).

[anonymoose]

Another alternative, if you don't have a micro USB cable that comes with a wall plug, is to get one of those small adapters that has a wall plug on one side and a USB opening on the other.

[Uncle Ned]

Originally Posted by mikegetz

the thing to remember is, that USB on a computer only provides 500mA PER ROOT HUB, unless you are using an externally powered USB hub.

so if your laptop has 4 USB ports, most likely, there are 2 ROOT HUBs on the motherboard. If you plug your cable into one, and plug, say, a USB mouse into the port right next to it, some of that 500mA is powering that mouse, giving the charging cable less than 500mA. Plugging into the other set of ports will probably charge faster.

That took me forever to realize. I had issues with an iPod and & my back-up hard drive and usb hubs before I figured out that its easier to plug them directly into usb ports of the computer and not use a non-powered usb hub. More often than not I use a wall plug now. My Kobo only charges if plugged into the main port, too. But my scanner, which is only powered by usb and I would think requires more oomph, can be plugged into any usb hub.

On the plus side, now that our blackberries, the gps, and my Kobo all use the same micro (or is it mini?) usb, my little dopp kit of travel cords keeps getting slimmer. We still have separate ones for the cameras and the iPods. Plus, for longer trips, the voltage converter and two different camera battery rechargers.

Sometimes I miss the days of a few AA batteries and a couple of rolls of film.