HP network hubs/switches (1990s)
Some version of an HP network hub has been running my network since I started my own business back in 1992 and in my test labs today. They are tanks -- reliable and heavy enough that if I bang them about they still deliver the goods. Oh yeah, and they perform real good, too. The latest one that I use in my lab today is the 2708, which is an eight-port 10/100/1000 auto-sensing switch. All of this is ironic, considering the 100-VG products that HP once had. This was an early (1991) attempt to corner the 100-Mb market, but used twice as many wires and didn't fly, only to be eclipsed by the 100-Base-T standard that is now just about in every Ethernet adapter around the world.
Looking over this collection of gear, it is clear that HP has always been a technology -- if not a marketing -- leader, and in so many different tech areas, too. I wonder what my next HP product will be. If you have some of your own favorites, share them with me at [email protected].
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