Some might argue a 16-port USB hub is a frivolous exercise in excess and overkill, but I beg to differ. One of my abiding laments as a Mac notebook user is Apple’s perennial stinginess with I/O port configuration. My current workhorse, a late 2008 unibody MacBook, has a pathetic two USB 2.0 ports. Consequently, I keep it connected to four daisy-chained USB ports most of the time, and on occasion have even yet run out of ports. I can see a 16 port unit being more convenient, compact, and tidy solution.

If you have Apple gear, then it’s quite likely that you won’t buy just any accessory. No, it has to both look good and do something useful. Quirky’s newest product, the Space Bar, is both sleek and useful. And just to top it off, it’s priced reasonably, too. The Spacebar is simple product; a shelf with a built in USB hub. But simplicity is not so easily executed, although Quirky sure makes it seem like it is.

Are you waiting until the last minute?

Here are some ideas for the Macintosh owner close to your heart this Christmas.

Check them out after the break.