has anyone tried a powered USB hub with the n800, will it work and allow for connecting several USB devices to the n800?

I am delighted to report that the Maplins "USB Adaptor AF/min USB 5pin M", part A80AH, works with the N800 running OS2008 and automatically switches it into USB host mode - I plugged in a USB keyboard and it worked straight away!
The guy in the shop was nice enough to let me plug it in to prove it would fit (I should have tried a USB keyboard out in the shop, but I didn't think to do so!).

I get quite a lot of babbling in "dmesg | tail -200" about USB, but it seems to work just fine...
[62269.343750] musb_stage0_irq 663: BABBLE devctl: 3d
[62269.406250] usb 1-1: new low speed USB device using musb_hdrc and address 8
[62269.539062] usb 1-1: skipped 1 descriptor after interface
[62269.539062] usb 1-1: default language 0x0409
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: new device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: Product: HP Basic USB Keyboard
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: CHICONY
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: device v03f0 p0024 is not supported
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: uevent
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: usb_probe_device
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[62269.546875] usb 1-1: adding 1-1:1.0 (config #1, interface 0)
[62269.546875] usb 1-1:1.0: uevent
[62269.546875] usbhid 1-1:1.0: usb_probe_interface
[62269.546875] usbhid 1-1:1.0: usb_probe_interface - got id
[62269.546875] drivers/usb/input/hid-core.c: HID probe called for ifnum 0
[62269.562500] input: CHICONY HP Basic USB Keyboard as /class/input/input5
[62269.562500] input: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [CHICONY HP Basic USB Keyboard] on usb-musb_hdrc-1
[62269.562500] drivers/usb/core/inode.c: creating file '008'
[62269.562500] hub 1-0:1.0: 100mA power budget left
[62269.562500] hub 1-0:1.0: state 7 ports 1 chg 0000 evt 0002
[62269.562500] hub 1-0:1.0: port 1 enable change, status 00000303
[62271.421875] tusb_source_power 629: VBUS a_wait_vrise, devctl 3d otg 172 conf c0010000 prcm 00a80500
[62276.039062] tusb_source_power 629: VBUS a_wait_vrise, devctl 3d otg 172 conf c0010000 prcm 00a80500
[62297.085937] drivers/usb/input/hid-core.c: can't resubmit intr, musb_hdrc-1/input0, status -19
[62297.101562] usbhid 1-1:1.0: retrying intr urb
[62297.132812] usbhid 1-1:1.0: retrying intr urb

sadly, it will not power my SanDisk thumb SD/SDHC/microSD adaptor:

[63174.007812] hub 1-0:1.0: debounce: port 1: total 100ms stable 100ms status 0x101
[63174.132812] usb 1-1: new high speed USB device using musb_hdrc and address 13
[63174.265625] usb 1-1: default language 0x0409
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: new device strings: Mfr=0, Product=4, SerialNumber=5
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: Product: MobileMate SD+
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: SerialNumber: 03663
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: device v0781 pb2b3 is not supported
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: uevent
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: usb_probe_device
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: rejected 1 configuration due to insufficient available bus power
[63174.273437] usb 1-1: no configuration chosen from 1 choice
[63174.273437] drivers/usb/core/inode.c: creating file '013'

where did you get it?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...=27&doy=search

says this part is discontinued

isnt the n800 supposed to provide 200mah bus power? well im not surprised sandisk uses more, never liked that brand... nice adapter, too bad its sold out. hopefully my DIY adapter and a 50mah keyboard will work

well, I'm glad I didn't know it was discontinued otherwise I'd not have gone to buy it! Bought from local Craplins shop (Cambridge Beehive on +44 1223 368632) - was not on display so asked some guy and he checked stock computer and fetched it from store!

so, I'd suggest ringing your local store and asking them!
http://www.maplin.co.uk/StoreLocator.aspx?

when I bought the sandisk adaptor there was a dearth of SDHC readers on the market, so it was as much by necessity, it also offered a specific slot for microSD cards so I could use it with the card from my Nokia phone; it wasn't too expensive.

but yes, I was a bit surprised it needed so much!

Probably it's claiming that is what it might need if you plugged in all of the cards and they were all drawing max power. You're probably safe overriding this ... you might need to change a constant in the USB chipset driver and re-compile the kernel.

Another screen shot to whet your appetites...

I dug out the nano usb keyboard I bought a while back when it was on special offer at Maplins, thinking it might be useful one day for making a docking bay for a IT if I ever bought one, and it works just fine!

That's cause maplin are thieving b*stards. If you go into the shop they only stock the stupid gold plated cables. A gold plated USB cable?? What, it's only going to transmit half a "1" or "0" if there's a bad connection. £5.99 for an F-F in my local maplins, or you could get the parts to DIY one for about £2.50 (but not as neat)