Question 1

How long is the cable for hooking to the pc?

Accepted Answer

Hello there, Thank you for contacting us with your question. Per the manufacturer specification, the cabled included is 3.3 ft [1 m] USB 3.0 Cable. The specs are listed under the Technical Specifications tab and will be linked below. https://www.startech.com/Cards-Adapters/USB-3.0/Hubs/7-Port-USB-3-Hub~ST7300USB3B Hope this helps, -Newegg Support

Question 2

would this be good for like a living room setup for mouse and key bored or would it be to slow for like gamming?

Accepted Answer

Sorry, but I'm not sure  that I'm qualified to answer that question.  Obviously, the quickest speed is direct to the computer.  Other than that, I can't say.

Question 3

can I assume that it is compatible with my mac mini?

Accepted Answer

I use mine on a pC, but if your MAC is USB 3 (not USB2 compatible) it should work fine.  I really like these hubs.  I bought two of them and won't run out of ports any time soon :-)

Question 4

Will copying a blank USB drive result in erasing content on the 7 USB drives?

Accepted Answer

Out of the box, no, there is no way this device can erase 7 drives simultaneously.  However, with a short Java (simplest) or C++ program, you could easily do it.  In pseudocode:
Thread( String driveLetter ){ 
byte[] buffer = new byte[4096];  // Initialize to all 0's
try(open file on drive driveLetter){
  while(true)
     write(buffer, file)
}catch(IOException e)
   // here you should be done; you could test to see if drive is full of zeros
   delete file from drive;
}
exit thread

Main
String[] drives ={"a:\", "b:\", ... }
for each drive letter i
  create thread
  call thread (drive(i))
exit;

Question 5

Will copying a blank drive will the unit act as an eraser?

Accepted Answer

I haven't done this operation; however, I would not expect the hub to erase.  The copy is determined by the software used.  I wouldn't assume that any copy is done correctly until it is verified; thus, I would not try to copy and erase at the same time.

Questions & Answers