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Hard-drive docks get a speed boost courtesy of USB 3.0 hotness.
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Read more.Quote:
Hard-drive docks get a speed boost courtesy of USB 3.0 hotness.
Why does USB3 carry such a price premium? Is the technology that more expensive? Or are there royalties?
Controller chip is probably from NEC and hence not cheap.
Manufacturers are looking to make a tidy profit before chipsets integrate the high-speed standard, me thinks.
One of the main benefits of USB 3.0 was that it could deliver 3x more power than USB 2 and all of the new USB 3 devices I've seen still need an external power source. Some portable external hard drives could even be powered by usb 2 yet I haven't seen any USB 3 ones that can.
It's only more expensive because it is new.
This means limited choice in controller manufacturers for just now, meaning higher prices.
Then there is the "lastest and greatest" premium added to products.
Also notice this looks to have a brushed aluminium casing instead of the normal mat plastic affair so it is clearly meant to be a premium product at a premium price.