First USB4 retail products expected by end of 2020

[HEXUS]

USB4 is based upon Thunderbolt 3 tech and offers up to 40Gbps bandwidth.

Read more.

[globalwarning]

My money says they actually name it USB 3.3 (2x2)x2. There's still many moons for them to change their minds and screw it up.

[rave_alan]

They make it like intel)14++).

[AGTDenton]

I don't see why they don't just merge USB and Thunderbolt. Have one standard using one cable making it simple for consumers. You'll still end up with 'is this thunderbolt or is this USB'.
For example on my HP laptop it shows a thunderbolt symbol on a USB Type C connector. I thought yay I have Thunderbolt 3. Turns out the thunderbolt symbol is different to the official Thunderbolt 3 symbol and all it means is that it will charge usb devices from that port... Well played HP well played.

[Peter Parker]

Universal Thunderbolt Bus? Because UTB is one letter better than USB! (Joke stolen from Isaac Asimov who wrote that his HAL AI computer was named so that each letter was one ahead of IBM)

It'd still end up being "UTB 3.141594... SuperSpeedPowerPlus+^2"

I nostalgically looked up RS-232 and realised that also had a many changes and variations over the years - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-232

[DanceswithUnix]

For example on my HP laptop it shows a thunderbolt symbol on a USB Type C connector.

You aren't missing much. I gave my Thunderbolt "docking station" to a co-worker as it was nothing but constant grief. Working on the ground floor I couldn't even get proper satisfaction from throwing it out a window

[gagaga]

For example on my HP laptop it shows a thunderbolt symbol on a USB Type C connector.

You aren't missing much. I gave my Thunderbolt "docking station" to a co-worker as it was nothing but constant grief. Working on the ground floor I couldn't even get proper satisfaction from throwing it out a window

Which one? Got the Lenovo docks at work (deployed to 30+ desks) and at home and no issues, other than cables getting jumpy after 18 months solid use (multiple plugins-removes a day) at the connection to the laptop (USB C connector's fault) - quick flip of the cable and all good again. I've just budgeted to swap out the cables (20 quid a go) on each desktop once a year now in anticipation of this.

[peterb]

Universal Thunderbolt Bus? Because UTB is one letter better than USB! (Joke stolen from Isaac Asimov who wrote that his HAL AI computer was named so that each letter was one ahead of IBM)

It'd still end up being "UTB 3.141594... SuperSpeedPowerPlus+^2"

I nostalgically looked up RS-232 and realised that also had a many changes and variations over the years - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-232

And Windows NT - one letter after VMS - leading Digital Equipment operating system at the time.

[DanceswithUnix]

Which one? Got the Lenovo docks at work (deployed to 30+ desks) and at home and no issues, other than cables getting jumpy after 18 months solid use (multiple plugins-removes a day) at the connection to the laptop (USB C connector's fault) - quick flip of the cable and all good again. I've just budgeted to swap out the cables (20 quid a go) on each desktop once a year now in anticipation of this.

It's a Dell, quite an expensive i7 laptop. I suspect if it didn't have the Quadro built in it would be more reliable, but I'll never know as it isn't like I can just unplug the graphics.

In the end I build a desktop out of junk in my garage, so that just reliably works and I don't spend an hour doing a "plug, unplug, open the hinge, close the hinge, press the power button" dance in the morning trying to get two screens on the external monitors rather than just one working, or one external and the internal and one external blank.

OK it is better (though far from perfect) in Windows, but I'm a developer and really need to be in Linux to get my work done. Closed Nvidia drivers coupled with proprietary display switching tech running over Intel's bodged Thunderbolt connector, it isn't surprising it is delicate.

We had a power outage at the office the other day, and when the power came back the chap who now has that docking station was staring at two blank screens whilst pressing buttons and cursing, bought it all back to me (and yes, he runs Windows). I miss the old tray that you drop the laptop on top of.

[kalniel]

Universal Thunderbolt Bus? Because UTB is one letter better than USB! (Joke stolen from Isaac Asimov who wrote that his HAL AI computer was named so that each letter was one ahead of IBM)

*cough*Clarke*cough*

[Tabbykatze]

I think Intelnis still trying to keep TB relevant, especially with their drive for Ice Lake to have direct connection to the CPU instead of via a TB chipset.

The other benefit to Intel keeping TB going is they can keep AMD slightly on the back foot. AMD decided not to have TB in Zen 2 because the validation for TB requires Intel to have access to the microcode of the processor which being they are heavily competing would have tipped Intel off.

Until TB is open (or replaced by ThunderUSB), it will just sit in Intels corner. But it's heavily underutilised paper tech, it really is great on paper but it is inordinantly expensive to incorporate.

[Dashers]

I have literally never seen a thunderbolt connector on any device (not saying they're not there, just never clocked it). Same goes for Firewire.