News - SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is ready to go

[HEXUS]

The USB 3.0 Promoter Group has announced that a specification for SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is finally complete.

Read more.

[Saracen]

Why is it, I wonder, that phrases like "data transfer rate of up to 5Gbit/s" make my teeth itch?

It reminds me of "up to" 8Mb/s ADSL, or TV adverts offering "up to" 50% discount. I mean, a 1% discount, or even a 0% discount, is still "up to" 50%. All it actually tells you is that it won't be more than 50%, and all that claim in USB3 tells us is similar. It doesn't actually even tell us it'll be faster than USB2, though it probably will. It's marketing gobbledygook.

[Funkstar]

Could be because you aren't going to get 5Gbit/sec from that nasty little pen drive you've had in the drawer for the past couple of years?

[Saracen]

How do you know what's in my drawers? Been peeking?

[Funkstar]

You'll never know for sure

[Shooty*]

Could be because you aren't going to get 5Gbit/sec from that nasty little ped drive you've had in the drawer for the past couple of years?

Is a ped drive something Gary Glitter has?

[magneticman]

argh, why couldn't they get it finalised before the x58 boards were out?

[Funkstar]

argh, why couldn't they get it finalised before the x58 boards were out?

Finalising it before x58 wouldn't have meant it could be included. They are speaking about 2010 for USB3 to be mainstream.

[magneticman]

but isn't it a matter of installing a 3.0 controller? I mean say forthcoming revisions of the x58 boards could have it no?

[TheAnimus]

The upto thing is common for a bus, if you think USB2.0 High speed is upto 480mbit.

you won't get that ever because of how the bus uses frames, hence why they (rightly) say upto.

My question is what will they call it when Full Speed is 11mbit, High Speed is 480mbit... Super Speed? Sounds wrong.

[Funkstar]

but isn't it a matter of installing a 3.0 controller? I mean say forthcoming revisions of the x58 boards could have it no?

You mean the 3.0 controllers that don't exist yet? yeah, sure, why not?

[magneticman]

we can now expect SuperSpeed USB controllers to appear as soon as next month

4char

[Saracen]

The upto thing is common for a bus, if you think USB2.0 High speed is upto 480mbit.

you won't get that ever because of how the bus uses frames, hence why they (rightly) say upto.

My question is what will they call it when Full Speed is 11mbit, High Speed is 480mbit... Super Speed? Sounds wrong.

Oh, absolutely. I understand overheads, etc. It's the way the marketing presents it, like those rather optimistic ADSL claims, or "unlimited" broadband, that winds me up.

It's also a bit like the way politicians talk about tax. You have to be VERY careful to listen to their exact words, because as often as not, what they actually said isn't what it sounded like they said if you took the overall impression they gave at face value, rather than studying the verbal small print.

[Funkstar]

4char

we can now expect SuperSpeed USB controllers to appear as soon as next month, and consumer products will follow in 2010

Other sources are also saying 2010 for actual retail hardware. I'm assuming development shipsets will be around next month, but there still needs to be driver support, product development (this isn't going to be a drop in replacement for existing chipsets), hardware revisions, bug fixing, etc, etc, etc.

2010 sounds reasonable to me.

[miniyazz]

So... any guesses for the name tag for USB 4.0? MegaSpeed? UltraSpeed? IronManSpeed FTW :-D

[this_is_gav]

EpicSpeed.