USB 2.0 & USB 3.0|SuperSpeed USB|Backward Compatible

January 25, 2009

3.0 the Lucky Charm?

Posted by: DT : Category: Future Ahead

Right now the standard for memory sticks and anything USB is 2.0. It was released in April 2000 and prizes itself with a transfer rate of 480 Mbits/s. That’s pretty good when you compare that with the 12 Mbits/s of its predecessor 1.1. But it’s nothing to the USB 3.0 transfer rate of up to 4800 Mbits/s. That’s 4.8 Gbps! Hence its nickname: SuperSpeed USB.

But let’s be honest – after 9 years hadn’t it been overdue to take this leap? To me that’s a definite yes. One compensation for this long waiting period is that 3.0 should be adaptable with all the current USB media. This is called “backward compatibility”. That means you won’t have to trash all your USB 2.0 devices but that you can use them in a USB 3.0 port just like you’re now. But don’t expect to get the 3.0 performance out of them. For that you really need all components to meet the new standard (cable, host machine and actual device).

Expect USB 3.0 drives to come out around christmas 2009. I will add them here as soon as they are available. So keep a watch on this place! (Or just subscribe to my RSS feed)

Update: See my post on USB 3.0 flash drives

…on eBay right now: