With uper fast USB 3.0 specification is gaining momentum from the first half of 2010. Traders continue to market devices supporting the heir to the ubiquitous USB 2.0 standard. Companies like Seagate, Kingston and Western Digital have joined the long list of manufacturers offering external drives with USB 3.0, while others such as US Robotics and TrendNet on sale hubs and adapters for the latest USB specification.
But problems arise when you want to use all these new devices, but found a startling lack – maintenance and system and software level. The lack of support chipset is the most obvious, but the software does not lag behind in this respect – as the USB 3.0 specification is not fully integrated in Windows 7.
These two factors make widespread difficult, and Intel and AMD do not facilitate things.
Who’s Afraid of USB 3.0?
USB 3.0 offers a potential speed data transfer of 600 MB/s, ten times faster than USB 2.0. To reach these high levels, USB 3.0 added a second bus to the existing USB 2.0 bus. And perhaps most important of all, USB 3.0 is fully compatible with all earlier USB devices.
Surprisingly there is still no clear chipset with support for USB 3.0. Of course, there are USB 3.0 motherboards, but they rely on the USB chip developed by third parties (such as the popular NEC line of USB controllers added). The lack of support has created an entire industry of PCI Express and ExpressCard USB 3.0 adapter.
Driver support and operating system are also worrying, as it adds an extra layer of difficulty for system manufacturers. None Windows operating system will natively support USB 3.0 and users should fully rely on third-party developers. (Surprisingly, and Linux does not support USB Hub 3.0)
This lack of maintenance of hardware and software slows significantly the levels of absorption, the first USB 3.0 motherboards recently came out this year.Intel and AMD use a different way by offering two types of implementation of new technology on its bottom boards.
USB 3.0 productivity can easily be run at full 600MB / s., Especially with a multiple devices to store information. Performance problems would disappear if available appropriate design of chipset, including USB 3.0 support.
Something Borrowed, Something New
Like SATA 3.0 standard, USB 3.0 is an interface that is waiting for the hardware to reach his level, but this is not always a bad thing. Although the fastest SSD drives will not overtake and USB devices such as printers, keyboards and mice just do not need higher speeds, then there are some advantages. The extra speed will improve disk performance and enable a USB hub to connect devices without loss of speed.
The lack of support chipsets is very surprising, especially when SATA 6Gbs already built some platforms. By Intel, Light Peak could change the balance, but what refrain AMD? With full backward compatibility, USB 3.0 offers a profitable solution, potentially leading buyers to platforms from AMD and throwing sand ( “Sandy Bridge”, sand-sand) in the face of Intel.