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300D

macrumors 65816
May 2, 2009
1,284
0
Tulsa
Ironic that I may be able to add USB 3.0 to my nine year-old desktop system.

Not really. Thats why it was marketed as a "pro" machine at the time.
You still won't be able to use it though. Your G4's PCI buss can only handle 266MB/sec, half of USB3's "theoretical" capacity.
 

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
If Apple made a midrange tower with PCI slots (you know, like they used to) that wouldn't be a forced choice.

Ironic that I may be able to add USB 3.0 to my nine year-old desktop system.
You're going to need PCIe x1 or x4 for a USB 3.0 controller depending on the variety. PCI won't make it this time out.
 

hss1

macrumors member
Aug 8, 2009
53
0
No USB 3 for Mac's

Apple will be pushing for light peak Intel's new Fibre Optic connection which is 10 Gbps USB is only 4 Gbps.

The advantage with light peak is that its one connector for everything
 

53x12

macrumors 68000
Feb 16, 2009
1,544
4
Apple will be pushing for light peak Intel's new Fibre Optic connection which is 10 Gbps USB is only 4 Gbps.

The advantage with light peak is that its one connector for everything

Any reason for Intel to put effort/resources into USB 3 when LightPeak will be coming out around the same time?
 

atlatnesiti

Suspended
Sep 4, 2008
839
212
Sydney, Australia
Help!

I was going to pull the trigger on a 27 inch iMac but I know that USB 3.0 is here. So if the next iMac refresh has it, don't we lose out? That's a serious upgrade.

Anyone know how close we are to appearing in iMacs?
USB 3 officially will be implemented by Intel in 2011 or 2012... so who gives the f**k.
 

splitpea

macrumors 65816
Oct 21, 2009
1,134
396
Among the starlings
Any reason for Intel to put effort/resources into USB 3 when LightPeak will be coming out around the same time?

Backwards compatibility?

Anyway, you won't be seeing USB3 in iMacs for about 24 months, and peripherals that take advantage of it probably won't be widespread for another 12 or so after that -- so sure, if you're interested in putting off your purchase 3 years for the sake of USB 3.0, go ahead; if you're going to need a new computer soon-ish, don't hold your breath for USB 3.
 

Eric S.

macrumors 68040
Feb 1, 2008
3,599
0
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
You still won't be able to use it though. Your G4's PCI buss can only handle 266MB/sec, half of USB3's "theoretical" capacity.

That's why it would be ironic. What's going to approach the theoretical capacity anyway?

You're going to need PCIe x1 or x4 for a USB 3.0 controller depending on the variety. PCI won't make it this time out.

Too bad. Well then dual-core G5s will be capable of using it, while the modern quad-core iMacs won't. I'm going to be going the hackintosh route by then anyway, assuming Apple won't be offering a midrange tower.
 

300D

macrumors 65816
May 2, 2009
1,284
0
Tulsa
Any reason for Intel to put effort/resources into USB 3 when LightPeak will be coming out around the same time?

Its very likely why they pushed USB 3 support to 2011. Intel's own LP is a direct competitor so it would be in Intel's favor to put most of their resources towards developing LP for asap mass production.
 

snorkeller1

macrumors newbie
Apr 24, 2003
25
0
USB3 etc.

After stumbling on sites like http://www.reghardware.co.uk/ it appears that Light Peak will come after USB3 (as USB4 possibly) and is much faster.

If USB3-supporting mobos from ASUS, USB3 flash-drives from Super Talent, USB3 ExpressCard from Fresco Logic are mouth-watering already, it's hard to think Apple isn't chomping at the bit. It's difficult to think that Apple is going to wait while Intel bides its time on USB3, since interface speeds are the weak spot in mass computing.

Apple will, in time, include SATA-3 and BlueTooth-3, of course :apple:
 

Mr.Bullitt

macrumors regular
May 15, 2009
173
2
How about FireWire 1600/3200

So much talk about USB 3.0 - but what is the latest word on FireWire 1600/3200????:confused::confused:
 

5630745

Cancelled
May 30, 2007
513
24
No way will we start to see this until the fall of 10. Slow roll out on this, I think...
 

Buzz Bumble

Guest
Oct 19, 2008
802
2
New Zealand
i think the thread starter asked a very valid qn...
currently all my comps are still running on USB 1.0... i faced many problems when i try to connect my comp to devices that run on USB 2.0... although we know USB 2.0 is back compatible, but when conducting updates on these devices, i still face a lot of problems...

especially if one wishes to use their comp for more than 5 years, this is definitely an aspect one must really take into consideration...

The Mac I currently use was one of the last beige G3 PowerMacs, so it still has ADB, SCSI and Apple Serial ports. It has no USB ports, but this Mac has lasted me 11 years. :)

It really depends on what you do with the computer and whether you are constantly upgrading external devices which still work perfectly well (my original Apple Serial printer works fine, and it is only fairly recently that the bulb on my SCSI scanner has died).
 

mrsir2009

macrumors 604
Sep 17, 2009
7,505
156
Melbourne, Australia
The Mac I currently use was one of the last beige G3 PowerMacs, so it still has ADB, SCSI and Apple Serial ports. It has no USB ports, but this Mac has lasted me 11 years. :)

It really depends on what you do with the computer and whether you are constantly upgrading external devices which still work perfectly well (my original Apple Serial printer works fine, and it is only fairly recently that the bulb on my SCSI scanner has died).

I have an iMac G3 and it has USB, but the only thing I use it for is a memory stick, and that would work with even the slowest USB ports... By the way congradz on still using an old machine (like me lol). They are still useable and should not go to waste =)
 

snorkeller1

macrumors newbie
Apr 24, 2003
25
0
old 'puters etc.

The sentiment for older machines is understandable, but time and electricity also should not go to waste ;)

If you're using a high-cap high-speed thumbdrive to transfer gigabytes of stuff, then even USB2 starts to show its age.

I've got an iMac G3 and a '05 iBook G4, and the latter feels barely adequate with USB2/Bluetooth-2/wireless-G.

Necessary updates, for my mobile computing, would be a laptop with wireless-N/Bluetooth-3/USB-3/SATA-2 or -3/SnowLeopard/LED-display/polymer-battery. It's all about time and energy use.
 

Buzz Bumble

Guest
Oct 19, 2008
802
2
New Zealand
The CRT-based iMac G3 was the first Apple computer to use USB and it used USB 1.0. (You will often find things like keyring flash drives say they are backwards compatible with USB 1.0). I'd have to do an Apple history check to see which Mac introduced USB 2.0 though.

As well as USB 1.0 and USB 2.0 (and up-coming USB 3.0), there are also "powered" (on the Mac itself) and "non-powered" (on the keyboards, until fairly recently) versions of the ports.
 

Evangelion

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2005
3,374
147
Help!

I was going to pull the trigger on a 27 inch iMac but I know that USB 3.0 is here. So if the next iMac refresh has it, don't we lose out? That's a serious upgrade.

Anyone know how close we are to appearing in iMacs?

What does USB3 offer that FireWire 800 does not offer?

Fact is that if you think that you should wait because some "new and improved" technology is on the horizon, then you would be waiting forever. There's ALWAYS something new and improved being released.

Do you NEED USB3? Why? For HD's you already have FireWire. For most peripherals USB2 is plenty fast. If you really, REALLY need it (which I doubt), then go ahead and wait. If not, now is as good time to buy as any. If you feel like waitin for USB 3, then what about other technologies? what about Light Peak?
 
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