Why oh why!

[knemonic]

Can't Apple offer a Thunderbolt to USB 3.0 adapter like the Firewire 800?

I can get a USB 3.0 base for my Seagate FreeAgent, but have no where to plug it in on my iMac.

Guh!

 

[S.B.G]

Can't Apple offer a Thunderbolt to USB 3.0 adapter like the Firewire 800?

I can get a USB 3.0 base for my Seagate FreeAgent, but have no where to plug it in on my iMac.

Guh!

Check out the Sonnet Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter .

The Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter from Sonnet is an excellent way to expand your interface options on your Thunderbolt-enabled Mac computer. This external adapter connects to a Thunderbolt port and features an ExpressCard/34 card slot with the PCI Express 2.0 x1 bus interface. You can add Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, USB 3.0, CompactFlash, and SDXC flash card connectivity to your computer. All you need is the relevant ExpressCard/34 to fit into the adapter. In addition, the adapter also supports specialty adapters like the latest revision PCIe Bus Extender for Sonnet's Qio Professional Media Readers, and the interface adapter for the AJA io Express. Plus, you can hot-swap cards.

 

[knemonic]

Check out the Sonnet Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter .

I've heard of those.

That's cool and all, but you're talking a chunk of change. You have to buy the device, the card, a TB cable.

If Apple were to make a TB to USB 3.0 for $30, that is gold.

You could get a reasonably cheap external with that adapter that doesn't break the bank.

I really hope they do this, since for all iMac and older Air/Pros, could get USB 3.0 without all new machines, which is one of the points I had always assumed with TB.

 

[old-wiz]

It takes active electronics to convert Thunderbolt to USB; it costs money

 

[Razorhog]

Maybe sell your current iMac and use the cash towards a new USB 3 enabled 2012 iMac.

 

[knemonic]

It takes active electronics to convert Thunderbolt to USB; it costs money

I doubt that. They created a TB to Firewire adapter. Also, TB essentially is just an extension of the Express PCI bus, meaning all the cable is is like a bare PCI slot inside an Mac Pro. The cable would have a small controller chip inside, similar to a PCI card inside a Mac Pro that goes to USB 3.0.

Feasibly, I don't see why it cannot be done.