USB 3.0, ExpressCard 2.0 Specifications Finalized

As we reported earlier this month, the 17 of November was to be not only the day for Intel's latest generation desktop processors, dubbed Core i7, but also the day when the specifications for the next-generation USB standard would be revealed to the world. As expected, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced yesterday that the specifications for the USB 3.0 had been finalized, after a good 14 months since the leading chip maker, Intel, first demonstrated a prototype USB 3.0 device.

Motherboards or devices that are meant to feature the new connectivity standard aren't expected to debut on the market until sometime in late 2009, at the earliest, while the majority of compliant device are more likely to become available sometime in 2010. Motherboard manufacturers are likely to jump at the opportunity of integrating the new connectivity standard in their forthcoming products, especially since the Super-Speed USB 3.0 is expected to deliver up to 10 times the performance and speed achieved by today's High-Speed USB 2.0.

According to the now-official specifications of the USB 3.0 connectivity standard, upcoming devices are expected to provide an incredible speed of 4.8Gbps, whereas the current USB 2.0 standard is only good for a maximum of 480Mbps. The improvement is clearly visible, and is even more impressive if we were to compare it with the first USB standard, dubbed Low Speed USB 1.0, which was only good for a maximum speed of 1.5Mbps. One can only begin to imagine what the USB 4.0 specifications may bring.

As mentioned earlier, the Super Speed USB 3.0-enabled devices aren't expected to arrive until sometime in early 2010, by which time we should see a surge in new flash drives, external hard drives and other digital media products, such as music players and video cameras. The USB 3.0 will prove highly advantageous to upcoming external solid-state drives, which will benefit from the USB 3.0 higher bandwidth.

In addition to the unveiling of the USB 3.0 specifications, the ExpressCard 2.0 standard has also been unveiled. "ExpressCard technology is closely tied to the PCI Express and USB specifications, and the 2.0 release of our standard takes full advantage of recent advancements in both interface technologies," said Brad Saunders, chairman of the PCMCIA, in a statement. "Now that the new SuperSpeed USB specification is ready, PCMCIA can move forward to finalize the ExpressCard 2.0 release and make it available to members in early 2009. Consumers can expect to see new, innovative products that take advantage of the enhancements offered by the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard starting in 2010."