What is the one thing the super fast Thunderbolt technology from Apple c/o Intel cannot claim?
“Look mom! No hands!”
It’s still requires you “hold-on”… a new wire, cord, cable, whatever you want to call it from the host computer to the device, then from device to device. Enter the power and opportunity for Wireless USB, and then consumers will have a decision to make:
- Do I want super fast connectivity to my storage, printer, monitor, etc. ?
- Do I want the convenience to connect to my storage, printer, monitor, etc without the leash?
That’s the question posed by ZD Net’s Jason Hiner last week – “Forget Intel’s Thunderbolt, Wireless USB is the game-changer”.
I don’t know about you, but for me, I’ll take the elimination or wires over a boost in performance any day of the week. Why?
by iStockphoto
I hate cable management. I’ve tried cable wraps, pipes, loops mounted under the desk. I’ve done the labeling of cables and feeble attempts at cable consolidation via hubs. It doesn’t matter. I still have a desk drawer with a rats nest of cords and a backpack bulging with “you never know when you’ll need this” cables weighing me down.
Just give me the freedom to connect to my storage, display, entertainment system…everything wirelessly, and please make it a single standard, protocol that works across everything, not just certain proprietary products.
“Look mom, no hands” sounds much more like me than “mom, look at how fast I can go.”
Then again, that’s just me (and at least Jason Hiner)
Anyone else agree?
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I believe Thunderbolt is targeted more toward the high-end computing, and HD video editing market. If you want a wireless hard drive, there are already great solutions available from G-Raid, HP, and yes, even Apple. If you want extreme speed, then you use ThunderBolt.
It may not be for everyone, but it is a game changer for the select few that need it.
@Nicholas Wautier Great point…it’s not always about “the masses” right? AV editing has always been a Mac stronghold, so Thunderbolt is a perfect solution for that space. Thanks for chiming in.
there is just one thing that bothers me… where does the energy come from, which is used to run the hard drive?
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Well, I do agree that our digital world is becoming more cable cluttered… I believe Thunderbolt is a solution.
One port to handle external displays and storage… and possibly even other peripherals. Wireless is great and all but this also introduces charging. I’d rather bring a connecting cable than a charging cable. With a bus powered cable I don’t need to look for an outlet.
Battery powered devices are heavier, way more costly, and don’t perform as well.
Show me wifi that’s faster and cheaper than a CAT5e/6 cable.
As media storage grows, the need for faster data transfers was long overdue. With USB 3 traveling at a snail’s pace for roll-out, I wouldn’t be surprised if TB over takes this in a few months after NAB.
I personally can’t wait for Seagate’s GoFlex TB cables! This will allow people to buy drives NOW, and not wait for a dedicated TB drive to be released.
I’d take the speed over wireless for external storage.
– USB (or even Firewire 800) is simply not fast enough for large file transfers, video, photo, music editing, running virtual machines etc.
– Finally the external interface is NOT the bottleneck.
– Power, as mentioned by other commenters, drawn through the interface cable, obviates the need to carry a power supply with your portable drive.
– Thankfully there are lots of other wireless devices to reduce clutter like keyboards, mice, all-in-one machines (eg. iMac).
– Wireless USB could be good to connect external displays, if it is fast enough.
Hi Mark,
Sounds like you’re describing two very different user needs – both of them valid, but both of them irreconcilable (at least with current technologies).
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So the Goflex adapters won’t offer TB speeds?
If so, why don’t they yell it from the rafters?
They should hire me to do advertising..
People have huge hds with huge files. If I can make quick, large backups in an hour instead of overnight, I’ll pay through my tender nose!! What’s one more cable??