MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Add USB 3.0
What has been long rumored and speculated here has come true TWICE over! Both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air got hardware upgrades today that included adding USB 3.0 alongside their proprietary, but more expensive, Thunderbolt. This says a lot for the widespread use of USB drives and the advancement that the USB 3.0 technology represents. What makes this great for the rest of us is that the USB 3.0 is backwards compatible, meaning it will still be able to use all our old USB 2.0 flash drives as well as the many USB 2.0 gadgets out there.
The transfer speeds for USB 3.0 maxes out 500MBs per second – which is not something that you will ever really see when it comes to actual performance, a lot like the theoretical Highway Miles Per Gallon advertised on cars. Still, it’s good to know that the efficiency ratios are upgraded with USB 3.0. Besides, the fact that Apple has embraced this technology, even with Thunderbolt along side, says a great deal about the ubiquity of USB technology.
We have been following the latest since mid-2011 and described USB 3.0 as a better value over Thunderbolt. Basically, USB 3.0 is more affordable in terms of host and controller chips–$2 to $3 per controller compared to $10 to $15 for essential Thunderbolt parts.
Here’s what else is going to run along the side, and under the hood, of your lighter, better MacBook:
MacBook Pro
Along the side will be an SD slot, HDMI, Two USB 3.0/2.0 slots, Magsafe 2, and two Thunderbolt slots. Under the hood the new 15.4-inch Pro with Retina Display:
- 0.71 inches thick
- Weighs 4.46 pounds
- Quad-core Ivy Bridge processors going up to 2.7GHz and up to 16GB of RAM
- GeForce GT 650M graphics cards
- All-flash storage, up to 768GB
- 7 hours of battery life
MacBook Air
Along the side will be Two USB 3.0/2.0 Slots, Magsafe 2 and a Thunderbolt Slot. Under the hood, the updated Airs:
- Ivy Bridge processors, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage
Leading the Pack?
USB 3.0 offers data transfer speeds that are ten times faster than 2.0. Also, the benefit of being able to use all the previous USB 2.0 drives in the new slots makes this a great advancement. PremiumUSB.com has seen these benefits and geared up to meet that growing demand with USB 3.0 products and services. That Apple has embraced USB 3.0 demonstrates that what we have been preparing for and providing already is on the right track. Not only do we offer the retail Sonic USB 3.0 drives, we also offer custom USB 3.0 flash drives. There are limitless ways to customize and use a USB drive, which accounts for their stamina in the market. Everyone wants something that represents them – and the USB drive is another way, now with 10 times the speed!
Where else will you see USB 3.0? Let me know in the comments below.
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I’m looking at Apple macbooks either the macbook pro or air. I wanna know people opinions on them and what they suggest
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