USB 3.0 will revolutionalize Time Machine

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From what I read USB 3.0's fastest speeds will be 600 MB/s (Megabytes, not Megabits) while 2.0 is up to 60 MB/s. This will change the initial backup speeds of Time Machine substantially. Current initial backups of a 160 GB HDD can take hours. With USB 3.0 it may only take 1 hour at most, depending on what the native speed of USB 3.0 will be.

I hope Apple is one of the first to put USB 3.0 in their laptops because I want it to be in Macbooks by next November. That's when I'll buy the 2nd refresh of Macbooks. I read that companies will begin to start putting USB 3.0 in their devices between 2009 and 2010 but knowing Apple they'll be among the first to support it. Can't wait.
 
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Apple will likely support it in their high end systems (mac pro) before they add it to their laptop line. Once there are more consumer devices that support it like external hard drives for time machine and thumb drives and such, apple will start to support it in their consumer systems.
 
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Quoted from an artilce about USB 3:
for a highly theoretical maximum 600MB/s

It will be fast, but won't be that fast. That is under absolutely perfect conditions in a laboratory setting.

I agree with PowerBookG4, you need to see a large amount of consumer devices support it first, then it will be added to the consumer line of Apple products. I would venture to guess that it would be in the MBP's before the MB's.
 
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For what its worth, real, observable transfer speeds right now are, roughly

35 MB/s for USB 2
39 MB/s for FireWire
72 MB/s for FireWire 800

So you can more than double your transfer rates on your current Mac just by buying a better drive (or enclosure....or even plugging it into the right port!)
 
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Hmm, when do you think more consumer devices will put them in their products? I'm hoping by June 2009 so that Apple can add it to their Macbook and Macbook Pro line by November 2009. Might be a big forestatement but if I buy a new laptop in November 2009 and they don't add it to the Macbooks till May 2010 then I'll have to wait until my next Macbook purchase (probably 2013) to have full USB 3.0 support on my laptop and other devices. That will suck.
 
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There's always the possibility that USB 2.0 ports will be able to run at 3.0 speeds with firmware/driver updates. No one seems to have definitively stated anything to the contrary. One reason I purchased a new MBP was for the Express 32 port which could possibly be used to add 1 or 2 USB 3.0 ports if needed.
 

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