USB 3 and Your New Notebook

For what it's worth:
USB 3 is finally going main stream but gradually and grudgingly. High end notebooks, external hard drives are popping up more frequently with USB3. Desktops can be altered with an add-on card so we are back to crawling behind our computers to plug in flash drives (when USB 3 flash drives become cheap enough to consider). I guess we can always use an extension cable and duct tape it to the case. I doubt those ports on the front of your case will be useful because USB3 uses 8 wires opposed to USB2's 4 wires.

Notebooks are another matter. Adding to notebooks will not be possible for all practical purposes. If you can hold off on a notebook purchase until it includes USB3, I would hold off. If you are simply buying a $500 surf-the-net version, it really doesn't matter all that much. But a power user is going to want USB3. Yes, power users already know this so this is more for power user wannabees.

Here is an explanation of USB3. Bottom line ... it's fast.

Edit: I guess we could use a PC Express Card like this. My underwhelming experience in the USB2 from USB1 period is the lack of current but maybe PC Express is hotter. It takes juice to run an external HD. Flash drives are no problemo. It would give my lonely PC Card slot something to do.