Thunderbolt

[DJKyleHughes]

Thunderbolt has a lot of opportunity, but I feel like it won't become VERY popular until there are some cheaper options. I do although agree with Botstein about how apple's products are extremely expensive yet people still buy them. And people will always buy them.

[MyUsername]

It's one of the tragedies of early adopters that peripherals end up expensive for a while……just one more reason I don't think the Retina MBP is ready for the prime time yet.

Just so that we're clear: Thunderbolt has been around longer then the newest MBP, in fact my early 2011 also has a thunderbolt port.

So yes, it's been well over a year and still little progress on Thunderbolt applications.

[mostapha]

Files we use on day to day basis are okay with USB

If you're working with text files, yes. The speed difference is noticeable for me when I hit about 10MB. With FW, it just happens. With USB2, I have to wait. And waiting sucks.

I might pick up the Belkin (which incidentally will be $399 MSRP, not $250)

The press announcements and belkin's website say 299. Also, who pays MSRP?

Just so that we're clear: Thunderbolt has been around longer then the newest MBP, in fact my early 2011 also has a thunderbolt port.

So yes, it's been well over a year and still little progress on Thunderbolt applications.

So does my early-2011. The Retina MBP is not ready for the prime time because it dropped firewire.

I agree that it'll still be a while before anything meaningful comes out for it in the Audio world. The UA Apollo is supposed to get it as an upgrade, there are PCIe chassis that use it (which is awesome, and Apogee has a Thunderbolt Symphony IO thing coming out as well……and they're not exactly consumer pieces.

Which is why I use firewire. Without firewire, I think the computer's a joke……unless you do video editing, since they've been using USB2 for a long time to connect to cameras and just dealing with painfully slow import times because they didn't have a better option.

Seriously…guys into video have the patience of mountains. I can't stand to wait for my 6MP still camera to transfer over USB……I have to be doing something else at the same time.

[botstein]

If you're working with text files, yes. The speed difference is noticeable for me when I hit about 10MB. With FW, it just happens. With USB2, I have to wait. And waiting sucks.

The press announcements and belkin's website say 299. Also, who pays MSRP?

This press release?
http://www.belkin.com/pressRoom/rele...ck_060512.html

[mostapha]

http://www.belkin.com/pressroom/rele...lt_010812.html

I guess mine is older. Maybe they changed it.

[djproben]

Seriously…guys into video have the patience of mountains. I can't stand to wait for my 6MP still camera to transfer over USB……I have to be doing something else at the same time.

They get interns to do it for them

[mostapha]

I meant the guys doing it on their own.

[CrissC]

I can't help my self, but for back-ups and data ( movies, music, photos - family, party etc.). I would use a network drive. So it is available 99% of the time you are at home and not when you plug the drive in and it is available for every one on the network (it is handy sometimes - like sharing photos, music, videos somewhere else in your apartment/house or with your friends) . IMHO I would buy some smaller drive for TB and use it for storing files which requires fast transfer rates or to be with you everywhere ;-)

[botstein]

I can't help my self, but for back-ups and data ( movies, music, photos - family, party etc.). I would use a network drive. So it is available 99% of the time you are at home and not when you plug the drive in and it is available for every one on the network (it is handy sometimes - like sharing photos, music, videos somewhere else in your apartment/house or with your friends) .

Really?

The transfer speeds of WiFi are nowhere near that of Thunderbolt. Besides, wireless security is a joke.

I know it didn't appear in my original post, but I tour a lot and really push my electronics to the limit (like many on this forum). If I'm in Quebec for a week, (slow, easily compromised) network drives in New York are just useless.

IMHO I would buy some smaller drive for TB and use it for storing files which requires fast transfer rates or to be with you everywhere ;-)

The Elgato SSD, the smallest thunderbolt drive, starts at $450, which is not particularly cheap.

Having any file in only one place is asking to lose it.

[tombruton69]

YOU ARE MAD!!!!

its not optical thunderbolt that is not coming out for a few more years. So you have mechanical thunderbolt so you have your 10gig speed thats awsome, right ok so lets write to it, hey wait im only getting though put of 2.2gig per second. Oh ive got a sata 2 hdd(chances are it will be lower). if you use usb3 you get the same speed! ok so a few years have passed you though lets get a new macbook pro! we now have sata3 so you get about 5.5 gig on the thunderbolt vs 4.5 gig on usb 3.

also remember with usb 3 can plug into pretty much any computer made in the last 10 years! Thunderbolt your stuck to the latest macs from the last 2 years and a few PC's only know of 2 mobos supporting thunderbolt as of yet.

so in 99% of use cases for no or very little performance increase is it really worth an extra 400 bucks?

of course if all your storage is on raided ssd's go for it and you have a forest of money tree's