How does USB 3.0 compare to competing interfaces (i.e. eSATA, FireWire 3200, ExpressCard 2.0)?
Firewire has long been the “forgotten” other mass market, high-speed interface standard. Previously available in Firewire 400 or 800 flavors, it has gradually fallen in popularity as USB 2.0 has surged. Apple, the inventor of the original IEEE 1394 “Firewire” standard, has repeatedly sent mixed messages with the ditching of Firewire first from iPods, and more recently from the mainstream MacBook laptops (except for the lowest-end MacBook, oddly enough). In late 2007, the 1394 Trade Association announced Firewire 3200, called “S3200”, that builds upon the existing Firewire 800 standard that was released in 2002. Utilizing the very same connectors and cabling that is required for Firewire 800, S3200 is basically a drop-in replacement once the internal system components are updated in devices. To date, S3200 has not gained much traction, even in traditional Firewire markets such as digital video. Firewire’s main claim to fame is that it is a highly efficient peer-to-peer, full-duplex, non
