8 ms·
USB standard bodies can borrow a page from the Ethernet port and signal standards. 10-mbps to Gbps evolution does not have to be painful for users.
by billylo 10y ago
USB standard bodies can borrow a page from the Ethernet port and signal standards. 10-mbps to Gbps evolution does not have to be painful for users.
- an_account 10y agoBut Ethernet isn't included on many laptops anymore... This rush to be "thin" has required changing the physical ports, and has contributed heavily to this issue. For a few years there will be confusion as cables/connectors/standards shake out, but it's gonna be awesome after that when we have super thin laptops that just use one connector.
- douche 10y agoThere is no reasonable excuse that a laptop need be so thin that it cannot accommodate an ethernet port. Oh well, I'm a late-twenties dinosaur that still expects to be able to remove batteries and pop off panels to upgrade hard disks and RAM...
- bartvk 10y agoI bet it has more to do with the amount of use these ports get (i.e. less and less people using ethernet). And besides, when I get to work, I hook up my laptop to a plain old USB hub which has an ethernet connection.
- an_account 10y agoExactly, anyone sitting down at a desk would prefer to plug in one cable that include power, ethernet, keyboard, mouse, and external display. These thunderbolt cables are the dream, it's just going to take a couple years for the peripheral market to catch up (surprisingly the iPhone is included in this).
- zdw 10y agoThe 8P8C/RJ45 connector which was used from 10Mbps to 10Gbps might be the same end, but different speeds when different cabling grades (CAT3/5/6, etc.) were used. While most 1Gbps equipment can work in 10/100Mbps mode, most 10Gbps equipment can only downgrade to 1Gbps mode. It's actually a pretty good comparison to USB-C - lots of different modes with one physical interface and many things that don't work quite right or have significant caveats.
- jzl 10y agoStart getting involved with 10Gb Ethernet and it is no longer trivial. You've got Cat 6, 6A, and 7, and all sorts of different length and shielding considerations and often don't get anywhere close to 10Gb.