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I've asked a lot of hardware engineers why ethernet is not simply used for everything. I've never gotten a real answer, one that involves technical reasons. It

• lajhsdfhsdf 6y ago
  Three technical reasons: 1) Long distance communications require much more powerful transmitters/receivers, which also makes it hard to design for high data rate. 10 Gbps ethernet is only just getting popular for consumer electronics, while 10 Gbps USB and video have been around for a very long time. It's not just market forces, it's inherent in the physics of the interface IC design. It also impacts power consumption; a 10 Gbps ethernet PHY takes a lot more power than a USB3.1 hub (by like, 10x per port). 2) Ethernet is galvanically isolated. This takes up a huge amount of space, both volume and PCB area, and makes it much more difficult to provide power. Galvanic isolation is important for robustness across variable electrical environments, but isn't that important for devices in the same room, and especially not on the same AC circuit. 3) The connector is optimized for cost and easy installation in the field, but it's not particularly durable or electrically robust (locking tab is delicate, can't be overmolded easily, not electrically shielded most of the time, huge transmission line stubs, etc.). I can definitely envision a world where everything used maybe two standards, perhaps Ethernet for long distance and Thunderbolt for short, but there are lots of valid reasons for differentiation. There will always be tradeoffs. In the imaginary two-standard world, you wouldn't want to pay for a 20 Gbps Thunderbolt controller in your mouse.
• danielEM 6y ago
  World would be prettier with just ethernet (aldo it is not perfect)