Why Thunderbolt 3 is the Key

The impact of Apple going all-in on USB-C with the 2016 MacBook Pro cannot be overstated. This is significant for tech across all industries and the beginning of a wave, a new standard in electronics. This decision will be felt and reacted upon beginning with Macs, PCs, and endless peripheral devices. Next, ripples to every other electronic industry. One port, a reversible cable connector on both ends, a port which sends and receives data, power, 4K / 5K video streams at the same time… Our lives are about to become much simpler.

What IS Thunderbolt 3? Is it USB-C?

“Thunderbolt 3 provides 40Gbps – double the speed of the previous generation, USB 3.1 10Gbps, and DisplayPort 1.2. For the first time, one computer port connects to Thunderbolt devices, every display, and billions of USB devices. A single cable now provides four times the data and twice the video bandwidth of any other cable, while also supplying up to 100W of power.

It’s unrivaled for new uses, such as 4K video, single-cable docks with charging, external graphics, and built-in 10 GbE networking. Simply put, Thunderbolt 3 delivers the best USB-C…

Thunderbolt I/O technology lets you move data between your devices and your computer with 2 channels of 10Gbps flowing both ways (upstream and downstream) at the same time. And it allows you to connect as many as 6 devices, daisy chained, through a single compact port.”

(https://thunderbolttechnology.net)

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It’s Different This Time

TB3 and USB-C utilizing the same port signal an inevitable future. Apple going all-in on USB-C ports means accelerated adoption across industries, from cameras to displays, external GPUs for laptops, hard drives and more, while still offering backwards compatibility for Thunderbolt / DisplayPort / USB 3.1 / 3.0 / 2.0 to ease the transition. There is almost no real downside to this, outside the death of MagSafe for Mac faithful and some new cables or adapters temporarily…

Let us not forget, technology is about making our lives easier, it’s about innovation, change. New solutions that can simplify and combine. As for me, I’m very glad Apple has the courage to make moves like this. Even when people call it crazy.

Steve Jobs:
People call us crazy-

Interviewer:
Or at least premature maybe?

Steve Jobs:
No, they call us crazy.

Steve Jobs on Apple’s Approach

Quotes of note:

“We try to look for these technical vectors that that have a future and that are headed up and you know technology different pieces of Technology kind of go in cycles they have their-their springs and summers and autumns and then they you know go to the graveyard of technology.”

We also got rid of these things called serial and parallel ports and we were the first to to dock USB even though Intel had invented it, we first sought in in in mass on IMAX. And so we have got rid of things, we were one of the first to get rid of optical drives with the MACBOOK AIR and I and I think things are moving in that direction as well, and sometimes when we get rid of things like the floppy disk drive on the original iMac.

Mac + PCs Converging for the First Time

We are witnessing the convergence of Mac & PC more than ever before, especially in the peripheral space. This is a where we will see high end devices from manufacturers implementing the same ports for Macs and PCs. Gone are the days of purchasing Thunderbolt for Mac to get the best performance, handicapping compatibility with other platforms.

A major step for personal computing and other devices too, I suspect Apple may bring Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C to the next generation of iPhones.

Thunderbolt 3 carries more data and the possibilities of more types of data over USB-C ports. High end PCs and Macs will support Thunderbolt 3, the cream of the crop of USB-C connections, one port to rule them all.

Eventually peripherals, hard drives, cameras and all else will follow suit.

Pro Tip – Buy Cables, Not Dongles

USB-C > USB-A 3.0 Adapter

USB-C > Micro USB Adapter

USB-C > HDMI Cable (HDMI 4K@30Hz + USB-C 3.1 @ $24.99)

Stop Whining About 20 Year Old USB-A Ports

Please stop posting ridiculous photos of “dongle” problems with adapters plugged into adapters. A couple cables and very small USB-A adapters will allow you to plug and unplug most devices where needed, especially on the go.

Switching to USB-C will be a little bumpy at first, but these issues will only get better as we move into 2017.

As for me, outside my mouse and keyboard I am very much a cable runner. I’m wired with several external drives, including Firewire (yes), Thunderbolt, USB and HDMI, from displays to card readers. I’ll be employing simple solutions and streamlining my workflow with minor modifications to the existing setup.

Most legacy devices do not take advantage of USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt 3 speeds @ 10Gbps and 20Gbps respectively, so a variety of cables (USB 3.0/3.1 to USB C on the other end) should do just fine.

Examples (linked) in the sidebar: These cables (Micro-B to USB-C) are for my self-powered hard drives and card readers for this exact purpose. In almost every case, my USB-A cables will change out for USB-C ports on one end. Where I previously used Micro-B to USB-A, I will now employ Micro-B to USB-C cable.

Docks, Hubs, Etc

When at the Mother Ship (main desk) I plugin my MacBook Pro to a Thunderbolt 2 hard drive dock with one adapter, Apple’s TB3 to TB2 Adapter. I run this separate from my power USB-C to maximize that 87w power source, and then I run a USB-C to HDMI cable to the monitor. I am not running a 4K external display,

Many USB-C monitors and charging devices do not provide more than 60w of power, so I’m waiting to see what happens in this space. Until I find a monitor that better suits my needs and has everything I’m looking for, I’ll wait.

My Solution (Thunderbolt + USB-C)

I am using one adapter, a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, to daisy chain my powered OWC Thunderbolt 2 hard drive dock.

And all of this is a temporary solution anyways, as I plan to replace my portable external drive with a USB-C SSD for orders of magnitude quicker transfers and workflows. I’ll keep my archives on good old SATA drives in the OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock, writing to those drives for a backup.

USB-C > Micro-B 3.0 Cable (5Gbps speeds @ $8.99)

USB-C > Micro-B 3.1 Cable (10Gbps speeds @ $29.99)

USB-C to USB-A 3.0 Cable (10Gbps speeds @ $8.99)

USB-C for Cameras

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USB-C Will Become Standard in Cameras

This one is a bit more complex, but go with me here. I work in video production and I’m hoping my hunches are right.

Most if not all cameras include some sort of Micro or Mini USB as well as HDMI, typically a compromised Mini or Micro-HDMI, flimsy, and a weak point on many small cameras. USB-C would be a more solid connection, while offering faster transfers and power, in both directions.

As cameras move forward in the next few years, most shooting 4K/6k and in higher bitrates, old USB standards will become useless. It may take a while for camera companies to get with the program, waiting for broader adoption in PC and mobile device spaces first.

One cable to send data, both ways, while charging the device. Think of the possibilities here. Once the industry adjusts to this USB future

As for SD Cards

I’m conflicted on this one, as I use SD cards a lot with the cameras I shoot with.

But we are on the cusp of change here as well.

Just look at the new Sony Alpha 7 Mark 3 rumor mill (supposedly using a different format besides SD). Also, cameras shooting 4k out of the box or very high RAW burst rates can be handicapped by SD cards, it’s only a matter of time until we are off to CFAST / XQD and other options like SSD media workflows. I will miss it for now, but I’d trade a baked in SD card slot for that Thunderbolt 3 port, especially when we’re talking about the next 3-5 years.

Cameras with USB-C For Charging and for Sending of 4K/5K Video Streams @ 30z/60hz/120hz

Right now, SD Cards are pretty standard among most DSLR and Mirrorless cameras, for sure. Some cinema cameras such as the C100 and Sony FS5 as well use SD cards. Although most higher end cameras use CFast or proprietary media. Depending on your setup, some people record to SSDs directly. But this is besides the point.

Consumer cameras will stick with SD perhaps, but a growing number of cameras will no longer use SD cards. We are accelerating into an era of 4K/6K/8K and unlimited raw burst cameras with very high bitrates.

We will have SD, Micro SD, Compact Flash, CFAST, XQD, SSDs, and other formats.

USB-C Audio, External GPUs

USB-C Audio Standard Coming (Goodbye 3.5mm Headphone Jack?)

“In fact, Intel is even working on a USB audio standard that might render the 3.5mm audio jack obsolete. And with the addition of Thunderbolt 3 now being the super-set of USB-C, eventually, we’ll just have only one type of port and cable to connect all peripheral devices to each other and to a computer. It’s predicted that, thanks to support for USB-C, the adoption of Thunderbolt 3 will take off, which hasn’t been the case with previous versions of Thunderbolt.”

(https://www.cnet.com/how-to/usb-type-c-thunderbolt-3-one-cable-to-connect-them-all/)

Thunderbolt 3 and External GPU possibilities.

Thunderbolt 3 having such high bandwidth allows for some new solutions, including external GPUs for laptops, giving meager machines a boost to their performance, housing any number of PCIe video cards from NVIDIA or AMD. This is still early days though and driver support is lacking for many cards, especially on macOS, but I look forward to what happens in this space. I dream of a combination monitor / external GPU for my MacBook Pro (and secretly wish Apple is developing this in house).

razer_core_maxresdefault

http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-core
http://nofilmschool.com/2016/11/bizonbox-3-thunderbolt-3-gpu-expander
https://www.akitio.com/expansion/thunder3-pcie-box
https://www.akitio.com/expansion/node

Apple Isn’t Perfect

No MagSafe Sucks

There are a few areas I will concede I am disappointed.. The one, even if it means one less multi-purpose USB-C port, is the loss of Mac-life saving MagSafe.

MagSafe has saved my computer from irreparable damage more than once, and I know many others who have been saved from that ill-fated drop thanks to MagSafe. I will have to take extra special care, until a higher wattage solution for power comes out, such as this one on Kickstarter. Griffin’s Breakfree is a 60w solution, which will work, albeit charge more slowly.

It’s Early in the Adoption Curve

We are in the early days of a new standard in ports, the beginning of one port type for desktop, mobile, peripherals, cameras, and other devices. Life will only become easier as we move forwards into 2017 and more manufacturers provide solutions utilizing USB-C. I look forward to the potentials of USB-C and what we all have yet to experience.

References / Other

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/usb-type-c-thunderbolt-3-one-cable-to-connect-them-all/
https://thunderbolttechnology.net/tech/faq#sthash.3idYAdHI.dpuf
https://thunderbolttechnology.net/consumer/
https://thunderbolttechnology.net/blog/difference-between-usb-c-and-thunderbolt-3
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/436147229/snapnator-your-macbook-snap-feature-is-back
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/436147229/snapnator-your-macbook-snap-feature-is-back
https://griffintechnology.com/intl/breaksafe-magnetic-usb-c-power-cable
https://medium.com/@ageitgey/the-new-macbook-pro-is-kind-of-great-for-hackers-64c1c577a4d2#.6f8wfpdoa
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3144518/apple-mac/10-reasons-to-love-the-usb-c-ports-on-the-new-macbook-pro.html