If I had to plug an external drive in to get high speed I would just use eSata. Enclosures are cheaper and readily available. Also, all I have to add to my desktops is a boilerplate SATA to eSATA plug, no new mobo or controller card.
The problem with eSATA is that it isn't USB- meaning that it isn't ubiquitous. You can't stick it in your PS3 or Xbox360, you can't connect it to any computer or laptop or netbook.
With USB3.0 the necessity of eSATA becomes fewer. As a standard it superior, but its less useful merely because its less ubiquitous. Every device has a USB port these days.
@Temple True, but most enclosures that support eSata also support USB as a fall back. Also you are not going to get any benefit of USB 3.0 on a PS3 or 360 as those devices lack the 3.0 controller.
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Superspeed USB good
Walwart bad
If I had to plug an external drive in to get high speed I would just use eSata. Enclosures are cheaper and readily available. Also, all I have to add to my desktops is a boilerplate SATA to eSATA plug, no new mobo or controller card.
@KAL326
The problem with eSATA is that it isn't USB- meaning that it isn't ubiquitous. You can't stick it in your PS3 or Xbox360, you can't connect it to any computer or laptop or netbook.
With USB3.0 the necessity of eSATA becomes fewer. As a standard it superior, but its less useful merely because its less ubiquitous. Every device has a USB port these days.
@Temple
True, but most enclosures that support eSata also support USB as a fall back. Also you are not going to get any benefit of USB 3.0 on a PS3 or 360 as those devices lack the 3.0 controller.