USB 3.0 PCIe and ExpressCard adapters flow from Addonics and VPI
By Darren Murph 
posted March 3rd 2010 10:41PM
posted March 3rd 2010 10:41PM
Belkin may have kicked things off nice and proper, but c'mon, surely you're smart enough to avoid paying such insane premiums for a major label, right? With the USB-IF recently certifying a full 50 SuperSpeed USB products, it looks as if the little guys are getting in on the upgrade game as well, with Video Products, Inc. and Addonics being the latest to offer up USB 3.0 PCIe and ExpressCard adapters. As you'd expect, the respective devices bring USB 3.0 support to products that were born without it, with VPI charging $45 for its 2-port PCIe host card, $52 to $65 for USB 3.0 HDD enclosures and an undisclosed amount for its forthcoming USB 3.0 switch. Addonics is offering your aged desktop USB 3.0 compatibility for the lowly rate of $35, while the ExpressCard will do the same for your laptop at $49.99. In related news, the company is also doling out PCIe / ExpressCard adapters for adding SATA 6Gbps support ($39.99 a pop), and if we were the betting type, we'd say the flood gates were just about to bust wide open.
I was just thinking it would be awesome if they made the same adapter for USB, then I realized how moronic my train of thought was. Maybe I should sleep.
@Nitesh cool story bro
worth the price
What's the point of expresscard usb 3.0 devices when the internal connection on the motherboard of most expresscard slots is based on usb 2.0?
@syko21
Actually, express-card is usb and PCI-Express x1
@syko21 It'd let you plug USB3 devices into the system too even if you don't care about speed. I believe USB 3 plugs won't connect with older ports?
@Smigit You're wrong. Downward compatibility is half the point of USB
@syko21
So is this PCIe card PCIe1 or PCIe2?
Judging by the price i'd say PCIe1 -- meaning you're limited to 230 MB\sec instead of somewhere around 500. Lame. Same thing with the ExpressCard i'm betting -- ExpressCard 1 instead of ExpressCard 2...
One big "meh" from me.
3.0!! hell yea, its about time, everything is evolving so fast and 2.0 just seems ancient in computer years by now
I really wish I had a free PCI-E port. Well, I do, but my fat ass video card heatsink is blocking it. I suppose I could ditch my PCI-E wireless card and get a USB one though. I need some USB 3.0 devices first.
ill just wait it out and upgrade my Mobo when USB 3.0 boards get cheaper
Apple, if you can read this, please make this & HDMI part of your MBP refresh this year. kthxbai.
Finally, a use for my MacBook Pro's ExpressCard slot!
Finally, an actual use for my MacBook Pro's ExpressCard slot!
I have a Kingwin USB 3.0 Expresscard and HDD dock sitting here, and will soon run some benchmarks with an SSD to see just how well the ExpressCard can handle it. (I know, not the Addonics one mentioned here, but just proof that even more cards are available).
if they can just make a usb sata combo card .. that would make my day
Just FYI, VPI's website is www.vpi.us.
Cables -- http://www.vpi.us/cable-usb-fire.html
PCI-e Card – http://www.vpi.us/usb3-pcie.html
External Storage -- http://www.vpi.us/usb3-sata.html
We will have USB 3.0 switches, hubs, repeater cables, and changers in stock in by the end of March! Thanks!
This is great and all but since Windows and OS X don't have USB 3.0 drivers built-in, you're going to run into all sorts of bugs and compatibility issues.
I worked in the storage space for years dealing with these sorts of issues. For instance, Windows still doesn't have a 1394b driver and that causes huge headaches for customers as the third party drivers often cause BSODs and app crashes.
I cant wait for usb 3.0 to become more mainstream, will open up the market to alot more devices.
These guys have a nice growing selection of usb 3.0
http://www.cut-rate-gizmos.com/14-usb-3