PQ: Well, the equation simply is too simplified - or not really an equation, as it won't work both ways. I.e., while Thunderbolt 3 is indeed designed to use a USB C connection, just because a device sports a USB C port doesn't necessarily mean it would have to support Thunderbolt 3 as one of the possible "alternate modes" - in fact that doesn't even mean it would have to support USB 3.1 speed.
So one could compare that for example to a USB 2.0 port not necessarily having to support 480 Mbps "Hi-Speed" or to modern Intel processors that are based on the same core or even die version, but have different features enabled/disabled...
Greetings from Munich!
Manfred / lini
Well if intel who is the developer of all Thunderbolt versions is marketing Thunderbolt3 as USB-C
In the eyes of most consumers it is a new version of USB In spite of the over simplicity of the equation,
Which quite frankly intel rebranding TB3 as USB-C is a good marketing move that may lead to more acceptability among consumers & PC manufactures.
TB1 & 2 have after 4 years failed to be widely excepted & implemented withe the exception of Apple products.
Tubderbolt3 or USC-C or whatever it called is way too early to see if it will become “the one compact port that does it all.”
The industry & consumers over time will decide if it lives up to its promise and becomes the new standard.
I personally stay as far away from any new digital product ,format ,DAW or OS until it has stood the test of real world application & proven to be stable, reliable and the accepted industry standard.
Been there done that & learned that lesson the hard way.
I have nether the time or inclination to beta test any new technology and certainly won’t invest my money in something that simply is unproven and may soon be as useful as floppy disk.
Maybe TB3 will be the game changer that it is hyped to be. If so I will implement into my workflow when its has a proven track record.
Until then “No thank you to any version of Thunderbolt.”
I will stick with my time tested RME FF800 & ProToools 10 and OSX 10.8.5
I own a PT10/11/12 license and when PT12 is fixed & proven bug free & rock solid( if ever) only then will I ever consider installing & using it.
Right now I can open a session in my present system walk away from the desk go on the road for 2 weeks and the session will be exactly as I left it when I get home.
When my FF800 fails I will then look at what is available at that time with proven track record equal to the FF800.
I am pretty sure it will be a RME product that has been on market for years just as the FF800 was when I purchased mine new 6 years ago.
If RME engineers are actively developing products, drivers & technology around USB3 that tells me a lot.
I doubt seriously if Matthis Carstens is paying his developers to pursue soon to be obsolete technology & that is for technical reasons sonically inferior..makes no sense.
Bottom line is in some circles who’s only experience with USB is cheap or poorly implemented USB DAC’s …There for frowned upon so be it..
The other side is the engineers & developers at RME who are actively developing & implementing new technologies and flagship products using USB. So one can logically conclude that they don’t frown upon USB and believe in its future.
USB -Thunderbolt -Firewire or whatever new technological wonder that awaits us in the future is really irrelevant.
How the 1 & 0’s go from the digital domain to the analog sounds waves the we hear doesn’t really matters.
There are and will be a few incredible sounding products and some really bad sounding products too and bunch that fall somewhere in the middle no matter the technology used.
In the digital world the early bird doesn’t just get the worm… they get all of bugs, glitches, & crashes & failures too!
So wade into new & unproven technological waters at your own risk.
Cheers
PQ