Newsletter Archives
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Thunderbolt is not just for monitors
BEN’S WORKSHOP
By Ben Myers
When will Windows computer makers embrace Thunderbolt?
This is not an idle question, but the answers are quite complicated, involving three different evolving industry standards: Thunderbolt, USB, and DisplayPort. Today’s Thunderbolt 5 offers the possibility of simplified and very fast connections for all manner of devices, not just monitors.
The Thunderbolt 5 aggregate data transfer rate is up to 120 gigabits per second in both directions, providing single data channels faster than USB and in the ballpark of the speeds inside a computer.
Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.10.0, 2025-03-10).
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Working with USB 3 and 4 in Windows
HARDWARE
By Ed Tittel
The Universal Serial Bus, most commonly known as USB, has been a basic staple of computing since it first arrived on the scene in 1996.
It’s a widely used computing-industry bus standard that’s overseen by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), an industry consortium that publishes and maintains standards for USB4, USB 3.2, USB 2.0, USB ports, cables, connectors, and more. I haven’t seen a PC that didn’t include multiple USB ports since the early 2000s.
Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.34.0, 2023-08-21).