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Clash of the Titans Over USB 3.0 Specification Process

Ian Lamont writes "Nvidia and other chip designers are accusing Intel of 'illegally restraining trade' in a dispute over the USB 3.0 specification. The dispute has prompted Nvidia, AMD, Via, and SiS to establish a rival standard for the USB 3.0 host controller. An Intel spokesman denies the company is making the USB specification, or that USB 3.0 'borrows technology heavily' from the PCI Special Interests group. He does, however, say that Intel won't release an unfinished Intel host controller spec until it's ready, as it would lead to incompatible hardware."

2 of 269 comments (clear)

  1. Re:So... by armanox · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Yes, but, IEEE 1394 is clearly superior

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    I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
  2. Re:1394 For Life by petermgreen · · Score: 1, Redundant

    several reasons
    1: at least early in firewires life there were some fairly significant licensing fees, dunno if that is still the case.
    2: Firewire is intrinsiclly a higher spec and more expensive interface. A good example of this is the power provision, firewire can carry much more but the higher voltage makes using it more awkward for devices.
    3: Firewire has become something of a niche product, the more niche a product is the less people the upfront costs are spread over.
    4: in the case of motherboard support the major chipset manufacturers integrate USB support so the only significan cost to fitting USB is the connectors. For firewire a seperate controller chip is needed.

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    note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register