@Mike Squires

While I'd like to see USB3.0 as well (it's in both of my PCs), there are some advantages to Thunderbolt. Specifically, like ePCI from which it derives, and like Firewire, Thunderbolt is multi-mastered. So the camera can just send you video, it doesn't require the PC keep asking, as USB does. Not a huge deal given all the solid-state and "PC-like" storage anyway, but it's still good.

I think Thunderbolt has a chance of succeeding where Firewire really failed. A big part of that is who's involved... Apple came up with Firewire, and did pretty much everything you don't do when you're trying to establish an industry standard. As a result, they pushed the USB folks, lead by Intel, to release USB 2.0 to solve some of the same problems.

This time, Thunderbolt is from Intel. That's good for two main reasons. One is simple: Intel builds tons of chipsets. Thunderbolt will be in all of the new "Ivy Bridge" PCs coming out, starting this Spring. And of course, everyone else building chipsets copies what Intel does. So, <>, instant standard.

The other reason is that Intel typically licenses all patents for free, and spins control of the new standard off to an independent group for management. In short, Intel just wants to sell chips, and they've figured out long ago you don't build a new standard by asking $1.00 per port (Apple's original asking price for Firewire).

-Dave