Gordon Mah Ung of Maximum PC Compares Thunderbolt vs. USB 3.0 in The Definitive Showdown for Gizmodo
We are constantly being asked which is better, Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 and the truth is there's really no easy answer. As you can see in this "definitive showdown" that ends in a tie:
Yeah, we know, no one likes a tie, but to recommend one technology over the other at this point would be wrong. If you need performance external storage for video editing, photo editing, or other storage-intensive needs, Thunderbolt rules. It's over, right? Hands down, performance wins? Not quite. Ubiquity really matters in this world. As we said earlier, the inability to just grab your data and go to work at a friend's or colleague's without wondering if Thunderbolt is available is a major ding. Thunderbolt pricing is also at a premium, but really not quite as over-the-top as we expected. We acknowledge that T-bolt has other interesting configurations, but we think its primary purpose today will be for storage.
One thing is clear: The showdown between USB 3.0 vs Thunderbolt isn't over. And as much as their respective proponents deny that the two interfaces even compete, we think both are headed for a major clash down the road.
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