You could try to be a bit more specific and say “My computer has USB 3.1 Gen 1.” That would be a bit better. So if you say “My computer has a USB-C port.” that means you can most probably connect every USB-C device, but not necessarily a Thunderbolt 3 device, because, as we learned, USB-C only defines the mechanical connector. Developers even were a bit lazy: they just used ports from other standards: A Mini DisplayPort connector for Thunderbolt 1 and Thunderbolt 2 and now a USB-C connector for Thunderbolt 3. It is the same situation in the Thunderbolt world: you have to differentiate between mechanical connector and speed.
USB 3.1: numbers define the possible speed USB-A: letters define the mechanical connector, Gen 1 supports 5 GBit/s (like on the 12″ MacBook) and Gen 2 supports 10 GBit/s (as much as Thunderbolt 1). USB 3.1 comes in two steps: USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.1 Gen 2. USB 1.0 is extremely slow and is not used anymore, USB 2.0 is the slow minimalist solution for cheap cables, USB 3.0 the fast variant that is on newer Macs. This uses the newest connector, but slow speed, if you use it for data transfer: only USB 2.0 speeds are possible.Īnd this defines the speed: the number after the USB. Be aware: this only describes the mechanical ports and plugs, we don’t know anything about the usable speeds yet! Apple delivers the new MacBooks with a USB-C power supply and a USB-C cable. Is has the advantage, that you don’t have concentrate on the direction how you plug the cable in, much like Lightning.
The newest version of this connector now is USB-C. Everybody knows a USB-A port, the little rectangle on every device there is. USB-A, USB-B and USB-C only define the mechanical connector. Thunderbolt and USB – is it the same? The different lies in the mechanical construction and the protocols used. With this new standard, a new plug was introduced, too: USB-C. Why is that? The idea to let every protocol run over one mechanical port is used with Thunderbolt 3 also.
The port’s names don’t have (almost) nothing to do with data speed Only the old Macs with the same mechanical Port only deliver graphic signals. So you just plug a dongle in and the Thunderbolt port gives out DisplayPort or Ethernet.
This is very handy as a user can assume that a Thunderbolt port delivers every signal that is promised. Thunderbolt is portfolio of existing protocols. The difference? Older Macs are only able to give out DisplayPort signals, newer ones can deliver DisplayPort signals and everything else that Thunderbolt provides, like graphics, USB, Firewire, Ethernet etc. The port looks like a Thunderbolt 1 and 2 port. The introduction of USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 ports creates quite a complex problem: How to connect a monitor with Mini DisplayPort that has more than 1920 x 1080 pixels?Ī Mini DisplayPort is built in almost every Mac.
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