Intel Dragging with USB 3.0

With companies like Asus and Gigabyte all gung-ho to push USB 3.0 into every household, you'd expect the new spec would have an easy time marching into the mainstream. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, and you're not likely to see USB 3.0 become widespread until the tail end of 2011. The reason? No direct support from Intel.

"The real sweet spot of a new version of USB comes when it is integrated into the chipset of the PC," said Brian O'Rourke, an analyst at In-Stat. "That's when USB becomes mainstream. By integrating it into the its chipsets, Intel essentially allows PC OEMs to offer that new flavor of USB for free.

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