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Question: What is the performance difference between this and the usb only version?
Document: I tested the thunderbolt/usb 3 one and it still has the same write and read as the USB 3 non thunderbolt drive.Both have the same drive inside it BUT the only difference is that one is Thunderbolt and USB 3 ($212) which is this and the other is just USB 3 ($123) .
Pros:+ 7200rpm HD+ Comes with thunderbolt and usb 3.0 cable+ Doesn't run hot+ No bulky annoying power supply (hey it's been a really long time since I bought an external HD)Cons:- Cost- Would be more cost effective to go with a USB 3.0 driveThe long version:Out of the box I was impressed with the look and feel.
Excellent external drive. They give you the thunderbolt cable as well. The drive seems solid and most of all it is 7200 rpm's. That makes a big difference when compared to other drives that are priced the same.
Now USB 3 gives 5gbps and Thunderbolt gives 10gbps. This drive for sure ain't gonna have that speed even with a thunderbolt connection.BOTH ARE 7200 RPM and both have 136mbps transfer speed as the box says but tested and gives 125 and sometimes little up.Just save your money and get the USB 3 version.
I find it hard to believe that a company like G-technology would ship a faulty drive so I won't necessarily blame them. I might buy a replacement unit once Amazon has them back in stock because the Buffalo Thunderbolt drive has too many negative reviews to function as a reliable backup drive imho, even though my second portable backup drive is a Buffalo (USB 2.0).UPDATEI settled for a Toshiba drive with usb 3.0 rather than wait for a more reliable thunderbolt device.
Works great for video editing!Recommended!Go for it! Limited choice in the market! Connect both PC and Mac with TB and USB3!
When my Lacie backup drive failed I worried. Usually the computer internal drive fails. I asked all my Mac friends and everyone said get a G-Tech. So I did and I love it. Easy set up and use. Holds a ton of memory. Slim, sleek, and doesn't make the silly noises my Lacie tower made.
Thunderbolt is advertised at 10gb/s transfer rate! Well I completely oversaw the fact that with a spinning hard drive you are limited to the disk read/write speed. In the real world thunderbolt has an advantage over USB 3.0 when it comes to Raid or SSD setups. With 5400/7200 rpm drives you are much better off saving some money and going with a USB 3.0 drive- granted you have USB 3.0 on your computer.
This is a great drive. I bought it to have a faster external portable drive for my mac. Works great and is faster than a traditional Drive.
This hard drive is awesome. The same files on a USB 2.0 drive would take over 4 hours , and now via the thunderbolt port, I can transfer in about one hour! The combination of the drive being 7200rpm and thunderbolt speeds, really make this drive blazing fast.The thunderbolt cable stays cool. I have heard complaints on other hard drives where the thunderbolt cable gets extremely hot.The bottom of the drive is a stainless steel/brushed aluminum which helps keep the drive cool.
Answer: This, with the Thunderbolt port, is probably the speediest backup drive you will ever encounter.  Not that USB drives are bad, but you won't even know it's backing up!