Windows 8 to support USB 3.0 and all previous USB devices

By Jeffrey Van Camp August 23, 2011

usb-3-0-market-forecast-microsoft — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky has been busy lately updating the new Windows 8 blog. A few days ago, he revealed the entire list of Windows 8 feature teams and now he’s decided to detail out the upcoming operating system’s USB 3.0 support. In a blog post, he reveals that, as expected, Windows 8 will be compatible with USB 3.0, the next generation of USB port, and the more than “10 billion” USB devices around the world.

Unfortunately, USB 3.0 comes with its own set of challenges. To maintain support for USB 2.0 and 1.0 devices, Microsoft has had to combine their compatibility software from Windows 95 through Windows 7 with a completely new program for USB 3.0 devices. The task wasn’t easy. If you don’t believe us, check out the flow chart behind these two Windows architects, Randy Aull and Vivek Gupta.

usb-3-0-flow-chart — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The team is testing more than 1,000 physical devices and many more using software. If they’ve done their job right, when you plug in a USB device into your Windows 8 machine, it will just work.

USB 3.0 has a theoretical max data transfer speed of 5 Gbps. This half the 10 Gbps max speed of Intel’s new Thunderbolt ports, which Apple has been adopting at breakneck speed, but it’s still a big leap from what we’ve been living with for 11 years, the 480 Mbps max speed of USB 2.0. At the end of the video, Microsoft also shows a Windows 8 computer (in compatibility mode) transferring an HD movie at USB 3.0 speeds. Microsoft claims that you can transfer a full HD movie in about 80 seconds, much better than the 15 minutes it would take on USB 2.0.

Sinofsky reiterates how big a focus Microsoft is making on backward compatibility with this version of Windows. While Windows has always focused on backward compatibility, it’s likely that the Redmond giant sees its historical dominance as a way to leverage any weary users to try out Windows 8, despite its innovative new interface. We look forward to learning more, but we do hope that it’s possible to transfer files to USB without having to leave the new Windows 8 interface. The more Microsoft relies on its old Windows 7 design, the weaker its Windows 8 foundation becomes.

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Computing

Power up your tech game this summer with Dell’s top deals: Upgrade for a bargain

Dell Techfest and best tech on sale featured.

One of the best times to upgrade your tech stack, be it your desktop, a new laptop, or some high-resolution monitors, is when great deals are to be had. Well, I'm here to share that thanks to Dell's top deals, you can power up your tech game and have most of the summer to make it happen. Maybe you're happy with your current system or setup. That's excellent, but you're likely considering upgrading somewhere, and that's precisely what these deals are all about. Dell has a smorgasbord of deals on laptops, desktops, gaming desktops, monitors, accessories, and so much more. We'll call out a few of our favorite deals below, but for now, know that you should be shopping this sale if you're interested in anything tech-related.

What summer tech should you buy in Dell's top deals?

Computing

I love the MacBook Pro, but this Windows laptop came surprisingly close

Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

There are some great machines in the 15-inch laptop category, which has recently been stretched to include the more common 16-inch laptop. The best among them is the Apple MacBook Pro 16, which offers fast performance for tasks like video editing and the longest battery life.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 is aimed not only at other 16-inch Windows laptops but also at the MacBook Pro 16. It offers many of the same benefits but at a lower price. Can it take a place at the top?
Specs and configurations

Computing

How to set an ‘Out of Office’ message in Microsoft Teams

Person using Windows 11 laptop on their lap by the window.

Many people use Microsoft Teams regularly to communicate with colleagues both inside of the office and remotely. It is considered one of the most efficient ways to ensure you can stay in contact with the people on your team, but what if you need to let people know you’re not readily available? Microsoft Teams has a method for you to set up an "Out of Office" status for your profile to let staff members know when you’ll be gone for the afternoon, for several days on vacation, or for an extended period.
Where do I go to set up my ‘Out of Office’ status for Teams?
It is important to note that your Microsoft Teams and Outlook calendars are synced. This includes your out-of-office status and automatic replies. So, whatever you set up in Microsoft Teams will reflect in Outlook. Similarly, you can set up your out-of-office status in Outlook, and it will be reflected in Teams; however, the former has a more straightforward instruction.

First, you can click on your profile icon in Teams and go directly to Schedule an out of office, as a shortcut. This will take you to the settings area where you can proceed. You can also click the three-dot icon next to your profile icon, then go to Settings > General, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, you'll find out-of-office settings and click Schedule.