Belkin intros pricey USB 3.0 expansion cards, cables

Belkin has joined the slowly expanding list of manufacturers pushing out devices equipped with SuperSpeed USB 3.0. Naturally, hardware outfitted with the latest USB spec is fetching a premium, but Belkin's prices might deter the giddiest of early adopters. The company has launched a line of USB 3.0 products, including a PCIe add-in card, ExpressCard, as well as A-B and Micro-B cables.

Belkin claims its products can support speeds up to 180Mb/s, or about three times the transfer rate of USB 2.0. The company took a moment to cite some USB-related statistics from In-Stat and NPD, showing that there were over three billion USB-enabled devices shipped in 2008, and as of last month, Belkin was the market leader in USB connectivity.


Belkin's USB 3.0 PCIe and ExpressCard expansion cards have two ports and cost about $80, while four-foot A-B and Micro-B cables are $40, or $50 for eight feet. A six-foot USB 2.0 A-B cable can be had for a buck or less. Items should be available stateside in April, and May for Canadians.