USB Wireless Post Mortem Examination
Wireless USB technology, initially promising, failed to broaden its user base amidst a plethora of complications. In this analysis, we delve into the main reasons behind the technology's faltering journey and highlight some orphaned and incompatible products that never gained traction.
The primary cause of the wireless USB's unsuccessful venture was the emergence of competing standards. Texas Instruments and Intel championed Multiband Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (MB-OFDM), while Motorola (formerly Freescale), HP, and others preferred Direct Sequence Ultra-Wideband (DS-UWB). These conflicting standards created market fragmentation, stymying the adoption of a single standard [1][2].
Technical hurdles and radio frequency (RF) interference also posed significant challenges for wireless USB technology. In congested environments, RF interference significantly impairs performance, leading to diminished throughput and unreliable connections [2].
Aside from RF interference, products like Belkin's wireless USB hub struggled with performance issues, grossly underperforming in critical areas. For instance, the hub showed an 80% reduction in throughput at just one foot away and another 30% at four feet, with a maximum range of approximately six feet – a far cry from the claimed 10 meters [1].
Additionally, the technology's lack of compatibility and support exacerbated the problem. Wireless USB often necessitated changes at the driver and operating system level, adding complexity and reducing compatibility. For example, Belkin's reworked dongle-hub kit initially lost Mac compatibility and was initially available only with Windows drivers [1][2].
The wireless USB landscape was littered with orphaned and incompatible products. Notable examples include Belkin's Cable-Free Dongle-Hub Kit, initially slated to support both Mac and Windows, but ultimately limited to Windows due to chipset changes, facing significant performance issues, and garnering poor reviews [1][2]. Another such example is Gefen's UWB Wireless USB System, which was initially developed based on UWB technology but eventually abandoned in favor of a non-UWB system. These products never reached the market [1].
Competing standards, technical challenges, and insufficient support resulted in wireless USB technology's inability to achieve mainstream popularity. Concurrent improvements in WiFi and Bluetooth technologies have further diminished the need for wireless USB solutions [2]. However, for those who abhor wires, it is possible to transfer USB data over WiFi.
The emergence of competing standards, such as Multiband Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (MB-OFDM) and Direct Sequence Ultra-Wideband (DS-UWB), was a significant factor contributing to the failure of wireless USB data-and-cloud-computing technology to gain traction. Moreover, the technology's reliance on Linux and other operating systems led to compatibility issues, further deterring widespread adoption.
