Agree 100 percent! The one interface spec I think Apple did right was the lightening connector. It's far more rugged than the USB micro connectors which I find are always snapping off the boards due to poor mechanical support. The lightning connector is super solid, has a nice click when you plug it in and is not keyed so you can't insert it in wrong.
 
Now if Apple could only make an iPhone cable that didn't shred at the strain relief, all would be well !
 
When I saw that RME's new BabyFace Pro was going to be USB2 I new that Thunderbolt was dead and USB3 wouldn't offer any real life improvement in performance of the interface. RME aren't known for making poor decisions which is why long term driver support for their products is excellent.

denverdrummer
 
 
Thunderbolt is dead. Deader than a doornail....................

As it relates to Thunderbolt, to paraphrase Mark Twain........."the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!"   USB-C is a universal connector (USB, Display-port, TB, etc...) USB-C is Thunderbolt! Existing TB devices (TB 1/2) will simply use a TB to USB-C dongle adapter to use the new connections (TB3 is backward compatible). New TB 3 devices will come standard with a USB-C connector.
 
Lots of USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 devices and laptops/PCs at 2016 CES:

http://arstechnica.com/ga...-some-traction-in-pcs/

Intel should sell a boatload of these, Thunderbolt and all:

http://www.techspot.com/n...nuc-thunderbolt-3.html

Wow, I did not know these "NUC's" even existed. These quad-core Skylake NUC's with USB-3-C (TB3) connectors will blow the current under powered Apple Mac Mini's out of the water! I have a 2011 Mac Mini with a TB port and did not upgrade to a new model because Apple stopped providing quad-core versions, only slow dual core, which is too under powered for serious DAW use anymore.

That is a lot of performance packed into such a small form factor. When are these being released.....I want one already! 

I think 2016 will be the year TB finally goes mainstream on PC's thanks to Skylake & USB-C! In fact, seeing where the market is heading, I would not even think of investing in a new PC right now that did not have a Skylake chipset and USB-C connectors, just to future proof me for the next 5-7 years for all of the USB-C devices coming down the pike in the years ahead.

Cheers,

Billy Buck

Billy Buck
http://www.techspot.com/n...nuc-thunderbolt-3.html

Wow, I did not know these "NUC's" even existed. These quad-core Skylake NUC's with USB-3-C (TB3) connectors will blow the current under powered Apple Mac Mini's out of the water! I have a 2011 Mac Mini with a TB port and did not upgrade to a new model because Apple stopped providing quad-core versions, only slow dual core, which is too under powered for serious DAW use anymore.

That is a lot of performance packed into such a small form factor. When are these being released.....I want one already! 

I use a NUC at work, it's about the size of the number pad on your keyboard and is clipped to the back of my screen.
Totally silent, totally solid state, running two screens (a 10 point multi touch and a standard 22") and Win10 Pro X64.
I've not tried running Sonar on it.. but it runs Kerbal Space Program beautifully