As the performance disadvantages of external drives became all too inconvenient the external eSATA format started to find a niche. Often as a performance alternative for the more compatible USB 2.0 interface. Just as the format started seeing some ground breaking it is risking to disappear just as fast. The new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface have the compatibility of USB 2.0 but theoretic performance way beyond eSATA.
Market analysts In-Stat says that eSATA may be dying out even if the second generation will launch in the second half of 2010 with twice the bandwidth, 6Gb/s.
It’s the general availability of the USB that is the biggest threat against eSATA that actually has the cost advantage.
USB 3.0 poses a serious threat to eSATA. eSATA lacks the versatility of USB and 1394/FireWire, which are found in a much wider range of devices.
