RIDE

RIDE (Redstone Iron Data Exchange) is a computer interface allowing for the connection of mass storage devices to a motherboard. The first RIDE standard was released in 2059, superseding the REDE connectors.

Description
RIDE was created as an improvement to REDE, using iron to enhance the data transfer pins. Because of this, the connector was changed significantly to allow for the use of iron. The data pin is symmetrical, and therefore reversible when using a sole RIDE data connector. However, the power cable is not reversible and the underside of the male RIDE power connector is protruded to prevent a wrong insertion (which could permanently damage the RIDE hard drive).

Currently, the largest RIDE hard drives have a capacity of 8 TB. All standard RIDE drives fit a certain size specification (referred to as the 3" specification). Certain uRIDE drives, created for ultraportables, fit a .9" specification.

RIDE-400
RIDE-400 was a prototype standard made for the purpose of testing the RIDE interface, developed in May 2059. It has a maximum transfer speed of 400 Mbit/s.

RIDE-600
RIDE-600 was the first commercial standard of RIDE. This interface was first available to commercial computer manufacturers around December 2059.

RIDE-800
RIDE-800 was developed and released in December 2063. It boasted an impressive transfer speed of 800 Mbit/s, putting it on par with the commercial Lapisfer 2 connector.

RIDE-1K (1.0 Gbps)
RIDE-1K was developed first in 2070 and was largely a test standard to see how RIDE would cope with higher data transfer speeds. It was released in August of that year, but it was then announced that a 1.5 Gbps variant would arrive in 2072, thus invoking the Osborne effect.

RIDE-1K (1.5 Gbps)
The 1.5 Gbps variant of RIDE-1K was the first commercially successful RIDE-1K variant and was largely agreed to have wiped out the Lapisfer port. It was released in March 2072.

RIDE-2K (2.1 Gbps)
RIDE-2K was announced June 2074 as the "next-gen interface to redefine the computer industry. Due to Aurelius' RedLink 2 Gbps connector arriving in April however, RIDE suffered a loss in its PC market share as Aurelius users were switched to the proprietary interface.

Future
RIDE developers have announced testing of lapis in data transfer (inspired by Lapisfer), as opposed to using redstone. The new connection could theoretically be named Lapis Iron Data Transfer, and may release sometime around 2075.
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