Power Management
I see alot of folks complaining about how their new Thunderbolt dies after a few hours. I suspect they never bothered to plug them in after purchase. Typically, you should let the battery die a few times, then get a full recharge. You'll get better life.
People, this is not your "run of the mill" phone. It's not Nokia, Samsung, or LG. Heck, it's not even an iPhone. What you hold in your hands, is, in other words, a computer. You may not realize it, but in essence, it is. It has power which you yet don't realize. And with it, comes a price. Battery life.
If you listen to the folks on the forum, you'll learn how to extend the life of the battery. Although I don't own a Thunderbolt (am waiting for Pyramid), I am on my second Android, currently a Desire. I can tell you, that with proper management, you can get at least 31hrs. If you keep WiFI, Gps, and listen to music all day, be prepared to recharge. It's a fact of life.
On a normal day, with "normal" usage, I usually get 19hrs. Not bad for an Android. I keep a USB cable with me when I am on the job. I learn to plug it in at night.As a matter of fact, right now, it's at 49% after 14hrs.
As with USB charging, the computer you plug it into, has a bearing on if it charges or not. My Gateway lapcow at home does just fine. My work computers, well, they keep it at the same level. Their USB just does not have the balls to charge it. This will happen to a lot of people, so don't compare it to "older" phones that you used to charge on older computers.
As with a lot of Andriod "veterans", we know how to deal with this. It's not unusual. Listen to what the "old folks" have to say, and relax. It's all about power management".
Or you could go to the iPhone (which I understand now you can't even change the battery without taking it to a service center)