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Intel Demonstrates Light Peak Connectivity Standard Running on Laptop

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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152634-light_peak_notebook_500.jpg


Notebook computer sending simultaneous video streams to external display via Light Peak
PC Pro reports that Intel this week is showing off a laptop running the company's "Light Peak" connectivity standard initially offering transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps in both directions. The company previously demonstrated the technology using a prototype Mac Pro motherboard last year, but has now reduced the required hardware to fit inside a laptop enclosure.
Intel's chief technology officer, Justin Rattner, claimed that the bandwidth afforded by the optical technology is practically unlimited. "Light Peak begins at 10Gbits/sec, simultaneously in both directions," he said. "We expect to increase that speed dramatically. You'll see multiple displays being served by a single Light Peak connection. There's almost no limit to the bandwidth - fibres can carry trillions of bits per second".
Click to expand...
Intel envisions Light Peak as being able to replace USB, Firewire, and display connectors in the future, and notes that the hardware should become available to computer manufacturers by the end of this year. Given the initial demonstration using Mac Pro hardware and rumors that Apple played a role in the development of the technology, many observers expect Light Peak to quickly make its way into Macs.

Article Link: Intel Demonstrates Light Peak Connectivity Standard Running on Laptop
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/05/05/intel-demonstrates-light-peak-connectivity-standard-running-on-laptop/
HiRez

HiRez

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Jan 6, 2004
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Hmm, Apple has been pushing its Display Port technology pretty hard, and ignoring other things like HDMI and eSata. How does this fit in with Display Port or FireWire? Does it compete with it? Replace it? I see yet more more dongles and converters in our future. :rolleyes:
 
optophobia

optophobia

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Oct 26, 2007
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HiRez said:
Hmm, Apple has been pushing its Display Port technology pretty hard, and ignoring other things like HDMI and eSata. How does this fit in with Display Port or FireWire? Does it compete with it? Replace it? I see yet more more dongles and converters in our future. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Hopefully it replaces it
 
Darkroom

Darkroom

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Dec 15, 2006
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Light Peak sounds great, but didn't many observers also expect Blu-Ray to quickly make its way into Macs? What about Apple's push for their own Mini DisplayPort and Firewire?
 
Aldaris

Aldaris

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Sep 7, 2004
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Any word on this making its way into PCI Express cards?

Buy this years mac-pro, add a PCI with next years light peak?
 
J

jbuk

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Jun 8, 2009
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The way I see it is that the idea is LightPeak will become a universal carrier for short-distance data — that is, instead of the myriad of USB, DisplayPort, FireWire, DVI ports that are currently present on the back / side of your computer would be replaced by a row of identical LightPeak ports, which would work with whatever you plug in.

Obviously, longer-distance networking would continue to go over copper or long-distance fibre.

Small devices like camcorders and iPods could have a single LightPeak port used for video output and data transfer, without the need for breakout cables or proprietary connectors like the current 30-pin dock connector.
 
wackymacky

wackymacky

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Sep 20, 2007
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HiRez said:
Hmm, Apple has been pushing its Display Port technology pretty hard, and ignoring other things like HDMI and eSata. How does this fit in with Display Port or FireWire? Does it compete with it? Replace it? I see yet more more dongles and converters in our future. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It's not about "display" ports, it;'s about a universal port that will support everything from displays to hard drives, i.e having a single type of port on the computer (rather that USB/firewire and a display port).
 
D

devinci99

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Mar 2, 2008
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Intel envisions Light Peak as being able to replace USB, Firewire, and display connectors in the future, and notes that the hardware should become available to computer manufacturers by the end of this year.

The only way that can happen is if Intel license light peak away cheaply or open it up to a forum, so everyone can implement it.

If Intel gets greedy and holds it for itself, then the chances of that becoming a generally accepted standard is reduced greatly.

I dont have a magic crystal ball... so I have no idea what Ideal is going to do with it.
 
matteusclement

matteusclement

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Jan 26, 2008
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Lord of The Ports

Lord of the Ports
10 ports but one to rule them all.

yes, I see a lord of the rings connection.

But it would be amazing to truly have a "universal" bus i.e- lightpipe. I am so tired of having to turn around my usb plugs when trying to plug them in or fiddling with a FW cable. This would be epic.

But as another poster said, it would HAVE to be either super cheap or open forum so that it could be adopted.
 
lincolntran

lincolntran

macrumors 6502a
Jan 18, 2010
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Hmmm

Aldaris said:
Any word on this making its way into PCI Express cards?

Buy this years mac-pro, add a PCI with next years light peak?
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. I'll be very mad if this isn't the case. My mac pro is practically brandnew. :)


On the other hand, with the speed increasing drammatically, how will the hard-drive handle it? Pardon my ignorance, but as far as I know, the common speed for a hard drive is 3gb/s while Light Peak begins at 10gb/s. Will the lightbeam stop and wait for the hard drive?
 
marksman

marksman

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Jun 4, 2007
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Imagine how much a monster lightpeak cable would be.


This does sound pretty cool though. I would love a standard port with a standard cable to do a multitude of things.

I don't want 5 different cable ends and ports though. Jesus christ. 1 freaking input size/type.
 
P

Protius1

macrumors newbie
Jun 11, 2009
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When is "Light Peak" supposed to be coming out? Maybe with the x65/x68 chipset Q1 of 2011?
 
MartiNZ

MartiNZ

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Apr 10, 2008
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Auckland, New Zealand
matteusclement said:
Lord of the Ports
10 ports but one to rule them all.

yes, I see a lord of the rings connection.

But it would be amazing to truly have a "universal" bus i.e- lightpipe. I am so tired of having to turn around my usb plugs when trying to plug them in or fiddling with a FW cable. This would be epic.

But as another poster said, it would HAVE to be either super cheap or open forum so that it could be adopted.
Click to expand...

If it makes us invisible I think it will sell pretty damn well.

If the wait on updating the MBA is to get lightpeak in there I reckon it's totally worth it; otherwise ... fail update.
 
MattJessop

MattJessop

macrumors regular
Apr 24, 2007
215
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Manchester, UK
I'm genuinely excited about this technology, as in all honesty I think when USB 3.0 achieves widespread adoption then we'll have hard drives with faster access rates than that.

Yeah, HDD speeds will probably limit Light Peak rates for a while, but it's far better to have a higher ceiling.
 
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