Intel Working on Standardized Thunderbolt Docking System for PCs

MacRumors · Nov 25, 2011

VR-Zone reports that Intel is quietly working on developing a standard docking format for their upcoming Ultrabook platform. The new docking system would incorporate a Thunderbolt connector as well as what appears to be a proprietary connector as well.

The non-Thunderbolt port would reportedly be used for power as well as direct access for the Ethernet controller which is required to support technologies such as Intel vPro and Microsoft's Connected Standby.

Apple's own solution has been much simpler. Their Thunderbolt Cinema Display offers a single cable which splits into a Thunderbolt cable and a Magsafe power cable. The Thunderbolt cable carries USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Ethernet, and Video from your laptop to the monitor.

Unfortunately, that separate non-Thunderbolt docking connector in Intel's proposal would likely prevent it from being directly supported on the Mac. Still, any major adoption of Thunderbolt technology can only help industry acceptance and the proliferation of more accessories. Belkin has already announced their own Thunderbolt docking solution which works much like Apple's display.

Intel is aggressively pushing forward the concept of the Ultrabook which bears a close resemblance to Apple's MacBook Air. Ultrabooks are expected to be the hot product at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 which takes place in January.

Article Link: Intel Working on Standardized Thunderbolt Docking System for PCs

Cicatrix · Nov 25, 2011

It will be nice to finally have a docking station for all peripherals through t-bolt. I wish it would include sata, and usb3 though. Also, that Belkin Express Dock design looks like complete junk.

adcx64 · Nov 25, 2011

Big bulky cables like that are not the way to go. Apple proved that with the Thunderbolt connector on today's Macs. Having two cables there is not smart, why they did not consolidate into one cable makes no sense.

divinox · Nov 25, 2011

Question, why is having two separate plugs "simpler" than having but one? Common logic would state the contrary.

That said, Apples solution is certainly simple enough. I just don't get what you're going after here.

----------

adcx64 said:
Big bulky cables like that are not the way to go. Apple proved that.

And yet every single Apple adaptor (more or less) is just that: big and bulky (comparatively). Which way is it? You can't have both.

adcx64 · Nov 25, 2011

divinox said:
Question, why is having two separate plugs "simpler" than having but one? Common logic would state the contrary.

That said, Apples solution is certainly simple enough. I just don't get what you're going after here.

----------

And yet every single Apple adaptor (more or less) is just that: big and bulky (comparatively). Which way is it? You can't have both.

I revised my post as you wrote yours

I agree with what your saying.

pake · Nov 25, 2011

Why make it difficult?! It obviously works with just one cable! Introducing proprietary formats (or connectors) just reduces its compatibility. It's not wise, and I'm sure Apple will never implement such a stupid solution.

Let's hope they just make it simple with just the Thunderbolt plug.

I'd be intrigued to know if there is really a technical reason for a second plug (other than power).

divinox · Nov 25, 2011

pake said:
Why make it difficult?! It obviously works with just one cable! Introducing proprietary formats (or connectors) just reduces its compatibility. It's not wise, and I'm sure Apple will never implement such a stupid solution.

Let's hope they just make it simple with just the Thunderbolt plug.

I'd be intrigued to know if there is really a technical reason for a second plug (other than power).

Hint: standardization work generally work towards compatibility, not against it. Second: certainly, if there was a neat way of pulling power out of the cable without messing with the data, they wouldn't opt for a split solution. so yes, I'm quite sure that theres a technical reason behind it.

Sasha-1 · Nov 25, 2011

adcx64 said:
Big bulky cables like that are not the way to go. Apple proved that with the Thunderbolt connector on today's Macs. Having two cables there is not smart, why they did not consolidate into one cable makes no sense.

They did it because like everything in the PC world, they are too lazy to get it right. They take the easy way out of everything and leave their customers with mediocrity.

AppleScruff1 · Nov 25, 2011

Apple would probably sue them if they did something similar.

adcx64 · Nov 25, 2011

sfoalex said:
They did it because like everything in the PC world, they are too lazy to get it right. They take the easy way out of everything and leave their customers with mediocrity.

Exactly, skimp out on quality just to get the product on the market faster.

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AppleScruff1 said:
Apple would probably sue them if they did something similar.

But apple is licensing Thunderbolt from Intel. They cannot sue the people they license the tech from.

divinox · Nov 25, 2011

sfoalex said:
They did it because like everything in the PC world, they are too lazy to get it right. They take the easy way out of everything and leave their customers with mediocrity.

What a load of crock. First, i fail to see the direct benefit of a split solution. In fact, come to think of it, i can't see it at all. From a cable point of view it just seems like more of a mess. Second, you're talking about the same company that enabled the thunderbolt in your beloved mac in first place. Third, every single Apple adaptor i own is a) big b) bulky. Snap out of the RDF.

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AppleScruff1 said:
Apple would probably sue them if they did something similar.

Certainly. Im sure Apple can think of a way to patent "one cable splitting into two".

Ozid · Nov 25, 2011

HDMI? Upside Down? I know Apple licenses Mini Displayport at no fee, but maybe for the sake of these drawings and saving a bit of money they went with an HDMI plug to avoid any potential patent infringing. Later on they could switch back to just the Mini Displayport style once they decide on a standard and are willing to spend the money combing over it looking for possible patent misuse.

I don't even know if this kind of thing really even ever happens. It's the only not-completely-absurd reason I could come up with.

redkamel · Nov 25, 2011

divinox said:
What a load of crock. First, i fail to see the direct benefit of a split solution. In fact, come to think of it, i can't see it at all. From a cable point of view it just seems like more of a mess. Second, you're talking about the same company that enabled the thunderbolt in your beloved mac in first place. Third, every single Apple adaptor i own is a) big b) bulky. Snap out of the RDF.

A lot of the times I only use the power connector on my display so I don;t have to reboot my screen. With a combined plug I don't have that option, I'd have to add a a power cable to my desk.

vitzr · Nov 25, 2011

sfoalex said:
They did it because like everything in the PC world, they are too lazy to get it right. They take the easy way out of everything and leave their customers with mediocrity.

Actually that couldn't be further from the truth.

However I can understand why maintaining that line of thinking fulfills your emotional needs to validate your choices. Nice work

espoir · Nov 25, 2011

It looks like Sony implementation of Thunderbolt connector

vitzr · Nov 25, 2011

espoir said:
It looks like Sony implementation of Thunderbolt connector

Yes it does. It appears quite similar.

Apple has ignored building a good docking station for their MBP's and I miss it.

The ThinkPad docking stations are very handy. In a matter of seconds it snaps in place & immediately your monitor, printer, scanner, trackball or mouse & keyboard are all connected. It saves wear & tear, as well as time.

It's a lot cleaner since you can permanently route the cables nicely with tie wraps which give it a very nice look. If you buy the expansion dock it accommodates extra expansion like another SSD or Hard Drive, as well as other accessories.

I know that Apple is opposed to businesses, but to cheat the consumer out of such a valuable accessory is something that seems a bit absurd.

lilo777 · Nov 25, 2011

pake said:
Why make it difficult?! It obviously works with just one cable! Introducing proprietary formats (or connectors) just reduces its compatibility. It's not wise, and I'm sure Apple will never implement such a stupid solution.

Let's hope they just make it simple with just the Thunderbolt plug.

I'd be intrigued to know if there is really a technical reason for a second plug (other than power).

The whole thunderbolt tech is Intel's proprietary solution. Yet Apple decided to use it. They don't really have a choice for they do not have a know how to come up with an alternative solution.

Peace · Nov 25, 2011

adcx64 said:
Exactly, skimp out on quality just to get the product on the market faster.

----------

But apple is licensing Thunderbolt from Intel. They cannot sue the people they license the tech from.

I have a feeling there's more to this Thunderbolt technology being the sole invention of Intel. I think Apple has a part in there somewhere.

Westacular · Nov 25, 2011

MacRumors said:
Apple's own solution has been much simpler. Their Thunderbolt Cinema Display offers a single cable which splits into a Thunderbolt cable and a Magsafe power cable. The Thunderbolt cable carries USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Ethernet, and Video from your laptop to the monitor.

Simpler, but more expensive: in a pure Thunderbolt device like the Cinema Display, to support USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Ethernet, audio, etc, there must be controller chips for each on the Thunderbolt device itself.

It's not acting as a hub in a classic sense, "extending" those connectors from the laptop -- it's duplicating those types of connectors by including a full additional controller for each, and connecting them all to the laptop via PCI-e.

To put it another way: it's not acting like half-a-dozen extension cables all at once; it's acting like half-a-dozen expansion cards at once, because (for all intents and purposes) it is.

It's an elegantly versatile way of handling the age-old docking station problem, but it comes with a high price tag, because it means the docking station needs to be half a computer all on its own. For something like the MacBook Air, which doesn't include it's own Firewire or Ethernet controllers to begin with, that makes a lot of sense. But you can understand why PC manufacturers might want to save costs by avoiding some of that unnecessary duplication, which is presumably one of the features of this extended port.

(But then you're halfway back to the problems always posed by proprietary docking ports. Personally, I doubt this semi-TB docking system will really take off. In the long run, the costs of controller chips for Apple's approach isn't that much, and the resulting benefits in versatility are probably worth it.)

OrangeSVTguy · Nov 25, 2011

Why are we still using cables? Why not try to come up with some super-high-speed close range wireless connector?

JAT · Nov 25, 2011

divinox said:
And yet every single Apple adaptor (more or less) is just that: big and bulky (comparatively). Which way is it? You can't have both.

Interesting. I have always disliked most of Apple's cords for being tiny little crappy things that are too easy to damage.

Hence:
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/08/settlement-reached-in-lawsuit-over-frayed-magsafe-connectors/

adcx64 · Nov 25, 2011

Peace said:
I have a feeling there's more to this Thunderbolt technology being the sole invention of Intel. I think Apple has a part in there somewhere.

I believe the only thing Apple had to do with it was the choice of the Mini DisplayPort connector.

AppleScruff1 · Nov 25, 2011

adcx64 said:
But apple is licensing Thunderbolt from Intel. They cannot sue the people they license the tech from.

We're talking about Apple here. They're special, they can even sue themselves.

divinox said:
Certainly. Im sure Apple can think of a way to patent "one cable splitting into two".

Steve invented the cable, so it's a moot point.

JAT · Nov 25, 2011

Westacular said:
Simpler, but more expensive: in a pure Thunderbolt device like the Cinema Display, to support USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Ethernet, audio, etc, there must be controller chips for each on the Thunderbolt device itself.

We'll see about "more". Docking ports have usually been very expensive if you ask me, upwards of $200. Belkin is making the first standalone Thunderbolt station, no price announced, yet. The CD was $999 before Thunderbolt, so that tells us nothing.

hleewell · Nov 25, 2011

Even better solution for Thunderbolt connector is the one that includes power. I thought Apple is all about simplicity, all-in-one. I think MagSafe should be implemented on iPhone/iPad docks. It's a pain try to align the pins into that thin slot. While a magnetic connector would be self-guiding. Or use that metallic strip that are in 90% of all household cordless power docking station.

Intel Working on Standardized Thunderbolt Docking System for PCs

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