Based upon the fact that Apple has now adopted the new open USB-C standard port on it's latest consumer product and the fact that USB-C pretty much covers and in some ways exceeds the capabilities of the current proprietary Apple interfaces (obviously with the exception of bandwidth and throughput of Thunderbolt 2) are we about to see Apple drop these previously much celebrated and advertised ports?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Are Lightning & Thunderbolt Already Destined For The Bin?
- Thread starter rscott4563
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That's very possible, if not likely. I can see "a whole lotta shakin' goin' on" in the connectivity arena before things settle into a very few industry standards that everyone can adopt, and it may be many years before we see that.
I'd say lightning is pretty much doomed but I sure hope TB sticks around for a while on the rMBP models since they are the base function to transfer video files during professional film and tv shoots.
Nope.
USB C on the MacBook current maxes out at 5Gbps.
The Thunderbolt 2 port on Macbook Pros, etc. maxes out at 20 Gbps and acts as hubs other interfaces that people still need.
Thunderbolt is not going away anytime soon, but it's just not going to be available on the minimalistic, basic (i.e. MacBook) product lines.
USB C on the MacBook current maxes out at 5Gbps.
The Thunderbolt 2 port on Macbook Pros, etc. maxes out at 20 Gbps and acts as hubs other interfaces that people still need.
Thunderbolt is not going away anytime soon, but it's just not going to be available on the minimalistic, basic (i.e. MacBook) product lines.
USB-C on the new MacBooks are based on the USB 3.1 standard, with 10 Gbps.
That said, TB is still superior because it's basically PCIe, and PCIe devices will be recognized in their native PCIe form.
thunderbolt has a different design (interface to pcie), it's targeted towards the profesionals, so you shouldn't expect it on a macbook, only the pro version, 5GB/s vs bidirectional-20GBs is still a big difference so it's still relevant
I hope lighting goes or atleast gets a usb3 update. Damn joke that it's usb 2.
Or Apple will ditch the port all together and rely on induction charging.
Or Apple will ditch the port all together and rely on induction charging.
Guys the USB Type-C port can actually carry Thunderbolt. Chances are in the future they will just drop the Mini Display Port that currently is used for Thunderbolt and use Type-C for all of it.
It can be used for Displayport, Thunderbolt, USB 3.1-2.0, HDMI, VGA. All on that one port. Thunderbolt won't die but it will probably get that new port eventually. Some time in the future a Mac will probably just have a bunch of Type-c ports with one or two of them carrying Tunderbolt and Display ports.
Lightning was a stupid thing from the get go. It is so nice to be able to use micro usb for all devices, only Apple needs something else. They will probably hang on to it for a while longer. Not Apple's style to admit to a mistake.
It can be used for Displayport, Thunderbolt, USB 3.1-2.0, HDMI, VGA. All on that one port. Thunderbolt won't die but it will probably get that new port eventually. Some time in the future a Mac will probably just have a bunch of Type-c ports with one or two of them carrying Tunderbolt and Display ports.
Lightning was a stupid thing from the get go. It is so nice to be able to use micro usb for all devices, only Apple needs something else. They will probably hang on to it for a while longer. Not Apple's style to admit to a mistake.
I think that the Thunderbolt with stay. There will be two connections: Thunderbolt for professional usage (faster, but also more expensive) and USB-C for normal usage. I think this is reasonable.
As to Lightning, the faster it disappears, the better it is for everyone.
As to Lightning, the faster it disappears, the better it is for everyone.
USB C is a physical interface, but does not mandate interface speeds.
The USB 3.1 spec provides 10 Gb/s speeds, but apple have decided to not implement that in the new Macbook.
USB will go much faster than 10 Gb/s.
I think both Lightning and Thunderbolt will be around for a long time. Apple works with long time horizons. They wouldn't have developed Lightning knowing it would only last three years. As for Thunderbolt, I think the new MacBook is only a temporary bump in the road. Intel's Skylake chips, due this fall, include Thunderbolt 3 support, which is twice as fast as Thunderbolt 2 and has a new smaller connector that would very well fit into the next gen MacBook. Further evidence of Apple's support for Thunderbolt is the updated MacBook Air and Pro. Do you think they would have upgraded those to Thunderbolt 2 if Thunderbolt were on the way out? No, the new MacBook is the entry level machine. It compromises on both features and power for the sake of portability. For those who are willing to accept those compromises, it's a fantastic looking machine.
Not sure why Apple has limited it to 5 Gbps but it is an Artificial limitation imposed by Apple not part of the standard.
----------
I think we need to wait and see what happens with the Next Iphone to understnad where Apple is going with the Lightning connector.
Someone that is using a core M Macbook probably isn't using thunderbolt, lets be honest here.
I was under the impression that USB-C was created because it is so thin, not to kill off thunderbolt. Not sure why anyone would think lightning is going anywhere, USB-C is too big for iOS devices.
I was under the impression that USB-C was created because it is so thin, not to kill off thunderbolt. Not sure why anyone would think lightning is going anywhere, USB-C is too big for iOS devices.
Last edited:
Most manufacturers make their money on sub $700 laptops, which is definitely NOT the target demographic to spend $50 on a thunderbolt cable, or $200-$300 on a thunderbolt drive. IIRC, most modern business class workstation PCs have thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt will stick around on the Pro models for a while, but I sense that eventually, it's going to "go the way of firewire" -- that is, to be superseded (not totally) by future iterations of ultra-high-speed USB.
I realize that USB may not have the potential to provide all the advantages of thunderbolt's pci-e connection, BUT, Apple may just decide that not enough users actually -use- such capabilities to justify keeping it in future models -- particularly when they seem obsessed with "making it thinner".
Then again, future re-designs of USB may surprise us with its capabilities -- just as the inclusion of "UASP" into USB3 totally revamped how USB transfers are conducted "on the bus" (USB attached SCSI protocol relieves the CPU of most of the burdens it previously carried under USB2).
Thunderbolt will probably be retained on the Mac Pro line for the longest. Perhaps even on the Mini, as well.
But I predict it will disappear sooner-than-expected on the Macbooks.
No infallible crystal ball here.
I could be wrong...
I realize that USB may not have the potential to provide all the advantages of thunderbolt's pci-e connection, BUT, Apple may just decide that not enough users actually -use- such capabilities to justify keeping it in future models -- particularly when they seem obsessed with "making it thinner".
Then again, future re-designs of USB may surprise us with its capabilities -- just as the inclusion of "UASP" into USB3 totally revamped how USB transfers are conducted "on the bus" (USB attached SCSI protocol relieves the CPU of most of the burdens it previously carried under USB2).
Thunderbolt will probably be retained on the Mac Pro line for the longest. Perhaps even on the Mini, as well.
But I predict it will disappear sooner-than-expected on the Macbooks.
No infallible crystal ball here.
I could be wrong...
This.
1. USB-C is too thick.
2. Lightning, bring proprietary, has benefits which allow Apple to keep a somewhat closed eco system with the MFi program, etc.
I hope they simplify it and just release a USB-C to Lightning cable instead of having to use the adapter.