Apple's Arm-Based Macs With Apple Silicon Chips Will Support Thunderbolt

[Westside guy]

it's interesting that some people hate on this... just because it doesn't fit their needs or they can't be bothered to find out what it can do....

The TouchBar can't do anything a touch screen wouldn't do as well or better.

But Jobs made a big deal about how bad touch screens were and how they required "gorilla arms", so people are stuck with this silly "pretend I'm not really a tiny one-line touch screen".

 

[57004]

Or it could be Thunderbolt 4.

True, but I think if it were, they'd have mentioned it. Apple would never hide the shiniest features Being one of the first with TB4 support would be one.

 

[apparatchik]

Does this mean that a future iPad Pro might support Thunderbolt 3/4?

 

[jayducharme]

I assume Apple was preparing for this with the USB-C connectors on the iPad Pro. The tech should be similar for the Arm Macs.

 

[KPOM]

No. That would require an Intel chip.

Intel clarified that it does not require VT-d. It just requires DMA protection, which Apple handles through the T2 chip on current Macs.

 

[OS X Dude]

Intel unveils Thunderbolt 4 specifications. Speeds unchanged and features native compatibility with Tiger Lake mobile processors | Digit

Intel unveiled Thunderbolt 4 at CES 2020 and has now launched controllers that support the new inter-connectivity standard

www.digit.in

"This requirement would effectively make Thunderbolt 4 exclusive to Intel processors only."

Then Thunderbolt will go the way of FireWire. At a time when a lot of the world is either going to AMD or ARM due to Intel’s stagnation, it’s clearly a method of trying to lock people in. Thing is, with such a viable alternative in USB 4, it’s going to do vastly more harm than good. Maybe it’s because the licence fee got dropped that they don’t care anymore? TB 4 seems like a lazy upgrade from 3, too.

 

[kenni417]

color me shocked.

 

[mudflap]

The TouchBar can't do anything a touch screen wouldn't do as well or better.

But Jobs made a big deal about how bad touch screens were and how they required "gorilla arms", so people are stuck with this silly "pretend I'm not really a tiny one-line touch screen".

I agree with jobs. I work on my iMac 12 hours a day at least 6 days a week. My back and neck hurt enough, I'm not extending my arms at a 90 degree angle to touch a tiny element one my 5k display.

I guess they could have a switch to turn touchscreen on or off, but I just don't see the utility for a touchscreen Mac anyway.

 

[alexandr]

Now let's hope they get rid of the awful Touch Bar.

better yet, let's see them make it much more functional.

 

[JPack]

Was there ever any doubt?

 

[vladi]

Then Thunderbolt will go the way of FireWire. At a time when a lot of the world is either going to AMD or ARM due to Intel’s stagnation, it’s clearly a method of trying to lock people in. Thing is, with such a viable alternative in USB 4, it’s going to do vastly more harm than good. Maybe it’s because the licence fee got dropped that they don’t care anymore? TB 4 seems like a lazy upgrade from 3, too.

Yup. Bought my first AMD processor few months back, that new TR. Great brute power. Everything else sucks ass big time. From RAM management to RAID setup, motherboards are like Frankenstein made out of different proprietary technologies including Intel's own. It took me only $3,000 to figure out why Intel is better choice even if it's slower, cause it just works because they control everything. Like Mac reasoning.

 

[ruka.snow]

I don't know why they needed to clarify this. Of course they are going to have TB and it'll be TB4 by then too. AMD will also have TB4, Intel are not daft. TB4 will likely also make it to the Power10 systems.

 

[bsamcash]

Well there you go.

 

[gugy]

That's good to know. I am considering buying TB peripherals and knowing Apple will support it years to come is a relief.

Now bring the MBP 16" Apple Silicon!

 

[Smearbrick]

Slow news day? This just in: ARM-based Macs will have support for keyboards and mice.

 

[tdar]

The usb 4 standard includes thunderbolt 3 support. I expect that the AS systems will have usb4 and therefore thunderbolt 3.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Intel clarified that it does not require VT-d. It just requires DMA protection, which Apple handles through the T2 chip on current Macs.

looks like you're right. other articles were citing VT-d as a definite requirement, but PC World got clarification that Intel is open to approving designs that would mitigate DMA attacks.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Well it will be USB4 with full TB3 compliance, not TB4. TB4 certification requires VT-d DMA protection, which is an Intel CPU only feature, so not going to be on an Apple Silicon Mac, that’s for sure.

Edit: Please see my self correction just below this post

 

[PTLove]

Given that this announcement came the day intel unveiled thunderbolt 4 it’s clearly just thunderbolt 4 intel chip integrated into the machines.

 

[Squeak825]

Well it will be USB4 with full TB3 compliance, not TB4. TB4 certification requires VT-d DMA protection, which is an Intel CPU only feature, so not going to be on an Apple Silicon Mac, that’s for sure.

Ironic since the post directly above yours says something different...

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Intel clarified that it does not require VT-d. It just requires DMA protection, which Apple handles through the T2 chip on current Macs.

Really? That is interesting, is that a recent development?
[automerge]1594250925[/automerge]

Ironic since the post directly above yours says something different...

Indeed! Hadn’t heard that yet. More well informed than I!

 

[Techwatcher]

I will admit that I did not expect this. That's great news.

 

[Zackmd1]

I expected this despite all the doom and gloomers. Still nice that Apple game out ahead of this And didn’t let it linger. Now please announce Apple Silicon Macs won’t be limited to their own GPUs. Plenty of people are saying this like it’s a fact and it’s obvious nonsense to me.

I absolutely expect them to stick with their own GPUs in any and all mobile products since they will likely be able to compete pretty well in that space. Desktops and eGPUs are a different story IMO. I do not see Apple removing support for eGPUs and third party GPUs from MacOS any time soon like some rumors have suggested. I certainly see Apple sticking with third party GPUs in devices like the iMac and Mac Pro.

 

[Spungoflex]

I agree with jobs. I work on my iMac 12 hours a day at least 6 days a week. My back and neck hurt enough, I'm not extending my arms at a 90 degree angle to touch a tiny element one my 5k display.

I guess they could have a switch to turn touchscreen on or off, but I just don't see the utility for a touchscreen Mac anyway.

That's not even the main problem. Sure you could switch it off, but you'll still be using an OS that was designed for touch. Most people don't want to do that.

 

[JosephAW]

Yeah, just like they maintain support for various io ports on current hardware.
Not holding my breath.