Example of an External Dock and GPU Over Thunderbolt Technology

[ghostlyorb]

IEEE 1394 is the name for the standard, Sony did indeed create their own connector (a four-pin unpowered connector) however that got rolled into one of the early revisions to the spec.

The design was (I think) initially started by Apple but delivered by a working group involving contributions from several other companies as well (including Sony, as it happens).

Personally I'd love to see a revised Cinema display that took advantage of the abilities of Thunderbolt - to have what is effectively a docking station built into the display with audio*, LAN**, maybe an upgraded graphics solution built in to the display. USB and FW too for that matter, IIRC you should be able to tunnel them over the thunderbolt link so long as appropriate hardware is present either side of it.

A one or two cable docking set up (TB and seperate power) would be great from a convenience point of view.

* But please for the love of god have audio out ports on the back of the display - while the current cinema display speakers are way better than any laptop they're nowhere near the standard of the desktop speakers I have on my desk already

** WiFi is great when on the move but I will *always* prefer to use a cabled LAN connection where possible.

I never thought about an updated ACD.. it would be cool to have speaker out.. and ethernet in on it too. And with a single cable to the mac- power everything. That would be really cool.

But whatever.. I'm still hoping for a thunderbolt adaptor for my iPhone and iPad.....

 

[Bubba Satori]

I'm really curious what Apple has planned for the next version of the Cinema Display.

What's a Cinema Display? A computer peripheral?

 

[ksgant]

i wonder if it comes with the root-kit pre-installed or you have to download it first in order to boot your PC?

I personally won't buy anything that has a Sony label on it. Ever.

Don't know why you were voted down as this is exactly what I came here to say. With their idiotic/lackadaisical attitude toward security, I'll not buy anything from Sony in the foreseeable future.

 

[KnightWRX]

Still, there's one problem: This thing runs on Windows.

How is this a problem ? Is there some piece of software that has no Windows equivalent in your workflow ? Also, you do understand you don't have to run Windows on this thing, there are other OSes out there.

The hardware in this box seems pretty good. 1920x1080 13" screen, if only Apple would wake-up with their paltry resolutions (1440x900 is bare minimum on the MBA and one of the big reasons I bought it, 1280x800 is so 4 years ago).

 

[ugru]

All this talk about Sony using a proprietary connector. Isn't USB a lot more common/recognisable than a Mini Display Port adapter?

Yes, but is not royalty free like MDP.

Moreover USB Implementers Forum said:

"USB connectors are not general purpose connectors and are not designed to be used in support of other technology applications or standards or as combo connectors."

Sony must be paying a lot of money....

 

[omvs]

Thunderbolt has 10GBs/s transfer speed.. and it's NOT fast enough for a video card? Wow.. I didn't know that standard connectors inside a computer required 15-20+GBs/s transer speed

10Gigabits/second. A PCIE 1.0 lane is 2.5Gbit/sec -- so you get a 4x lane. Most video cards use 16x lanes (though arguable if it needs it).

If you're talking PCIE2 or above, they're 5Gbit lanes. So yes, there's connectors inside your computer WAY faster due to parallel lanes.

Apparently there's plans for 100GBit thunderbolt - that would pretty much be sufficient.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface)

 

[maflynn]

This had style. It's also terribly trendy and when it's out of style, well....

Image

Maybe they just got the Thinkpad right from the start.

Good point, what really looks trendy today looks dated tomorrow.

 

[KnightWRX]

Good point, what really looks trendy today looks dated tomorrow.

Simple designs are the ones that are timeless. Like the current crop of Apple laptops (minus the tacky white one) and things like the Thinkpad and this thing.

The older colorful Sony Vaios and the iBook are both very good examples of why you shouldn't go "trendy" with electronics.

 

[jonnysods]

Wow, I would love one of these for my 13" MBP. Perhaps not via USB though!

 

[baryon]

Sony is offering a "Power Media Dock" which is an expansion module that connects to the laptop via an optical cable.

I thought thunderbolt wasn't going to be optical anytime soon?

Anyway, since Sony is allowed to use USB for Thunderbolt, why can't Apple do it? It would make things so much easier, rather than have another weird cable connector (Mini DisplayPort).

 

[keruah]

Many Wintel laptops have docking stations.

The "news" is using TBolt for the docking station - which brings up the possibility that Apple may finally produce a docking solution for the Apple laptops.

They won't add another device, Cinema Display is the docking solution.

 

[Flynnstone]

What if ......

A laptop was "light" in the processor area. Effectively built for looong battery life.
But when plugged into a Thunderbolt box (TM) you had more processing power in the thunderbolt box.
Like plugging your Macbook pro into a iMac as a display device, but getting all the processing power of the iMac at your disposal ...

 

[Mac-Michael]

The perspective on that image is messed up, I can't take this seriously. That's one huge slot alright.

 

[Hattig]

I thought thunderbolt wasn't going to be optical anytime soon?

Anyway, since Sony is allowed to use USB for Thunderbolt, why can't Apple do it? It would make things so much easier, rather than have another weird cable connector (Mini DisplayPort).

Because the USB Forum said "don't use USB for non-USB protocols" and Apple said "sure thing". Sony seems to have totally ignored their request. This is a totally proprietary port and it is unlikely that many devices beside's Sony's own Dock will be available for it.

 

[dlewis23]

Why the hell are they using a USB connector? Are they trying to cause problems?

There Sony... I think that answers it all.

 

[jimmueller]

seen it years ago

Our execs loved the PowerBook Duo & Duo Dock, as the laptop was tiny & light but when they got back to the office they could pop it into the Duo Dock and have their multiple screens and graphic horsepower with the add-in video cards.
Sony's may be using current tech, but the idea is from the early '90s.

Personally, I was happy at the time with my Quadra 840AV...

 

[Elven]

While I find this on the whole very interesting, my concern is how long the market will take to update their devices to thunderbolt, and how long Apple may hold the peripheral market.

 

[Steve121178]

Don't know why you were voted down as this is exactly what I came here to say. With their idiotic/lackadaisical attitude toward security, I'll not buy anything from Sony in the foreseeable future.

Why would a hack on their systems stop you buying one of their laptops?

Look at all the crap you have to provide Apple when you switch on a Mac for the first time - you think people are happy to provide all that personal info, secure or not?

 

[Sol]

Interestingly Sony has their own implementation of FireWire known as i.Link, same protocol, different connector.

i.Link is FireWire by another name and the connector you refer to is a four-pin Firewire cable that works with all FireWire equipped computers and peripherals. It is not a proprietary connector as you imply; it is part of the FireWire standard and the difference between it and the six-pin FireWire 400 connector is that it does not provide power.

 

[vladi]

How is this a problem ? Is there some piece of software that has no Windows equivalent in your workflow ? Also, you do understand you don't have to run Windows on this thing, there are other OSes out there.

The hardware in this box seems pretty good. 1920x1080 13" screen, if only Apple would wake-up with their paltry resolutions (1440x900 is bare minimum on the MBA and one of the big reasons I bought it, 1280x800 is so 4 years ago).

What are the chances turning this into hackintosh all together with the dock?

 

[vladi]

i.Link is FireWire by another name and the connector you refer to is a four-pin Firewire cable that works with all FireWire equipped computers and peripherals. It is not a proprietary connector as you imply; it is part of the FireWire standard and the difference between it and the six-pin FireWire 400 connector is that it does not provide power.

Yup. If you ever use RME FW audio interface four-pin connector is your lifesaver! 100% Hot-plugging safe, unlike six-pin deathbringer!

 

[Adidas Addict]

Messy solution IMO.

 

[nilk]

so apple's going copy the media dock like mba copied the original vaio and chiclet keys? where are the litigation lawyers

And Sony was copying the IBM PCjr's horrible chicklet keyboard?

 

[chrmjenkins]

For the GPU comment, it's worth pointing out that even the highest end graphics cards don't show a performance hit from being on an 8x lane versus a 16x lane, so you're only a little over 3x worse off relying on TB instead of standard PCIe 2.0 x8

 

[Minimoose 360]

Finally an original idea from somebody other then Apple.

Still, there's one problem: This thing runs on Windows.