Intel Also Launching 'Light Peak' Thursday

[KPOM]

Hopefully by the time Light Peak/Thunderbolt makes it to the MacBook Air (I'm guessing this summer or early fall) there will be peripherals, such as external hard drive enclosures) that can take advantage of it. It's about the only thing that can make me upgrade to the Rev E model, particularly if the Rev E sticks with a Sandy Bridge-only solution.

Assuming the 13" Pro gets a 2.3GHz Core i5 with integrated graphics and Light Peak, I'm guessing the 13" Air will get a Core i3, which is a nice, but not overly compelling upgrade from the Core 2 Duo/NVIDIA 320m combo. Light Peak would make external hard drives as fast as internal ones, though, so it would address the Air's relative lack of storage.

 

[gnomeisland]

Why does a state-of-the-art optical interface look like a USB cable with metal pins?

Because they've folded lightpeak into a connector that's backwards compatible with USB. A brilliant solution INHMO because you wouldn't wast port space. I'm happy to see lightpeak/thunderbolt coming to the Mac so soon. A little disappointed they'll be combining it with the already somewhat proprietary mini-display port, but I guess that's so you buy the $$$ Apple display which will not only require two plugs on your MBP--power and thunderbolt--and have a whole range of connection options (USB, FireWire, even Ethernet?)

 

[skunk]

If LP was always supposed to deliver power, surely it would always have to have metal as well as glass strands in the configuration? Can you deliver enough power to be useful down a fibre optic cable alone?

 

[OllyW]

If LP was always supposed to deliver power, surely it would always have to have metal as well as glass strands in the configuration? Can you deliver enough power to be useful down a fibre optic cable alone?

We'll probably have to wait to hear what Intel have to say tomorrow.

The major uncertainty in Light Peak is what type of power interface it supports, if any.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Will they embed lightpeak into other connectors such as firewire and hdmi?

If LP was always supposed to deliver power, surely it would always have to have metal as well as glass strands in the configuration? Can you deliver enough power to be useful down a fibre optic cable alone?

Seems to me that the usb style cable that houses the fiber optic could supply power while the optical system does the data.

Anyway, the rumor is that it will be called "Thunderbolt" but I searched for this and discovered that is the name of a phone. So it will now get confusing. A thunderbolt cable could be this new technology or a connecting cable for a particular phone.

 

[dernhelm]

Those of us long time, loyal Apple enthusiasts, know some ugly truths about this company that double talks it's customers. There is simply no need for it.

I respect your opinion, try respecting mine.

It's amazing how well it works

I have a hard time believing that a long time Apple enthusiast just managed to stumble across this site sometime in the last 23 days.

Try not insulting our intelligence if you want us to believe you don't have a separate agenda. It's amazing how well that works.

 

[jowie]

Because they've folded lightpeak into a connector that's backwards compatible with USB. A brilliant solution INHMO because you wouldn't wast port space. I'm happy to see lightpeak/thunderbolt coming to the Mac so soon. A little disappointed they'll be combining it with the already somewhat proprietary mini-display port, but I guess that's so you buy the $$$ Apple display which will not only require two plugs on your MBP--power and thunderbolt--and have a whole range of connection options (USB, FireWire, even Ethernet?)

I see... Thanks.

I guess if they use the mini display port, they'll (hopefully) sell an adaptor to split the output.

 

[fpnc]

You mean there's a 10% chance of USB 1.1?

Okay, I get it. However, you seem to have a little difficulty with your reading comprehension, since I was responding to a direct quote about the next MacBook having USB3, not just sticking with USB2.

In any case, there is a 100% chance that it will support USB 1.1, a 100% chance for USB2, and probably little to no chance of USB3. So, what's your point again?