Intel to Launch 'Thunderbolt' on Thursday? MacBook Pros to Follow?

[shastapete]

To everyone moaning about "it isn't Fiber optic"

If you go look at the apple store right now and buy one of their Fiber Channel cards for the mac pro, you don't get Fiber optic either. You can interconnect these devices with short (>5m) copper cable. If you need to go longer distances, you can get an SFP and it'll change that transmitted signal from electrons to light but if the distance is short it is a waste

This tech is still a giant improvement for the everyday consumer, copper or not.

 

[Small White Car]

Why would anyone need this is a laptop?

I think, Apple doesn't understand the difference between a laptop and a desktop.

I think you don't understand that MANY people use their laptops as their primary computer.

Why wouldn't anyone want this?

 

[grahamnp]

Doesn't make much sense to me. Combining LP and mini DP seems to be a pretty big compromise given that the full bandwidth of DP exceeds LP at this point so I wouldn't to give the job of driving a monitor and peripherals all to one port. 2x mini DP + LP ports seems a lot more practical, maybe on the bigger models.

 

[ldellx3]

i have to say though for my first intense speculating and waiting for a macbook pro this has been a fun ride haha

 

[bendrumin]

So is it just going to be a stores down and BAM new pro's? Or are they doing a whole media event attached to the intel event?

 

[kobyh15]

Excited about the MBP refresh. Could be the last unibody MBP, and I am really glad they stuck Lightpeak (Thunderbolt..whatever) on this machine. A refreshed 15" will be my first Mac. I like the unibody design and it will be nice to have the new port on it..maybe not right now, but down the road. Ready for tomorrow!

 

[Yebubbleman]

As for why Thunderbolt (formerly Light Peak) uses the DisplayPort connector rather than the USB one, The Wall Street Journal Digits blog speculates that USB Implementers Forums wasn't happy about Intel coopting their plug:Meanwhile, Apple designed the mini DisplayPort connector and opened it for free licensing, which may offer some explanation as to its choice. We're certain to hear more details Thursday.

Article Link: Intel to Launch 'Thunderbolt' on Thursday? MacBook Pros to Follow?

Dead in the water. The whole point was for it to replace EVERY connector. That and screw having to pay $40 for a dongle that splits the hybrid port so I can have an individual miniDP/Thunderbolt connection.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I'm still good with my early 2009 Al_uMB.

Though even if the 13" MBP gets a Core i5 with ONLY a slimmer case in BLACK I'd be seriously happy to upgrade.

I'd love to see USB3.0 on at least 1 port, along with MiniDP ability to accept an input feed from say a MacMini that is headless for most of its operation.

Common Apple do the 13" MBP right this time. Cash will be in bank in about 3wks or less to upgrade. Wife is riding my jock to take my laptop.

 

[Mr. Savage]

Meanwhile, we've learned that the term "Thunderbolt" is actually labeled as an Intel trademark

So the very terrible name (Thunderbolt) is actually an Intel trademark yet uses an Apple-designed logo? (The circular blue background is the same as the App store icon).

 

[appleguy123]

Maybe Apple is about to introduce Retina Cinema Displays.
If Lion is resolution independent.
The cable could more than account for the data that would go through the display.

 

[Böhme417]

What? The event starts at 9:00 AM Pacific, and at 10:00 Am Pacific?

Yeah... I was thinking I was very stupid or just couldn't read. Which is it?

 

[ten-oak-druid]

So if you buy a SATA drive and stick it in a case with a thunderbolt port, what is the slowest factor?

- the drive itself?
- the board that connects to the sata port on the drive and outputs to the thunderbolt port?
- The thunderbolt wire?
- The thunderbolt port on the computer and it's connection to the rest of the computer?

 

[cmaier]

So what happens if Apple rushes to embrace this and then a year from now thunderbolt standard switches to a usb port after all?

What happens if USB switches to firewire connectors?

It ain't gonna happen. This is the connector. End of story.

 

[nvcplus]

Thunderstorm!

 

[goobot]

man i want to upgrade but idk if i can....

 

[Davichi]

So, we cannot order our MBP until intel finishes their stupid keynote?

 

[DrJohnnyN]

thunderstorm!

lol

 

[finder39]

Apple used Thunderbolt!

USB Fainted!!

 

[mozumder]

DisplayPort 1.2

I still don't get what the difference is between this and DisplayPort 1.2 spec, which has 21.6Gbps bandwidth including a 740Mbps communications side channel..

 

[coder12]

Ya know, I'd LOVE it if MiniDisplay became a universal plug. It's so small and sturdy, whereas USB is bulky and they're one of the most commonly broken parts on the motherboards at the school I work for.

 

[314631]

So, we cannot order our MBP until intel finishes their stupid keynote?

Just order one of the current models if you cannot wait a couple of hours.

 

[thedarkhorse]

Why would anyone need this is a laptop? Seriously, what is the use-case for this? When I'm on the road I would really appreciate a built in 3G modem or a second battery e.g. instead of the (useless) optical drive.

As for the mini display port: I never figured out what the benefits should be. Every meeting room I went so far, has a projector with a VGA input. As a user, I have to always carry an (overpriced) adapter. What for?

I think, Apple doesn't understand the difference between a laptop and a desktop.

There are lot's of benefits, like way faster external hard drives for storage or backing up, way faster syncing with devices like ipads and phones, and for professional uses like broadcast quality HD video capture(which is already possible with USB3 on windows machines), people do this to bypass the built-in highly compressed formats that video cameras record to.

 

[Mattsasa]

So i have to wait until tomorrow afternoon?!

not tonight?

 

[ChunkAhoy]

Thunderstorm!

Eeeehhhh, you're gonna give me nightmares man

 

[ECUpirate44]

So Intel event and 1:00 PM EST and then Apple event around 2:00 when the Intel event finishes? Paul better not take too long!