Even more so, you can use this "USB Thunderbolt" with almost any device from crapy USB1 mouse to new USB3 hard drive without forgetting the actual Thuderbolt devices. Why on earth didn't Apple use the same approach? One connector to serve them all... Well, apart from FireWire but Thunderbolt will be replacing FW so not a huge loss there. I have funny feeling that rest of the PC manufacturers will be following Sony on this one. It seems Sony has managed to work an agreement with USB-IF. In all honesty I don't see why USB-IF wouldn't allow it. Apple should have tried harder...
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Is Sony Fragmenting Thunderbolt? Apple, not Intel, Applies for Thunderbolt Trademark
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Even more so, you can use this "USB Thunderbolt" with almost any device from crapy USB1 mouse to new USB3 hard drive without forgetting the actual Thuderbolt devices. Why on earth didn't Apple use the same approach? One connector to serve them all... Well, apart from FireWire but Thunderbolt will be replacing FW so not a huge loss there. I have funny feeling that rest of the PC manufacturers will be following Sony on this one. It seems Sony has managed to work an agreement with USB-IF. In all honesty I don't see why USB-IF wouldn't allow it. Apple should have tried harder...
Big deal if true
If this really is TB with a USB connector it means that the way is open for a USB-TB adaptor. Adaptors have been predicted, but I just searched and don't see any for sale. Such is necessary before TB can be on the iPhone and iPad which will enable a new class of useful peripherals and much faster sync. I hope it's true.
I agree that mini-display is superior to USB, but an adaptor is necessary.
If this really is TB with a USB connector it means that the way is open for a USB-TB adaptor. Adaptors have been predicted, but I just searched and don't see any for sale. Such is necessary before TB can be on the iPhone and iPad which will enable a new class of useful peripherals and much faster sync. I hope it's true.
I agree that mini-display is superior to USB, but an adaptor is necessary.
That would be the case if Intel and Apple had not already decided on using MDP connectors.
If Sony released this before the MBP's and iMacs then you could say that.
Another proprietary Sony fail
Hey Sony, how's MiniDisc coming along? Memory Stick? ATRAC?
And what ever happened to the Walkman? You guys used to be so cool.
Hey Sony, how's MiniDisc coming along? Memory Stick? ATRAC?
And what ever happened to the Walkman? You guys used to be so cool.
...and Apple isn't doing their own thing?!?! While you're at it why don't you ask why Apple didn't use 1394 instead of FireWire? It's the same reason why Sony used i.Link for it. The fact is that if Sony has truly managed to make a deal with USB-IF to use USB connector for Thunderbolt then more power to them and too bad it wasn't Apple that made that deal.You don't have to get down on the floor. Simply look at what your connecting and the USB label is always on top and goes in that way. I see what your saying but I think it's really a non issue.
Please read the article before saying anything stupid like this.
Fact : The first implementation of Thunderbolt was through USB connectors. Then the board in charge of USB standard told that they would not accept Thunderbolt into the USB connector specification.
Intel and Apple didn't want to create a whole new port for this, so they decided to go with the next logical option, miniDisplayPort.
Yes it would have been nice to have USB and Thunderbolt in the same connector, that's why Intel tried that first.
Apple implemented the standard FIRST, not sony. Apple also used mini display to avoid user confusion between usb and thunderbolt so if a consumer buys something with thunderbolt they will know clearly if there computer has a thunderbolt port or not. However if thunderbolt had the usb port then thousands of people would plug in there thunderbolt display or harddrive into a usb 2.0/3.0 port and then we have a bunch of users confused about why they arn't getting the high speeds that thunderbolt promised them.
It's important that all companies make this a standard port on there computers they sell. It is the future display/hard drive/ssd connector and it rightfully should use a different port then the already common usb port to avoid confusion to the costumer.
But it's not even for sure sony is really doing this so only time will tell if they really are fragmenting this or if this is just a slow rumor day.
It's important that all companies make this a standard port on there computers they sell. It is the future display/hard drive/ssd connector and it rightfully should use a different port then the already common usb port to avoid confusion to the costumer.
But it's not even for sure sony is really doing this so only time will tell if they really are fragmenting this or if this is just a slow rumor day.
So you can exercise some control over how the name is used? If you don't trademark it then someone else can use the name for some other interface and completely confuse the market.
A freely licensed tidemark is completely different than something that is not trademarked at all.
Hum, just having released first garantees them that. You don't have to register a trademark to enforce it. Only to get more damages when you sue. You can still sue on un-registered trademarks.
To, for example, enforce compatibility standards - you can't call it TB if it doesn't pass an array of tests, doesn't use the right connector, etc.
If you don't register, your trademark may be limited to the field in which you've used it in commerce (as well as the geographic location, channels of commerce, etc.). So, for example, it might not apply to anything other than laptops right now (not hubs, adapters, maybe not even other types of computers or mobile devices, etc.)
i don't know if this has been mentioned before but isn't it possible the actual thunderbolt port is on the other side of the laptop??? intel said that the mDP port was to be the standard connection for TB. i think that is just a USB3 port. i mean. looks like a usb3 port, should behave like a usb 3 port right? i think Sony simply caught onto apple's method of fre PR. move on people.
All USB ports are backwards compatible. having just USB 3 in a computer is fine because you can plug USB 3, USB 2, and USB 1.1 in to the same port.
Agreed. Apple is the only major manufacturer waiting for Intel to support USB 3.0 before it adopts it. Sony has embraced multiple standards (USB, Firewire, eSATA) in the past so perhaps they want to be able to say they support USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt.
No, right now it's used as a port (Intel introduced a port technology named Thunderbolt, Apple just put it on laptops). The field is not as precise as you make it sound to be, and the product was released the world over making geographic location moot.
They didn't need to register it to protect it. The reason for registering is to get damages which tells me they will be pulling a Firewire. Let's hope they learned that lesson though, for their sake and their port's sake.
Agreed, on many devices, such as my mini Mac, the USB port is vertical, knowing the orientation of the cable is of little use, and I can't see jack behind the mini what with all the other cables.
It's harder to do so though since you haven't registered it. Registering it is the proof that you own the trademark so you don't have to prove that in court. Basically, for a company with a building just for lawyers, this move was an absolute no brainer.
I don't think a company the size of Apple with the kind of press coverage they get would have any problems proving Thunderbolt came out of them first (though I still wonder why isn't it Intel that is getting this trademark ?).
What you say is a very real issue for smaller enterprise that are rather obscure though, I'll give you that.
Well both Sony and Apple are engineering companies at heart, they both want/need to make better wheels, axles, gear boxes,.... or any other part they deal with in their products. I mean it's not like you could stop them, even if the Luddites came to power and passed a Law requiring technology to stand still the Sony/Apple guys would soon turn up as the techno underground.
Hey Sony electronics are still cool... mostly...
I don't think a company the size of Apple with the kind of press coverage they get would have any problems proving Thunderbolt came out of them first (though I still wonder why isn't it Intel that is getting this trademark ?).
What you say is a very real issue for smaller enterprise that are rather obscure though, I'll give you that.
"thunderbolt" sounds silly anyway... should've kept it as "light peak".. sounds less herculean, but it does the trick