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Is this the only thunderbolt to USB 3.0 solution currently available for new iMacs?

The website charges $150 for an adapter to go from thunderbolt to expresscard. Then, it becomes a "flexible" port because express cards with usb 3, esata, firewire, etc, can be used in the adapter.

There must be something very wrong with thunderbolt to go about things this way. Why not have a breakout box with 2 thunderbolt ports (in and thru) and multiple other ports for usb 3, esata, firewire 400/800, etc? This is the most obvious and elegant solution and yet nothing is available? USB hubs are $10 ... all I am looking for is a similar hub-type solution for thunderbolt that takes advantage of the different ports and higher speeds. Can this be made for $10? How about $50? Will it be $500, or just impossible all together?
 
Give it some time. We should begin seeing more TB devices soon. There was a delay on the availability of the TB validation kit until early fall. I assume that manufactures need to run new devices through this kit before release.
 
My issue is that I have a USB 3.0 device and I'd like to get the most out of it as possible.
 
The biggest issue I have with this solution is the unit only has one thunderbolt port. That means for the 21.5" iMac, you can't have a second monitor. The 27"
iMac is fortunate enough to have 2 ports, much less of an issue. I have no idea how the mac mini is suppose to use it, I think they only have one thunderbolt port as well.
 
jsolares said:
but the adapter doesn't seem to have the extra port to be able to chain it
Click to expand...

A TB device should have two TB ports for chaining devices. That said a Mini Display Port monitor will not, so it will have to be the last node on the chain.
And, yes, you can mix TB and MDP on the same channel.
 
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thunderbold is proprietary hardware which is owned by the proprietor, means Apple and intel (intel owns the name and apple the rights or so to my knowledgeor was it the other way round ) , it was developed by intel with large contributions from Apple anyway .
only Apple is using it , so any manufacturer who want to build a device for thunderbold has to pay Apple and intel some money to be allowed to use that port in a device

thats the downside if you got a port that is only fitted in computers of one manufacturer..less competition
and even a simple cable that connects 2 thunderbold ports includes circuitry inside the connectors which makes it expensive
i think Apple is charging $50 or something like that for the 2 meter cable


its like in the past with Firewire , it was better then USB but pricier thats why it didn't replace USB
and thunderbold will have the same fate , it might be better , but it will stay pricy even if some PC manufacturer one day adds thunderbold to its pc's i guess Alienware might maybe one day , but that will be PC's in the higher price end of the market as fitting thunderbold ports to a computer will be expensive for the manufacturer , so not suitable for PC's in the lower price category
 
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Actually Intel owns it all. Apple originally secured the Thunderbolt TM, but gave it to Intel to replace the Lightpeak name.
Intel is incorporating support into their chipsets, so any new Intel based board has logic support for it. Sony has also deployed a machine using TB, but with a different port. It will all come together soon. The port is still in it's infancy.
As for the cable cost, the Apple cable is 'active'. Meaning that there are electronics at either end of the cable to ensure signal quality. Hopefully it can support cheaper passive cables for less demanding uses.
 
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err404 said:
A TB device should have two TB ports for chaining devices. That said a Mini Display Port monitor will not, so it will have to be the last node on the chain.
And, yes, you can mix TB and MDP on the same channel.
Click to expand...

That's my point exactly. Tb devices should have two thunderbolt ports to allow for chaining devices, but according to the manufacturer's web site, this device only has one thubderbolt port!

A terrible design decision, unless of course the manufacturer's spec page is inaccurate.
 
Richdmoore said:
That's my point exactly. Tb devices should have two thunderbolt ports to allow for chaining devices..
Click to expand...

The iMac itself is an end point. It's the first link in the chain.
Technically two devices plugged into a 27" iMac are not 'chained' together because the 27" iMac has two independent TB end points.

Still, I agree. A second port would have been nice on the 21".
 
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MacHamster68 said:
thunderbold is proprietary hardware which is owned by the proprietor, means Apple and intel (intel owns the name and apple the rights or so to my knowledgeor was it the other way round ) , it was developed by intel with large contributions from Apple anyway .
only Apple is using it , so any manufacturer who want to build a device for thunderbold has to pay Apple and intel some money to be allowed to use that port in a device

thats the downside if you got a port that is only fitted in computers of one manufacturer..less competition
and even a simple cable that connects 2 thunderbold ports includes circuitry inside the connectors which makes it expensive
i think Apple is charging $50 or something like that for the 2 meter cable


its like in the past with Firewire , it was better then USB but pricier thats why it didn't replace USB
and thunderbold will have the same fate , it might be better , but it will stay pricy even if some PC manufacturer one day adds thunderbold to its pc's i guess Alienware might maybe one day , but that will be PC's in the higher price end of the market as fitting thunderbold ports to a computer will be expensive for the manufacturer , so not suitable for PC's in the lower price category
Click to expand...

Acer and Asus to Provide Momentum to Thunderbolt Adoption
 
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