Apple brands Intel 'Light Peak' as Thunderbolt
Apple's take on Intel's 'Light Peak' high-speed IO technology will be call Thunderbolt, it has emerged, and it will be delivered through the new MacBook Pro's DisplayPort connector. Throughout the morning, snaps have appeared online showing the specification stickers on the back on the new MacBook boxes. The first ones were in …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Interesting
An interesting move that helps validate Apple's decision to go Displayport, against so many critics.
DisplayPort's main link (the ~20Gb/s) isn't bidirectional so Intel+Apple would still have had to do some re-engineering and extensive protocol modifications of course.
Presumably this means new displays are coming too
at the very least, new connectors
erk
They shouldn't use that, it looks just like the "High Voltage" warning pictogram. Major possibility for my mum to get confused and try and plug the power cord in there.
Pin B in to Slot A?
Dude, seriously... if your mum was to even try to push a power connector into that slot, I'd say she probably has the IQ of a chimp. Or actually lower.
The shapes of the connectors don't match, so how can their be confusion?
Hope they learned from the Firewire debacle
Apple called IEEE 1394 "Firewire". Not a bad name but Sony decided to call it i.Link, and Texas Instruments called it Lynx. 3 brand names and one official alpha numeric all talking about the same standard. The situation was further muddied by some devices using one connector style and others using another.
Would it be too much to task that Intel / Apple decided up front on a name with this particular standard? I think I prefer Lightpeak over Thunderbolt. The latter conjures up images of electrocution really.
Ahem, Thunderbolt is already used by ...
HTC with their Thunderbolt handset; by Thunderbolt Computing, Inc. of Redmond, WA; by Squakenet of games fame and Thunderbolt Computer & Software Service of Georgia.
Seems all these have prior claim to this name, not that it's ever stopped Apple stealing others names before ... including the word apple!
Considering Apple's recent trademark infringement lawsuit
...against Maxi-Pads I'd say what's good for the goose and all.
What?
Yeah, because they're all really easy to confuse with a connection method.
The very fact that you can cite four different users of the term Thunderbolt (five, if you include Apple) suggests that everyone can get along happily without thinking that their new MacBook Pro comes with a free HTC handset.
Muppet.
Maybe HTC will do a deal over the name ... how about withdrawing court actions?
With USD$60-billion cash in the bank Apple can afford to buy off the people/companies whose name it is stealing.
HTC is the nearest challenge as they are in manufacturing, too.
High Voltage? Danger of Death?
Yeah, this is a very poor choice of symbol.
Reminded me of this: http://www.proshieldsafetysigns.co.uk/signs/4221_signs.jpg "Danger of Death"
Re: Light Peak
Let me just clarify something. This Light Peak connection thingy doesn't involve light in anyway, except it's name, right?
Light
I think it was intended that Lightpeak would be optical longer term.
Re: Light Peak
>Let me just clarify something. This Light Peak connection thingy doesn't involve light in anyway, except it's name, right?
Not yet. The first incarnation will use copper. The protocol itself though is designed to transfer to fibre optic in the next revision.
IIRC cost and the need to bring something to market forced Intel to ditch fibre in the first version.
Wrong
it's an optoelectronic interconnect running over fiber
Kinda sorta
The technology was developed with optical connections in mind, then modified to work over copper. Presumably, the implementation Apple is going to reveal next week will be the copper variety. I understand that the advantage of copper is that it can carry power to a connected device, but I'm guessing copper won't have the same long-term speed potential as optical.
@AC
I believe it's intended to use light in its final form but Intel have the initial form without light in order to get something on the market.
<b>the initial version</b> would be based on copper
"Intel has been working on Light Peak for years and recently said <b>the initial version</b> would be based on copper, as time-to-market realities necessitate more conventional technology.
Light Peak is significantly faster than even USB 3.0, carrying data at 10 gigabits per second in both directions simultaneously.
<b>Connection speeds will not be affected by the transition to copper </b>, according to Intel. "
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20034900-64.html#ixzz1EoKBv1jS
DVD Drives, Grandad?
Is there anyone who is in the market for a grand's worth of laptop who has any need for a permanently fitted DVD drive? What do people use these things for?
dongle
"Is there anyone who is in the market for a grand's worth of laptop who has any need for a permanently fitted DVD drive? What do people use these things for?"
I'm in the middle on this one: while I don't really use the drive in my laptop all that often, I'm pretty sure I don't want to carry around an external drive just in case. So I guess I'm saying I'd rather carry a little extra weight/size than a seperate item.
Re: DVD Drives, Grandad?
Rumor has it that the internal super-drive will an optional component of the new MacBook Pro models. My current (2 yearold) MBP has a super-drive, but I wouldn't bother getting even an external one when I next upgrade.
@Ahem, Thunderbolt is already used by
Nothing wrong with using the same name, as long as it can't be confused or passed off with another 'product' with the same name.
A Thunderbolt handset is unlikely to be confused with a Thunderbolt port.
this
isn't the same as lightpeak, research a bit, you'll see what i mean
Thunderbolt?? Really??
Geez Steve, are you guys STILL doing acid?
nice tech, shame about the name
I dislike the name thunderbolt (especially if you're using a lightning bolt to illustrate it) . Light peak is a much better name. That is all.
http://techresearch.intel.com/ProjectDetails.aspx?Id=143
- for AC, who wanted to know if it involved light in any way.
Love the way...
...Apple don't give a crap!!
Like the comments before me, LOADS of people are using Thunderbolt for something. Biggest whinger is probably going to be HTC as there new Thunderbolt 4G handset is due out soon!
This topic is closed for new posts.
