Apple to Name Intel's Light Peak as 'Thunderbolt'
Another flashy Apple name for an interface standard.
As we mentioned earlier, Intel has a special event scheduled for tomorrow. Many believe this to be a rollout of Intel's Light Peak interface. It's fast and it's definitely next-generation.
Apple has a habit of adopting these standards, like it did for Firewire, and this time appears to be no different with reports coming out that the new MacBook Pro laptops right around the corner will integrating Light Peak in what will be branded as "Thunderbolt High-speed I/O".
Various sources have posted on the internet what appear to be marketing materials for the new MacBook Pro model with Intel Light Peak, and amazingly enough, there's even a picture of the port.
On what appears to be a MacBook Pro 13-inch model, there's a lightning bolt (Thunderbolt) logo next to what is the mini-DisplayPort on today's models. The specs sheet describes this as a "Thunderbolt port supports high-speed I/O devices and Mini Displayport devices." Quite interesting, particularly for MacBook Pro users who want to use both an external display and Light Peak at the same time.
Source: MacRumors
BUT, it sounds somewhat expensive, and thus will never catch on. Hopefully I'm wrong.
So in other words, It's a lot like HDMI, which can also act as both data and video/sound. (HDMI = Ethernet too).
But lightpeak is so much faster i guess, but it'll be a few years before anything can utilize it.
Will Apple skip USB3.0?
Will Firewire3200 ever see the light of day?
How long will Apple support FW800?
They should just brand it Light Peak, I think it is realy a good name, and I can imagine some pretty awesome logo's.
Why in the hell have names become important just for marketing, it doesn't mater any more what technology is actually sold. Like with AMD's fusion
Knowing apple, they will probably support firewire for 1 maybe 2 generations more before killing it forcing people who cant go without the latest macbook, to get new devices that support the new connector. Or if the user chooses, they can keep their old devices and buy the inevitable Apple branded adapters which will be with very high price markups.