Rumor: Macbooks to Feature Light Peak

First set of transfer optimized devices coming in 2013...

More "reasons" for Apple to overprice their stuff

Macbook w/o Light Peak: $ 3000
Macbook with Light Peak: $ 5000

But there is no Lightpeak device yet. Maybe Apple will sell their expansive adapters as well (lightpeak->usb3, lighpeak->display port, lightpeak->esata)

that's the whole idea... make more money off these devices.

Suck it up. Whether you want to pay for it or not, Apple is a formidable opponent.

I admit it, I liked Firewire. It was more reliable and faster than USB2.0 when it came to external harddrives. However, Apple was also the first company to ditch Firewire (even though it created it). Will Light Peak meet the same fate, embraced by a few enthusiasts and cast-aside by the other 99% of computer users who don't know anything other than USB?

Of course, I buy neither Intel nor Apple products, so I don't foresee myself using Light Peak anytime soon.

What, exactly, will be Apple's sales pitch here?

"Connect your devices to our computers at blazing-fast speeds, assuming the 5-year old Core 2 processor we stuck you with will be able to handle the throughput." (TM) And what needs this much throughput, external video cards?

Apple rumored to be digested by fat girl.

Light Peak is an "Apple Exclusive"? Then what is the point? What non-elitist would buy an external HD that only works on $5000+ Apple machines? The whole point of external devices is portability. It's like selling a monitor that only works with a Radeon 5970. Sure, some will buy it, but it's just incredibly stupid from a business perspective. If Apple keeps building up the walls like this, they will inadvertently wall their customers out, rather than wall them in. Apple continues to dig its own grave.

light peak is an interconnect that goes between protocols. USB to USB but with Lightpeak in between doesnt matter what connector.

Now if I only had something to plug it in to...
But hey, it's a feature that PCs don't have. Macs are superior. I gotta pay over9000 dollars for that.

Like it or not Apple always seems to push component technology ahead of other manufacturers. They pushed USB2.0 when everyone was on USB1.0, they pushed Gigabit when everyone was on 100mps, DVI output on their notebooks, when the competition used vga. they even pushed firewire and firewire800.

Its no surprise apple will make a bottom line standard that everything will either be usb3.0 or have lightpeak in their next line up. its just the way they are.

I do know the makers of Lightpeak will be happy that a manufacture has embraced the technology on all their products.

Its a good thing..

Has everyone forgotten the mystery of why Intel seems to be avoiding USB 3.0 in motherboards? There is a reason they have not committed to the tech IMO. LightPeak may debut in Apple but it will be pushed HARD across all segments after a short Apple exclusivity period. And naturally there will be devices that can use it available at launch.

I agree. As is their choice to move to only SSD and lose the optical drive for their next generation. Other laptop manufacturers need to follow suit, because those decisions are definitely the right way to go.

This explains them still using core2 processors right?

im not holding my breath for this.

Manufactures will go along, it just takes them time. While apple may have these features for about 3-6 months, it gets the factories rolling for SSD makers ect, which then opens doors for folks like HP or Dell to buy the technology for cheaper and turn around and sell it cheaper while apple pays premium for "first adopters" of the components. (also hence the apple 150% markup to cover "first off the factory floor components")

I'm confused on why people are talking about core2 when the current macbook pros use the i-series processors...

yay, and Apple and Intel we say its clearly the natural progression, when all they've done is entirely artificially limit the support of USB3.0 by not supporting it... or tried to anyway... hasn't stopped everyone else.

I mean, I like the idea (though not the idea of having to pay the same price for a 100gbps network cable as I would for a cable to connect my keyboard to my computer...) but come on guys, if its sooo good, let it stand on it's own two feet without artificially hampering the competition.

SSD only and no optical drive? Sounds like they are turning the MacBook Pro into the MacBook Air not just borrowing features. Kinda makes me glad I picked up my MBP earlier this year...

Video editing is nice, but if I could use this in the server room it would blow most of the 10Gb and fc stuff away.. Intel really could have the "one cable to rule them all" if they wanted to push this stuff right.

Call me crazy, but I'd rather have an optical drive than light peak. USB 3.0 is plenty fast for now.

How long before we start seeing lightpeak thumbdrives replacing USB thumbdrives?

Ah man, no way: Lightpeak!

*cricket* *cricket*

Well at least they don't have 3D displays on the Macbook Pros...or am I going to be regretting this sarcasm? Anyway you put it, it means expensive computers in this nice recession, and no way to actually use this new technology.

At least SSD are making a heavier push in the market...

Using the same argument I guess the current processors use are plenty fast for now (for some people)

It's never going to get off the ground at this rate. How many "awesome" technologies from the 80s and 90s went from cradle to grave in a hurry because the only machines to use them were overpriced and had comparatively insignificant marketshare?

And how is removing optical drives "forward thinking"? My 2 year old netbook has no optical drive, and it sure is irritating for the few times a month when I need one. But don't worry Apple has a solution: buy their $100 chromed aluminum Apple approved external optical drive; complete with fairy dust.

Stop complaining about apple including this tech before everyone else. This is merely a rumor - and a seemingly unlikely one at that. But on the assumption that it IS true, we can only come out on top. whether we like it or not, macs are pretty popular. Manufacturers have no reason to make light peak devices unless there is a market for them. If the rumors are true, apple may just create that market, giving motherboard manufacturers reasons to make light peak compatible boards for PCs. If we don't buy them, we win no matter what.

And on a side note: even if apple does integrate Light Peak into their devices, I seriously doubt it would increase mac prices. They probably wouldn't change at all. Apple doesn't often create a global price increase to their macbook pros... in fact they have gone down in price over the last couple of years (granted they were pretty damn pricy to begin with). Apple laptops have been selling in larger and larger volumes over the past few years and I doubt they would increase prices and jeopardize their recent goldmine. My point is that this little statement is very unlikely.

Like most new technology, it appears first in Apple products, then trickles down. All the PeeCee makers are in a race to the bottom, who can sell it the cheapest. Apple on the other hand, entices its customers with technology, rather than wal-mart pricing. As for Light Peak inflating the MSRP of the new MacBook Pro's, I highly doubt that - the MBP has been getting *less* expensive with each successive generation. Generally by several hundred dollars. Look at the 17" model for example. It went from $2799 to $2599 to $2299 as the introductory pricing for the prior three generations.

Why can't you use a standard USB optical drive with your netbook? Your "Apple approved" argument is completely false. As with ALL of Apple's laptops, you don't need to buy their accessories. Literally *any* external DVD or BluRay (USB or Firewire or eSata) is plug-n-play compatible. Same with monitors, keyboards, mouses, speakers, etc. Absolutely no different from a Windows PC in that regard.... oh wait - with a Windows peecee, you need special Microsoft approved hardware that has proprietary Microsoft "signed" drivers, that might work with 64 bit Windows... or they might not. Lol.

Well duh. Except most Apple users don't care enough to realize this and just sheep into the Apple store and buy whatever is on the shelves at full MSRP + Apple Tax. For instance, how many people still use the crappy earbuds (to even an amateur ear) that come with ipods? And you don't need signed drivers in Windows. If you go to install an unsigned driver you get a prompt asking for confirmation and that's it. And that prompt can be disabled with 4 clicks. 64 bit isn't really relevant to the argument, but nowadays it's pretty common to see x86 and x64 drivers for Win7 (only major drivers ever bother with the unpopular XP x64).

And you're stepping a bit to far saying stuff is "plug and play" with Macs. I can point out dozens of Amazon reviews for products that are 1 star because the device doesn't have Mac support. Can't blame the manufacturer since it costs a lot to write a driver, and it's hardly worth it for a 10% marketshare.

wow... mac is moving to a 512 gb solid state drive in their macbooks?
does anyone dare to check their prices?