Rumor: Macbooks to Feature Light Peak

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Look out USB 3.0, looks like Light Peak may be coming sooner than you had hoped.

According to Edible Apple, Apple will reportedly be introducing brand new MacBook Pros in April 2011 which will come with a whole lot more than just an upgrade in specs.

Three Guys and a Podcast has said, "The new MacBook Pros will move to solid state storage, up to 512GB, remove the optical drive, and we believe light-peak is being pushed to make it’s first-ever entrance into the market, another Apple exclusive."

In addition, the MacBook Pros are due for a complete redesign borrowing features from the newly released MacBook Air. The most exciting rumor we've been hearing is about the inclusion of Light Peak technology.

Intel and Apple have been reportedly working together to develop the blazing fast Light Peak technology that was buzzed about earlier this year. Boasting of a 10GB/s up and down, light peak might just blow USB 3.0 out of the water. As fast as 10GB/s already sounds, Intel has reported that Light Peak will be able to scale up to 100GB/s within the next ten years. How's that for fast?

If these rumors are true, Light Peak will be hitting the market first with Apple in their new MacBook Pro. As far as what this might do to the pricing, we aren't too excited.

Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai is a Los Angeles based writer and marketing manager working within the PC Hardware industry. He has written for Tom's Guide since 2010, with a special interest in the weird and quirky.
60 Comments Comment from the forums
  • orionantares
    First set of transfer optimized devices coming in 2013...
    Reply
  • lauxenburg
    More "reasons" for Apple to overprice their stuff
    Reply
  • Hupiscratch
    Macbook w/o Light Peak: $ 3000
    Macbook with Light Peak: $ 5000
    Reply
  • mianmian
    But there is no Lightpeak device yet. Maybe Apple will sell their expansive adapters as well (lightpeak->usb3, lighpeak->display port, lightpeak->esata)
    Reply
  • house70
    mianmianBut 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.
    Reply
  • mlopinto2k1
    Suck it up. Whether you want to pay for it or not, Apple is a formidable opponent.
    Reply
  • hellwig
    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?
    Reply
  • falchard
    Apple rumored to be digested by fat girl.
    Reply
  • Anomalyx
    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.
    Reply
  • razercultmember1
    mianmianBut there is no Lightpeak device yet. Maybe Apple will sell their expansive adapters as well (lightpeak->usb3, lighpeak->display port, lightpeak->esata)light peak is an interconnect that goes between protocols. USB to USB but with Lightpeak in between doesnt matter what connector.
    Reply