Light Peak coming to the Mac in 2011
Summary: Light Peak, a 10 Gbps optical interface for peripherals developed by Intel and backed by Apple, could appear in Macs earlier than previously expected.
Light Peak, a 10 Gbps optical interface for peripherals developed by Apple and Intel, could appear in Macs earlier than previously expected.
According to CNet:
Light Peak is now on track to appear in products in the first half of 2011--and likely earlier in the year than later, according to an industry source familiar with the progress of the technology. Light Peak is significantly faster than even USB 3.0, carrying data at 10 gigabits per second in both directions simultaneously.
Light Peak will enable users to connect a variety of devices into a single Light Peak port and has the potential to replace almost all the ports on your computer, including networking, video out, and general connectivity. Translation: Ethernet, MiniDisplay Port, USB and FireWire. Apple reportedly developed the interoperable technology in 2007 and brought it to Intel to create.
Light Peak is sexy because it’s based on fiber optic technology that is capable of transferring data at 10 Gbps — dramatically faster than all of the current interconnect standards, including USB 3.
- 400 Mbps - FireWire
- 800 Mbps - FireWire 800
- 480 Mbps - USB 2.0
- 5 Gbps - USB 3.0
At 10 Gbps you could transfer a full-length Blu-Ray movie in less than 30 seconds. According to Intel, Light Peak can scale to 10 Gbps over the next decade and has a number of other benefits.
With Apple skipping over USB 3.0 in the latest batch of MacBook Pros and iMacs, it seems like Cupertino may be putting all of its eggs into the Light Peak basket. If this most recent report pans out you can probably expect to see Light Peak ports beginning to crop up on Apple logic boards beginning early next year.
Video: A Light Peak demonstration by Intel.
More Light Peak videos:
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Talkback
RE: Light Peak coming to the Mac in 2011
Peripherals
Please provide proof
I did a little digging and found that the source of the rumor that Apple was involved with Light Peak was this:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/exclusive-apple-dictated-light-peak-creation-to-intel-could-be/
[i]Engadget has learned -- thanks to an extremely reliable source -- that not only is Apple complicit in the development of Light Peak, but the company actually brought the concept to Intel and asked them to create it.[/i]
Every single other article I found on the subject all linked back to this one Engadget article. Every single one. Talk about an Internet Echo Chamber!! Take one Engadget rumor, repeat it on every Apple loving blog out there, and suddenly it is stated [b]as fact[/b] that Apple developed Light Peak.
So where's the proof?
Blah blah blah
Addition: Before you throw out your ever so clever "you nothing but a fanboi" retorts - I'm not commenting on Apple here, and I'm not congratulating them on their accomplishment (assuming it is theirs which i have no evidence to support or refute) what I am doing here is calling you out. I am calling attention to the fact that rather then comment on the thesis of this article -possibly imminent release of LightPeak capable systems - you have once again taken any chance presented to denigrate Apple, just for being Apple. It's tiresome and it's boring and it is the epitome of the fanboism you claim to hate. FWIW I am writing this post on an Asus desktop running Windows 7 which I absolutely adore. The fact that you took the time to do "a little digging" just so you could post an Apple-negative comment is really a bit sad. Join the adults and be glad the technology is on its way, regardless of whose lab it came from. Maybe you'll be fortunate enough to have LightPeak on your Windows8 MBP!
RE: Light Peak coming to the Mac in 2011
RE: Light Peak coming to the Mac in 2011
Show me a drive that will saturate 10 Gbps
RE: Light Peak coming to the Mac in 2011