Ten things to know about Intel’s Thunderbolt
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4213501/Ten-things-to-know-about-Thunderbolt
Rick Merritt
2/24/2011 2:54 PM EST
We answer a few of the big questions about Intel’s new Thunderbolt interface, but plenty of issues remain in the dark about the technology built into Apple’s new MacBooks.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Intel and Apple sent quite a shock wave through the PC and consumer electronics communities today with the launch of Thunderbolt, a high-end interconnect that leapfrogs both Firewire and USB 3.0.
Plenty of questions remain unanswered. But Intel has shed light on some of the major issues. Here’s the EE Times FAQ on Thunderbolt.
1. When will a full spec be openly available?
3. What are the applications for Thunderbolt?
5. Who will supply silicon for Thunderbolt?
6. Will Thunderbolt support optical cables?
7. Wasn’t Thunderbolt supposed to support optical cables, too?
8. What’s the roadmap for Thunderbolt?
9. Who is supporting Thunderbolt?
10. How will Thunderbolt avoid the problems of Firewire?
1. When will a full spec be openly available?
Intel is so far only sharing full technical specs of Thunderbolt under non-disclosure with partners making Thunderbolt products. It plans to release a developer’s kit before July that will include technical specifications for Thunderbolt. However, it currently has no plans to publish details of the spec online.
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