Intel, Apple aim Light Peak connection standard for 2010 delivery
One connector for your mouse, display, network and storage that’s more than 20 times faster than USB and three times faster than eSATA? Say goodbye to the dozen or more cables and connectors we currently use (and hate)— that sounds very, very Steve Jobs to me.
Engadget, quoting “an extremely reliable source,” reports that Apple is the creative force behind a new Intel connection standard that’s designed to “replace the multitudinous connector types with a single connector (FireWire, USB, display interface)” called Light Peak. This technology, which the chip giant demonstrated recently using a “hackintosh” running OS X at a developer forum (image below), will offer duplexed throughput of up to 10Gbps at launch with 100Gbps planned down the road.
According to documents we’ve seen and conversations we’ve had, Apple had reached out to Intel as early as 2007 with plans for an interoperable standard which could handle massive amounts of data … From what we’ve learned, the initial conversations (and apparent disagreements) were had directly between Steve Jobs and Paul Otellini.
For additional color, see:
— Intel’s New Light Peak Cable Transfers 10 Gb/S,
Puts USB To Shame (PopSci.com)
— Report: Apple pushed Intel to develop Light Peak cabling (AppleInsider)
The upshot of this one-size-fits-all solution could be Macintoshes equipped with Light Peak ports, replacing USB, FireWire, SATA and wired network ports and cabling. The timing? Apple will introduce this new standard in new Macs for the 2010 back-to-school shopping season.
Intel and Apple are also said to be planning the introduction of a low-power version of Light Peak for handhelds and cellphones in 2011.
It’s that vision thing…
And, doesn’t this sound a lot like something Steve Jobs would get behind — one cable type with a single connector type to replace USB, FireWire, SATA, eSATA, Ethernet and all of those mutually incompatible dongles, cables and connectors, leapfrogging the competition in a single go? Although nothing’s sure until the Apple CEO gives us “one more thing,” it certainly sounds exciting and could be the mothership’s next “insanely great” product…
What’s your take?
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September 27th, 2009
It’s an interesting connectivity idea, but won’t be in any Apple products anytime in the next two to three years — certainly not 2010. First, Intel is erring in promoting a local bus without DC power, so device manufacturers will have to radically re-approach their designs to not rely on cable-provided DC. Second, there are no Tx/Rx chips; and, until a healthy supplier based for these appears in Asia, there will be no third party products, period. That is at least a 2-year R&D+fab ramp up. Third, Apple core strategy positions the Mac as the center of a multimedia universe, one populated with a wide range of peripheral products. Until a sufficient mass of these adopt any new I/O scheme, and until all involved third-party standards bodies and media publishers codify standard protocols and security schemes, Apple will not add, and will certainly not adopt to the exclusion of existing ports, any new I/O.
Apple’s is presently ramping up the largest assault ever made on the mass market living room. That mid-market living room has zero products in it using super advanced optical connections. Someday, when the rest of the industry is making TVs, displays, hard (or flash) drives, cable boxes, TiVos, Wiis, PS3s, DVD players, etc., etc. using this I/O, Apple will embrace it.
As a company aimed at being the content source for the world’s media consumers Apple will not sandbox itself away from customers.
September 27th, 2009
Let’s see. Apple pushed SCSI, Firewire , NuBus and Appletalk. RISC. Yeah, a real visionary.
September 28th, 2009
This is the first step towards optical circuits on boards. Allowing consolidation of signals along minimal pathways on the board. Crystalline repeaters and catalysts on boards as well… The architecture is finally starting to shift to photonic circuitry.