Published: Tuesday 29th September, 2009 | Author: Sylvie Barak
Companies: Intel (All Intel content)
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email to a friendWhen Intel showed off its new Light Peak optical standard at IDF last week, some people were surprised to see the demo running on a Mac. But it seems Intel had a core reason for using Apple hardware, with the fruity choice being not entirely coincidental.
According to Engadget, Apple is not only implicit in developing Light Peak, the firm is actually responsible for the idea in the first place, with the standard set to play a very important part in the compay's upcoming product lines.
Documents seen by Engadget say Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, brought the plans for a single connector cable directly to Intel's CEO Paul Otellini back in 2007, with Jobs apparently insisting the standard be based on a single port, optical solution.
After some rumoured disagreements, the pair seem to have reached a short term solution for an initial ‘one-size-fits-all' connection, avoiding double dongles. In the near future, however, Apple purportedly plans to release new products equipped only with a Light Peak port, which could skip over USB 3.0 altogether.
Also, although it may take the industry several years to ratify the Light Peak spec, there is already talk of Apple releasing a new line of Macs in autumn of 2010 which come complete with the new technology.
There are also whisperings about a lower powered version for mobile devices and smartphones in 2011, so Light Peak could get its first taste of iPhone or iPod action very soon indeed.
But Apple isn't the only firm interested in Light Peak for the mobile space, with speculation rife that Sony could use Intel's upcoming lower power Atom chips to build its own Light Peaked MID.
Either way, there's plenty of light at the end of the tunnel for those of us fed up with piles and piles of messy, tangled cables.
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Think about the simplified cabling:
1 cable from the wall to the Computer. Possibly 2 because of networking. 1 cable from computer to monitor. 1 cable from monitor to keyboard. 1 Cable from keyboard to mouse.
It'll mike cabling a lot better IMHO.Quote
You won't get power over OPTICAL cable ... and that kills part of the usb replacement idea.
You might. Either a couple of wires alongside the optical, or just a really, really, really small solar panel at on end of the wire, and a 30W laser at the other.Quote
or just a really, really, really small solar panel at on end of the wire, and a 30W laser at the other.
Hahahaha - awesome. Kudos for this awesome but entirely ridiculous idea :DQuote
You won't get power over OPTICAL cable ... and that kills part of the usb replacement idea.
As below. There's nothing to stop the spec including some copper for power as well.Quote
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