Friends over at CNET are talking about Apple readying itself to introduce a new “high-speed connection technology” on Macs very soon. Most people assume this technology to be Light Peak from Intel which might in the future, replace traditional USB, SATA and other popular connectivity formats. Light Peak allows data transfer rates up to 10 Gbit/s and future versions may scale up to a colossal 100 Gbit/s. LightPeak could eventually become the universal connector globally with the capability to connect to anything electronic. It was first showcased in 2009 and uses fiber optic technology.
There is a rumor about Apple trying to introduce new MacBook Pro models next week. The question is whether LightPeak would see the light of the day on these devices. If it does turn out to be true, Apple would become the first manufacturer to introduce LightPeak laden devices to the consumer.
CNET’s sources also claim that Apple would market the technology under a different brand name and there is little possibility that the “LightPeak” name would be used. In fact, Light Peak is thought to be the reason why Apple has not yet introduced USB 3.0 technology to its Mac line up. Makes sense, no?
Also pertinent to note is that Intel had said that the first products with LightPeak would see the light of the day by the first half of 2011. We are pretty much there!
Btw, more about LightPeak here
