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MacBook Pro (early 2011) with Thunderbolt hands-on
We just got our new 15-inch MacBook Pro review unit, and although it looks almost exactly the same as the previous MBP, it has that fancy new Thunderbolt icon on the side, which ought to make I/O nerd hearts flutter the world over. Unfortunately, there aren't any Thunderbolt peripherals on the market yet, so we can't really test the new connection yet, but we can report that backwards compatibility with Mini DisplayPort performs as advertised and that all of our display adapters worked without issue -- the first time we can ever remember Apple switching a standard and not requiring all new dongles. As for performance, we were given the $2,199 configuration with a 2.2GHz quad-core Sandy Bridge Core i7, discrete AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 750GB HD, which clocked a preliminary GeekBench score of 9647. We'll have tons more testing in our full review, including detailed comparisons of the discrete chip with Intel's new integrated HD Graphics 3000. Apple did give us a quick demo on the new system with a prototype Promise RAID unit and a stock Cinema Display connected over Thunderbolt -- remember, Thunderbolt just uses a Mini DisplayPort connector, so displays can be daisy-chained right in. Apple's demo was a variation of the same thing Intel's been doing for a while -- they played four uncompressed HD video streams off the RAID simultaneously, which pegged the Thunderbolt throughput meter at 600-700MBps. We also watched a 5GB file transfer in just a few seconds -- all very impressive, but we're definitely anxious to try some of this stuff ourselves once Thunderbolt devices start shipping sometime in the spring. Apple also told us that Thunderbolt is running on copper and not optical cables (like the Light Peak protoypes) so that it can support bus-powered devices -- there's 10 watts of power available on the bus, up slightly from FireWire's 8 watts. Up to six devices can be daisy-chained from one port, and since Thunderbolt is based on PCI Express, it can even support FireWire and USB adapters. That's great news for the future of the interface, but the MacBook Pro still has two USB 2.0 and one FireWire 800 port, so it's not of critical importance right this second. We'll have much, much more in our full review -- check back in a few days! Update: We got a closer look at Thunderbolt working with some peripherals this afternoon -- believe us, you don't want to miss the video demo. %Gallery-117510%
Thunderbolt: Apple and Intel's new interconnect
It's been a while getting here -- Intel first demoed Light Peak at IDF in September 2009 -- but the first production laptops featuring the new, rebranded Thunderbolt interface are about to ship, in the form of shiny new MacBook Pros. Thunderbolt's raw speed (10 Gbps) and purported simplicity will enable MBP owners to work with massive storage on the go. Both Intel and Apple have posted summary feature pages about the new connectivity option, including a list of potential peripheral partners and a tech brief PDF. Intel also has a launch event for the technology later today (10 AM Pacific), which may explain why the Apple Store is still down; they don't want to tease the new peripherals and adapters until Intel has a chance to demo everything. As rumored last week, the Thunderbolt connector replaces the Mini DisplayPort on the new MacBook Pro models, rather than subbing in for the USB ports as in preproduction versions of the technology. Apple's existing Mini DisplayPort-based displays will work unmodified with the Thunderbolt port. The real excitement, however, comes with new peripherals and adapters. Since Thunderbolt supports the PCI Express protocol, it should allow for dramatic expansion off of a single port; since the bulk of the MacBook Pro line gave up its ExpressPort card slot for an SDXC slot (except the 17" model), the laptop line has been waiting for another high-speed option for video capture and connectivity. Apple's feature rundown notes that Thunderbolt adapters will allow MacBook Pro users to connect to USB, HDMI, FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet or Fibre Channel at will (finally making the MacBook Pro a legitimate Xsan client). Imagine the next generation of MacBook Air sporting a Thunderbolt port, and getting back all the connectivity options traded off for size and weight savings. It's a safe bet that Thunderbolt will quickly replace Mini DisplayPort across the Mac desktop lines as well with the next iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro revisions. Could it even work its way into iOS devices sometime soon? Your iPad would sync in seconds, or serve as an external high-performance display... so tempting. We'll check in on Intel's launch event later today for more details on Thunderbolt and new products supporting it. Update: CNET's liveblog of the Intel press event revealed that the optical/hybrid cables for Thunderbolt will be available later this year and will support much longer cable lengths (as distinguished from the copper-only cables that will ship now, maxing out at 3 meters). The company also said there are no plans for a PCIe adapter card for Thunderbolt; the only way to get it will be with a new computer/motherboard.
Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras
Come on, you knew this was coming! Oh yes, Apple's pulling the curtain off its new MacBook Pro family, and compared to the last refresh cycle, there are a serious amount of updates. Just as we had heard, all three will be getting new Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6000M graphics (bye bye, NVIDIA!), FaceTime HD cameras, and some super fast Thunderbolt I/O transfer speeds. There are two new 13-inchers, two 15.4-inch versions, and one lone 17-inch model. How much will they cost you and what are the exact specs? You'll want to hit the jump for all of that and the official press release. %Gallery-117499%
Apple and Intel unveil Thunderbolt I/O technology
So it's perhaps not the most original moniker that Apple and Intel could have chosen, but it's here just the same. After years of waiting Apple has launched its implementation of Intel's Light Peak standard and it's called Thunderbolt. It's making its appearance on new MacBook Pro models and it's promising 10Gb/second transfer rates. That's dual-channel, too so you'll get 10Gb/sec both to and from your devices. Apple suggests this will be useful for external RAID arrays, Gigabit Ethernet adapters, and also mentions support for "FireWire and USB consumer devices" along with HDMI, DVI, and VGA over DisplayPort. Apple expects that Thunderbolt will be "widely adopted as a new standard for high performance I/O," but we think the USB 3.0 crew might have a thing or two to say about that. Full PR is embedded below. Update: Intel has thrown up its page on the technology, and it looks like the Light Peak name is officially no more. Intel indicates this speed will be enough to transfer a full-length HD movie (roughly 10 - 20GB in size) in less than 30 seconds. Intel also reinforces that this is compatible with existing DisplayPort devices and it also uses the PCI Express protocol for enhanced compatibility. Daisy-chaining will be possible, along with bus-powered devices, and cables can be made using either optical or electrical construction.
Leaked photos show 13-inch MacBook Pro, some specs
MacRumors has what appear to be genuine images of the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh. A consensus in the TUAW newsroom says that this appears to be the real deal with the current box matching the previous MacBook Pro release other than the addition of Thunderbolt. The specs as listed include: A 2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with a 3MB shared level 3 cache 4 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM 320 GB 5400-rpm hard drive Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with 384MB SDRAM shared memory 1280x800 resolution A 8x slot-loading SuperDrive A Thunderbolt port supporting High-Speed VO and Mini DisplayPort devices These, added to rumors posted earlier from MacGeneration, have us eager to see what will arrive in the near future for the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines.
MacBook Pros to have better battery and HD screens, white MacBook finished
Rumors of the imminent MacBook Pro refresh are gaining even further momentum. So far, we've heard reports that the new, upcoming MacBook Pros will sport larger trackpads, weigh slightly less than the current models and have a 8 - 16 GB SSD boot drive to house Mac OS X (everything else will be stored on a separate HDD). It's also been reported that the new MacBook Pros will come with a custom all-SSD option, but at a higher price, of course. Now, French Mac site MacGeneration has chimed in, too. The site corroborates claims that the new MacBook Pros will feature a SSD (16 GB mSATA) boot drive, providing faster startup times and performance improvements. It also claims that new MacBook Pros will weigh 200 - 300 grams less than the current versions: 1.8 kg for the 13-inch model, 2.3 kg for the 15-inch model and 2.65 kg for the 17-inch model. The site also expects HD resolution displays (1,440 x 900 for the 13-inch model and 1,680 x 1,050 for the 15-inch model), plus a newer Core i3 chip, an extra USB port and 12 hours of battery life for the 13-inch model. The 15-inch model will have 10 hours of battery life. Additionally, MacGeneration claims that customers will be able to order the 15- and 17-inch models with additional storage (a solid-state drive replacing the SuperDrive). The 17-inch model is expected to have 8 GB of RAM and the high-end 13-inch model will apparently have a matte screen order option, too. Also, the French site claims the MacBook Pros will see the introduction of a "new technology." Most likely, this will be the introduction of Light Peak or, if again the rumors are to be believed, the now formally titled Thunderbolt technology. And last, but not least, MacGeneration says the white MacBook model will be discontinued. [Via AppleInsider, MacRumors]
Intel and Apple to launch Light Peak as Thunderbolt in the MacBook Pro
According to CNET, Intel is holding a press event on Thursday to launch its Light Peak technology. Light Peak is a high-speed connection technology that lets a single interface replace the SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire and PCI Express ports on a computer. The technology was introduced in 2009 and, according to an Intel executive, is ready to make its commercial debut. The current iteration of Light Peak is based on copper, not optical technology, and is expected to provide 10 gigabits per second bi-directional data transfer. Rumors from as far back as November 2010 suggest Apple may incorporate Light Peak into its 2011 MacBook Pro models. The press event in San Francisco seems to corroborate this rumor as the Intel invite reportedly states the briefing will "discuss a new technology that is about to appear on the market." Apple was rumored to be working closely with Intel on this Light Peak technology, and an early public demonstration of its capabilities was performed using a machine running Mac OS X. Fsklog and Mac4Ever claim to have insider specs that suggest Light Peak will debut as Thunderbolt on the upcoming MacBook Pro notebooks. Combined, the two blogs purportedly have an image of the actual Light Peak port on a MacBook Pro (suspiciously looking like a mini-display port), an advertisement piece with the larger trackpad, a promotional logo for Thunderbolt and a spec sheet. Of course, all these images can be faked easily with Photoshop, and ThunderBolt is a trademark filed by Verizon for its upcoming LTE smartphone, so take this latter information with a grain of salt. [Fsklog, Mac4Ever and Engadget]
Apple's Light Peak implementation called Thunderbolt, coming in new MacBook Pros?
The rumor gears are really starting to churn with regard Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro refresh and now we have a purported leak of the upcoming spec sheet for the new 13-inch model. The highlight is a note (and image, above) seemingly confirming that Apple will implement Intel's Light Peak high-speed interconnect, renaming it the Thunderbolt. Yes, we know there's an HTC handset headed to Verizon with that very same name -- and we've checked the USPTO archives, Verizon's the only tech company with any trademark claim filed for "Thunderbolt" -- but Apple has done weirder things before. Also notable are the apparent inclusion of an SDXC card reader and the absence of a discrete GPU chip, indicating that perhaps the new Core i5 integrated graphics from Intel are finally good enough to convince Cupertino to rely on them full time. Jump past the break to see the full data sheet. Update: We now have an image claiming to show the new Thunderbolt port, which happens to look exactly like the Mini DisplayPort but has a tidy little lightning logo next to it. That's extremely easy to Photoshop, as is the accompanying photo displaying a broader trackpad on the MBP, but we'll let you judge the validity of those images for yourself. Check them out after the break. Update 2: One more image of the spec sheet, this time in English, provided by MacRumors along with the note that it's for the "low-end" 13-inch MacBook Pro. The doc states that the Thunderbolt port supports "high-speed I/O and Mini DisplayPort devices," which would explain why it looks the way it does. [Thanks, Leon and Rodney]
Intel to show new technology on Thursday, Light Peak rumors swirl
We know Light Peak is ready, at least in its 10Gbps copper form. We think that Apple will be the first to use it, possibly in a set of new MacBooks. Now, this Thursday, Intel has invited journalists to a San Francisco event, where it will "discuss a new technology that is about to appear on the market" and provide tech demos. There's no hard news here, but things appear to add up, and so the web's ablaze with rumors that Thursday's the day Intel will unveil the finished first generation of its interconnect technology to the world. Here's what happens now: We'll be in San Francisco this Thursday, reporting live from the event, to let you know for sure.
Apple announcing new high-speed interconnect, Light Peak here we come?
There's not a scrap of evidence to back this rumor, but everything seems to line up: CNET reports that Apple will announce "a new high-speed connection technology" soon -- and Intel's Light Peak seems to be a shoo-in for the job. We've long known that Apple's been secretly backing the 10Gbps interconnect, but with a likely MacBook Pro refresh right around the corner and Light Peak allegedly due for a 1H 2011 launch, it seems the time for action could be right around now. It also doesn't hurt that this latest rumor comes from CNET, actually, as we're pretty sure the publication has an inside source. The very same reporter wrote that Light Peak would be downgraded to copper, a full month before Intel would admit anything of the sort.
Apple patent suggests MagSafe connector that supports data
Apple recently filed a patent for a product described as "Magnetic Connector with Optical Signal Path." The patent filing describes a MagSafe-style cable that would provide both data and power to a device. The power cable would connect magnetically and contain additional internal pins allowing for the transmission of data as well as audio and video signals. Downstream, the cable would include the appropriate adapters for each device you want to connect. This patent sounds very similar to HDBaseT, a cabling system proposed by Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment, LG Electronics and Valens Semiconductor. This technology uses an RJ-45 cable to transmit data via a 100BaseT connection, HD video, audio and power. The specification was finalized in June 2010, and products using this technology may debut in 2011. Another similar competing technology, LightPeak, is being developed by Intel. The optical cable technology would be a single cable replacement for SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire, PCI Express and possibly power and display connections as well. Apple is reportedly interested in this technology and was rumored, at one point, to be incorporating it into its MacBook Pro lineup.
Why native USB 3.0 for Mac won't happen
Mac Life has put together an interesting article on why we probably won't see USB 3.0 natively on the Mac. It's worth a read, but the long and short of it is this: Light Peak -- the ultra fast 10 Gbps, one size fits all (USB, Ethernet, FireWire, SATA and PCI Express) optical cable replacement that's been dangled before our eyes, but not made a reality, yet. Light Peak was first demonstrated by Intel back in 2009 on a hackintosh running Mac OS X -- which ruffled a few feathers. At the time, Engadget reported that Apple was behind the technology, with discussions between the two companies developing the technology dating back to 2007, and that (according to an extremely reliable source) Light Peak would be introduced to the Mac line-up in the autumn of 2010 with iPhone implementation in 2011. Since then, we've seen USB 3.0 come to market (to a small extent, and not natively on the Mac), but there's been no sign of Light Peak. Unfortunately, at the 2010 Intel Developer Forum, Electronista reported that the chip-maker said it didn't expect Light Peak to come to market until 2012 -- making its original "...maybe not next week, but soon" comment a little overly optimistic. Regardless, and getting back to the Mac Life article, it's unlikely that we'll see Apple natively support USB 3.0 because Light Peak is on the horizon -- be that a distant one. In my humble opinion, with the slow adoption of USB 3.0, and its imminent obsoleteness with Light Peak around the corner, it wouldn't make sense for Apple to introduce a technology that's about to be replaced by a better one. As paradoxical as that might sound, Light Peak will not be an upgrade, it will change the way we connect peripherals to our computers, which is likely why it's worth the wait.
Intel: Light Peak is ready for implementation, but it's built on copper
It's the classic good news / bad news dichotomy: Intel's highly anticipated Light Peak interconnect is totally ready for implementation into consumer devices, but its present iteration is based on communications over boring old copper wire instead of fiber optics. The company's David Perlmutter says transmissions over copper turned out "surprisingly better" than expected and that it'll prove plentiful for the majority of user needs today. Yeah, maybe, but we don't suffer bouts of gadget lust based on our needs, it's our wants that keep us up late at night dreaming of dual-core smartphones and tablet-optimized Androids. Then again, it's not like the 10Gbps optical option has been dismissed out of hand, it's just that we'll probably have to keep on waiting for it for a little (or a big) while longer.
New MacBook Pro could arrive in April 2011 with SSD, Light Peak, no DVD
Update Put your checkbooks away, folks. Electronista has all but debunked this rumor. By crunching the numbers, they confirmed that (at today's prices at least), such a MacBook Pro could easily be priced out of the market. Read on and dream, but don't expect this machine to appear on your desk any time soon. ----- Three Guys and a Podcast are reporting that the next-generation MacBook Pro will likely arrive in April 2011 with a new design inspired by the latest slim-line MacBook Air. That means that the high-end laptops will probably dispense with spinning drives altogether and come equipped only with solid-state drives of up to 512GB capacity. If you haven't yet finished ripping all of your CDs and DVDs, you'll want to complete that task before migrating to a new MBP because the internal optical drive will probably follow the floppy into the annals of history. With the internal speed bottlenecks reduced by the flash memory drives and new Sandy Bridge CPUs, Apple will also work on speeding up the external communication interfaces. Light Peak may finally debut on the MBP, two years after it was originally announced by Intel. Whether or not Light Peak makes it to the party, we expect that USB 3.0 probably will arrive in an Apple product on these new machines. The fate of Firewire is unknown at this time, but it seems unlikely to make the cut, especially if Light Peak is included. The one exception may be if Apple keeps one of the current generation 15-inch machines in the lineup as an entry model. If the 13-inch MBP also remains in the lineup, the new interfaces, CPUs and perhaps a higher resolution display will be what set it apart from the similarly sized Air. Users are expected to be able to put this speedy new hardware to work with a new version of Final Cut Pro that should debut around the same time. Not much is known about FCP at this time except that it should be faster.
Intel Light Peak on track for release in first half of 2011?
10Gbps. In both directions. At the same time. That's been the tantalizing promise of Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect, and now we're hearing its penchant for speed is overflowing into the company's roadmap. CNET cites a source familiar with developments behind the scenes in reporting that Light Peak is expected to arrive in the early part of next year, slightly accelerating the already known plans for delivering the technology at some point in 2011. We've already been graced with a set of Light Peak-enabled prototypes, so you could've guessed things were gathering pace, but it's always good to get the odd bit of anonymous confirmation that things are moving along swiftly. And hey, when Light Peak hardware finally drops, we can just switch gears and start salivating over improvements that'll lift that 10Gbps ceiling even further.
Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect shrinks slightly, LaCie, WD, Compal and Avid begin prototyping
Intel's Light Peak isn't setting any new speed records at IDF 2010 -- it's still rated at 10Gbps for now -- but the optical data transfer system is finally looking like it might appear in some actual products. As you can see immediately above, a Light Peak to HDMI converter has shrunk considerably since May, and a number of optically-infused sample products were on display at Intel's Light Peak booth. Compal's got a laptop with the optical interconnect built in, while Western Digital showed an external hard drive, from which the Compal could pull and edit multimedia in real-time using a Light Peak-enabled Avid rackmount. Meanwhile, LaCie showed off what appeared to be a 4big Quadra RAID array with two Light Peak ports catapulting high-definition video content at 770MB/s to a nearby Samsung TV, though we should warn you that the TV itself was a bit of a hack job, and not a collaboration with Samsung -- note the big, honking EVGA video card sticking out of the back. Though obviously a good bit of work went into these prototypes, Intel reps told us none would necessarily become a reality. Either way, don't expect to see Light Peak products until sometime next year.
Freescale partners with Savannah school for some leg-stretching tablet concepts, makes a nice use case for Light Peak
Normally when you've got industrial design students going wild on computer concepts, you get a lot of wild, unrealistic computer concepts. There's plenty of that here, but this 10 week collaboration between Freescale, some of its top partners, and Savannah College of Art and Design students is yielding a bit of fruit. We particularly like this docking tablet that can slot into different docks depending on use case -- the two primary ones shown being a home entertainment setup and a pro audio breakout. Sure, it's still not the most realistic way to use a tablet -- we'd much rather have solid support for 3rd party USB devices in the near term -- but with a bit of Light Peak and some as-ye-unseen pricing, this could make for some pretty slick use cases.
Intel demonstrates Light Peak on a laptop, says 10Gbps speeds are only the beginning
Folks in Brussels for Intel's European research showcase got to get their hands on the company's Light Peak this week, with the first demonstration of the optical cable technology running on a laptop. Outfitted with a 12mm square chip that converts the optical signal into data the machine can read, two separate HD video streams were piped to a nearby TV, which displayed them with the help of a converter box -- a necessary evil until the Light Peak chips are developed for the display side of things. According to Justin Rattner, Intel's CTO, the current 10Gb / second speeds are just the beginning. "We expect to increase that speed dramatically. You'll see multiple displays being served by a single Light Peak connection. There's almost no limit to the bandwidth -- fibers can carry trillions of bits per second."
Intel says Light Peak coming next year, can and will coexist with USB 3.0
How do you sell a generation of hardware manufacturers on yet another standard? If you're Intel, you tell them that it'll transfer files at 10Gbps and is compatible with every major protocol that came before... and if that doesn't work, you simply fail to give your competitor hardware support. But PC World reports that while Intel is still dragging its feet regarding USB 3.0, it's planning to have Light Peak fiber optic devices in the market next year. Intel insists Light Peak isn't meant to replace USB, in so much as it can use the same ports and protocols (photographic evidence above), but at the same time it's not shying away from the possibility of obliterating its copper competition with beams of light. "In some sense we'd... like to build the last cable you'll ever need," said Intel's Kevin Kahn. Now, we're not going to rag on Light Peak, because we honestly love the idea of consolidated fiber optic connectivity. We just want to know now whether we should bother locking ourselves into a USB 3.0 ecosystem if better things are just around the corner.
Light Peak supplier says mass production to start early 2010
The more we hear about Intel's Light Peak optical interconnect, the more it seems like Intel was playing it way too cool at IDF -- Foci Fiber Optic Communication, which supplied the gear used during that Hackintosh demo, told CNET today that pilot manufacturing runs of Light Peak equipment are scheduled for November, with mass production to start in early 2010. That's right on track with what we've seen and been told about Apple and Intel's plans for the tech, which forecast a line of back-to-school Macs featuring Light Peak in the fall of 2010. And, well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, but Intel was pretty high on Light Peak for devices that needed maximum connectivity in the smallest amount of space, like an iPhone -- or, say, a tablet. Quite a nice little package of rumors, don't you think? Okay, we'll calm down now.
