Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 27th Sep 2009 20:47 UTC
When Intel unveiled its Light Peak optical interconnect (video) at IDF earlier this week, many noticed that the demonstration computer used to show the new technology was in fact a hackintosh. Well, thanks to Engadget we now know why: Apple is very, very involved in the conception of Light Peak. Let's take this opportunity to look at some of Apple's other connection standards from the past.
Permalink for comment 386881
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:
2006-03-17
Again, Apple's going to hang themselves (or rather, their users) with another cable.
I can't stand changes just for the sake of changes. This might be a nice marketing gimmick (oooh, 10Gb - pfft..) but who needs it? Show me a $100 mouse with fiber-optic connection and I'll show you an idiot. A USB slot is just over a centimeter wide, and that's apparently TOO big to put more than one? What a joke, go get a hub dummies. And Apple's history of socket bastardization doesn't make me optimistic either (remember the USB connectors with the Apple-Only notch?)
So let's hit the points:
..."it daisy-chains"...
So does a friggin AC extension chord, what else ya got?
..."10-G"...
10G to _what_ exactly? A monitor? That's about it. So apparently HDMI and VGA are replaced with an expensive breakable optical fiber - super! And it'll probably be a Mac-only monitor as well - super duper!
..."only need one plug"...
Great! So when the ONLY plug breaks, the whole box is unusable - wheeee! Tell me, where do I insert this non-optical USB flash drive - oh, into yet another dongle adapter? Wooo, we're having fun now!
The last cable Apple threw at it's users was Firewire, and that was a painful process - not necessarily for the users, but for us in tech support. Having to say over 1000 times: "No, that's a USB plug - you need a Firewire plug. Don't ask me why, you just do. No, I don't have one because I don't need it. You do. Don't ask why."
I'm not against Firewire, but with so few devices that use it - it's never really been a meaningful feature to me. I mean, it's nice - if you have something that uses Firewire which are few and far between for PC users. And once USB 3's commonplace, there really won't be a need for it.
So get ready, all you 10GBps-speed-typists! Apple's making a completely overpriced overblown fiber-optic keyboard just for you! You can even daisy-chain a noose around your neck..