"We're working with a group of leading companies to get them to review the specification. "It's taking a little longer to do that than we expected," he said. Intel hoped to release the specifications in 2018, but now the plan is the first half of 2019, Ziller said. That effort ultimately could lead to other chipmakers supporting Thunderbolt and possibly bringing it to markets like phones and tablets where Intel is weak. On the new MacBook Air, the two ports work as both industry-standard USB-C inputs and Intel's proprietary Thunderbolt alternative. In 2017, Intel said it planned to make Thunderbolt a royalty-free industry standard. Not an industry standard yetīut Thunderbolt is a proprietary Intel technology, requiring device makers to buy Intel's own controller chips to use it, which has stunted its adoption.
MACBOOK USB C THUNDERBOLT WINDOWS 10
Samsung just offered a big Thunderbolt endorsement for monitors, higher-end SSD storage devices and laptops.Īnd Microsoft supports Thunderbolt in Windows 10 so nothing goes haywire when you plug or unplug devices and so those devices play more nicely with Microsoft's modern standby power-management technology.Īpple's Mac support continues, for example with its decision to double the number of Thunderbolt ports on the new Mac Mini to four. Plenty of big names are on board, like Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Dell. The HP Spectre x360 laptop comes with ports that work both as USB-C and Thunderbolt connectors. There are about the same number of peripheral devices like storage systems, docking stations, external graphics cards and monitors, he added, double the number available a year and a half ago.
Now more than 400 computer models support Thunderbolt, and prices of Thunderbolt-equipped computers are coming down, said Jason Ziller, general manager of Intel's Client Connectivity Division. Back then, USB still maxed out at 480Mbps, about a twentieth the speed of Thunderbolt at the time. Thunderbolt started spreading to Windows machines in 2012. The prospects for Thunderbolt looked rosy after it debuted in 2011, thanks to Intel's clout and support from Apple, which bet big on the technology. What video editor wants to be left in the lurch when trying to share a big file with a client who can't plug in the Thunderbolt hard drive it's stored on? Intel fighting for Thunderbolt Even in higher-end PCs, there are risks to relying on it. It's based on a technology born of traditional personal computers, and shows few signs of expanding beyond them. "It's really hard to know why two standards are needed," said Endpoint Technologies analyst Roger Kay.Īpple's inconsistent embrace of Thunderbolt underscores its rocky road as a mainstream port.
Apple's decision might well encourage mobile device companies to get more serious about USB-C, but it sends the opposite message about Thunderbolt. The iPad Pro, arguably Apple's embodiment of the future of personal computing - has a USB-C port without the Thunderbolt abilities. ( Apple calls them Thunderbolt ports, adding to the confusion.) Intel is heavily pushing the higher-speed Thunderbolt, but it's not easy given that USB-C is nearly as fast and enjoys broader industry support.Īpple's other new device shows the magnitude of Intel's challenge. The laptop's two ports serve double duty, working as both industry-standard USB-C inputs and Intel's proprietary Thunderbolt alternative to connect devices like monitors, cameras and external hard drives.
There's a big rivalry inside the slim chassis of Apple's newest MacBook Air.
Apple's 2018 iPad Pro, shown here with the optional Smart Folio Keyboard, gets a USB-C port.
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