Intel Promotes Thunderbolt Ports in Next-Gen PCs

This article provides a lot of great reasons to love thunderbolt high speed connection. With Intel's help, we're hoping the technology goes mainstream, too.

Speedy Thunderbolt ports will take off with next-gen PCs, Intel says

From CNET Use of the high-speed connector is expected to spread, thanks to Intel piggybacking the technology on mainstream USB. And here's why consumers might care this time. Intel's long-running but largely unsuccessful effort to transform how you plug devices into your PC will make major progress this year and ultimately conquer much of the industry, the chipmaker predicts. Intel has promoted a connection technology called Thunderbolt for years with few signs of the mainstream success enjoyed by its chief rival, USB. At this week's Intel Developer Forum, though, the company offered two reasons why its high-speed connection technology will soon take off as a better way to hook storage systems, external displays and other peripherals to PCs. First is the arrival this fall of PCs powered by Intel's "Kaby Lake" seventh-generation Core processor. Those machines will include the new USB Type-C multipurpose port. Thunderbolt piggybacks on the same physical design, so it will be easier for PC makers to support Thunderbolt.

"We're expecting more than double number of designs," up from 60 Thunderbolt-equipped PCs for sale today, said Jason Ziller, the Intel marketing director who's been the public face of Thunderbolt. "The marriage of USB-C and Thunderbolt is really driving a lot of that adoption."

Second is Intel's belief that Thunderbolt will soothe compatibility headaches it expects will crop up with USB-C. Today's USB is pretty predictable, but not all new PCs and devices will support new USB abilities like high-power charging and video...[continue reading]