Matrox announce their Thunderbolt adaptor, works with new and existing MXO2 products

fcp.co

Matrox have taken a different approach to Thunderbolt connectivity with their I/O products compared to other manufacturers. Instead of building new models with Thunderbolt connectors, the adaptor allows new and existing products to use the superfast technology.

At IBC 2011, Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd announced their solution to bring their products up to date with Thunderbolt connectivity. The Thunderbolt adapter is available for $199 for customers who have an MXO product already. So the point here is you don't have to buy a new Matrox I/O box to enjoy the many advantages Thunderbolt brings.

The box is cheaper if you are buying an MXO product, it adds $100 to the price. This means that when you buy say an MXO2 Max, the Express Card and PCI Express board versions will retail for $1395 each and the box with the Thunderbolt adaptor will retail for $1495.

Many customers have to to lug a 17" MacBook Pro around to use an MXO2 as it is the only current model that features an Express Card slot. The adaptor will now allow any Thunderbolted Mac to use an MXO2, so it works with the new MacBook Airs and brings a capture/layoff and monitoring solution to the iMac range. Although it means the device will be at the end of a Thunderbolt chain, there should not be dip in performance even if four other passthrough devices are connected in series. read more...