Apple is expected to soon announce a high-speed connector based on Intel Light Peak technology. The Intel Light Peak system allows data to be transmitted at high speed over copper wires and in the future, copper will be replaced with fiber-optic.
It is believed that the high-speed connector that Apple introduce will use the Light Peak technology, but not use that as the name for it, ie: they will work with Intel and launch it under a different name.
This of course, isn’t particularly new as we have heard rumors before that Apple would introduce something like this in the first half of 2011. What is interesting is that Apple could be launching the high-speed connector as early as this week when they refresh the MacBook Pro line of laptops. We also hear hints that Apple could use Light Peak on the iPad 2 although it might be far too early to use it on the tablet devices.
As for transfer speeds, Light Peak is actually quicker than the new USB 3.0 standard. Intel has commented that Light Peak can transmit data up to 10 gigabits per second in both directions at the same time. We also hear from Intel that the initial switch from fiber-optic to copper will see no decrease in transmission speed.
As for it being announced this week, the rumors and information come from CNET who have some decent connects, although they do not say for sure if it will fall inline with the MacBook Pro announcements, but do say it could be announced in another context. We’ll find out more this week if the Apple event happens and if the MacBook Pro update happens.
And it’s an apple, so it will probably only cost 3 times what a comparable machine costs elsewhere. Pathetic.