If you've been thinking about buying a Thunderbolt cable, this might be the best time.
Apple Cuts Price of Thunderbolt Cable, Adds Shorter Option : Read more
Apple Cuts Price of Thunderbolt Cable, Adds Shorter Option : Read more
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[citation][nom]Haserath[/nom]You mean I could buy some regular ol' copper wire for a buck and do what thunderbolt does? Cool![/citation]
you are kind of missing the point.
its really just 20 thin as can be copper wires, and a plug...
if it wasnt for that stupid chip, which i believes only purpose is to stop cheaper cables from being bade, than you wouldn't pay more than 5$ for 6 foot cable,
you are kind of missing the point.
its really just 20 thin as can be copper wires, and a plug...
if it wasnt for that stupid chip, which i believes only purpose is to stop cheaper cables from being bade, than you wouldn't pay more than 5$ for 6 foot cable,
house70
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[citation][nom]luke738[/nom]enzed: Why isn't this news? It's an article about a price drop on cables, and would be essentially the same for any other tech related product.[/citation]
I hear you.
There has been a recent price drop on certain micro-USB cables on Amazon, how about an article about that?
/s
I hear you.
There has been a recent price drop on certain micro-USB cables on Amazon, how about an article about that?
/s
alexthager
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- Oct 19, 2011
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[citation][nom]alidan[/nom]you are kind of missing the point. its really just 20 thin as can be copper wires, and a plug...if it wasnt for that stupid chip, which i believes only purpose is to stop cheaper cables from being bade, than you wouldn't pay more than 5$ for 6 foot cable,[/citation]
That wasn't his point though. He was simply ignorantly hating on Apple. Is it overpriced? Yes, but it's much more than a copper wire. It's got active processors in each end, that's why it's so quick and remarkably consistent. Though, I wouldn't say the price is entirely justified.
That wasn't his point though. He was simply ignorantly hating on Apple. Is it overpriced? Yes, but it's much more than a copper wire. It's got active processors in each end, that's why it's so quick and remarkably consistent. Though, I wouldn't say the price is entirely justified.
[citation][nom]alexthager[/nom]That wasn't his point though. He was simply ignorantly hating on Apple. Is it overpriced? Yes, but it's much more than a copper wire. It's got active processors in each end, that's why it's so quick and remarkably consistent. Though, I wouldn't say the price is entirely justified.[/citation]
ok, lets take a look at this here for a minute.
and
now lets convert that to mb
2211.84 mb per second
over 2 gb per second
thats display port, sure its not full duplex... but not really the point
honestly, i don't think there is a single thunderbolt thing that needs thunderbolt...
the only reason they use it is to sell the cables that you HAVE to have to use thunderbolt.
ok, lets take a look at this here for a minute.
and
now lets convert that to mb
2211.84 mb per second
over 2 gb per second
thats display port, sure its not full duplex... but not really the point
honestly, i don't think there is a single thunderbolt thing that needs thunderbolt...
the only reason they use it is to sell the cables that you HAVE to have to use thunderbolt.
ok, before they get mentioned, yes, some ssds in a raid case could use thunderbolt, but thats one specific use.
and i don't see it on the market.
also a exturnal gpu could use it, but again, i just don't see it out right now.
but what is the standard thunderbolt thing?
a display port port?
a harddrive?
possibly a camera or some connectors for ipad/phone
really nothing that has it needs it, or would be just fine on a usb3 or esata port.
and i don't see it on the market.
also a exturnal gpu could use it, but again, i just don't see it out right now.
but what is the standard thunderbolt thing?
a display port port?
a harddrive?
possibly a camera or some connectors for ipad/phone
really nothing that has it needs it, or would be just fine on a usb3 or esata port.
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[citation][nom]alexthager[/nom]That wasn't his point though. He was simply ignorantly hating on Apple. Is it overpriced? Yes, but it's much more than a copper wire. It's got active processors in each end, that's why it's so quick and remarkably consistent.[/citation]
What is at each end of the cable is a transceiver, not a processor... unless you want to do something fancy that requires that sort of intelligence such as Thunderbolt-over-40GBase-LR. The main reason for putting those into plugs is so cable manufacturers can use whatever type of cable they want between the transceiver chips at each end. (Or do whatever weird stuff they think they can find a market for.)
For short cables, you can put a dumb high-bandwidth low-power amplifier on each pair and call it a day, total cost is under $3. For fancy long(er)-range cables, the manufacturer can use multiple boosters and possibly repeaters on the cable or use fiber. Some companies may even make Thunderbolt-to-QSFP/SFP+ optical transceivers (or maybe straight LC/SC ones) so you can slap one of those at each end and use (almost) whatever length of whatever type of fiber you want to use.
What is at each end of the cable is a transceiver, not a processor... unless you want to do something fancy that requires that sort of intelligence such as Thunderbolt-over-40GBase-LR. The main reason for putting those into plugs is so cable manufacturers can use whatever type of cable they want between the transceiver chips at each end. (Or do whatever weird stuff they think they can find a market for.)
For short cables, you can put a dumb high-bandwidth low-power amplifier on each pair and call it a day, total cost is under $3. For fancy long(er)-range cables, the manufacturer can use multiple boosters and possibly repeaters on the cable or use fiber. Some companies may even make Thunderbolt-to-QSFP/SFP+ optical transceivers (or maybe straight LC/SC ones) so you can slap one of those at each end and use (almost) whatever length of whatever type of fiber you want to use.
I love how people use this to complain about the cost of cables from the fruit company. You can get a 5 ft. CAT 5 cable from the dollar store for $1. Or you can go to BestBuy and pay 15$ for one. All companies do this. Sony, IBM, SAMSUNG etc. They all change connectors on their phones too. I would bet most of you have a few old phone chargers and data cables that are in a box somewhere because they are now useless. It is just one more way they all make money from us. It is not just one fruit company that does this. But I do agree how is this tech news. Haven't alternate cables been available from other places for less for a while now.
ojas
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- Feb 25, 2011
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Riiight then. Catherine's become an Apple fangirl now or what?
$39 for 2m = OH NO SO EXPENSIVE
$29 for 0.5 = OMG MASSIVE PRICE CUT
They're charging 75% of the price of a 2m cable for only 25% of the length. Can't believe this is the same site where people discuss things like $/GB.
$39 for 2m = OH NO SO EXPENSIVE
$29 for 0.5 = OMG MASSIVE PRICE CUT
They're charging 75% of the price of a 2m cable for only 25% of the length. Can't believe this is the same site where people discuss things like $/GB.
I wonder who makes the embedded active chips in both ends of the Thunderbolt cable, how much of the total cost of the cable is made up in the price of these chips! Ok, a Thunderbolt channel consists of 2 wires, and these 2 wires can both transmit 10 Gigabits per sec. one from the device, and one to the device giving the channel 20 gigabits of total bandwidth, for 2 channel thunderbolt that's twice the 20 gigabits! Now, up to 7 devices can be daisy chained together and still maintain the theoretical maximum of 10 gigabits per sec. transission speed, your device better have 2 Thunderbolt channeles (4 wires) unless you want it to be the endpoint device! Thunderbolt is a data transmission protocol that allows the PCIe and display port, data transmission protocols, access through the Thunderbolt protocol to be transmitted over the Thunderbolt wires, buy encapsulating the PCIe and display port data packets inside a Thunderbolt packet for the ride over the thunderbolt cable via the Thunderbilt controller and assoicated firmware! The devices on either end of the Thunderbolt cable do not see all this work being done, in fact it is hidden by the hardware/firmware of the Thunderbolt hardware/firmware, and the devices just see the PCI or display port packets and are none the wiser to where the PCI or display port packets came from! Thunderbolt is not the only way to do this as PCI or display port packets can be transmitted over 10 gigabit ethernet too, with the proper encodeing hardware and firmware, just ask the cloud computing people, as they make extensive use of PCIe other ethernet!
BigMack70, Just reporting on a price drop does not imply a love for Apple, but is is so much fun reading the posts of the knee jerk Apple and PC fanboys, that's why I come to tom's, just to read the my computer company has a bigger D_ck thn your computer company has! People with money to burn have plenty of other companys that they spend their chump change on, and for some people 3 grand is chump change! But let me tell you something, poor people suck just as much as the rich people, and here's the rub, there are more poor people! So Apple gets the chump change from the rich people, and the PC makers get the chump change from the poor people, and Apple and the PC makers both belong to the same country clubs!
Thunderbolt and most of thunderbolt's expense is brought to you by Intel, so it is Intel that is inside your bung Hole!, and maybe a little Apple!
Thunderbolt and most of thunderbolt's expense is brought to you by Intel, so it is Intel that is inside your bung Hole!, and maybe a little Apple!
Azn Cracker
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Soon the peeps in China will start selling these at $10 a piece. Then is will be "almost reasonable".
ibnmuhammad
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Wow, it's amazing why Apple-haters even click on stories related to Apple, and then go on to explain, how dare Tom's report any Apple-related news!
Bunch of fandroid kids!
Not sure, but perhaps this is a subtle way to point out to the Apple-haters that Apple created Thunderbolt... along with Intel, and they've innovated in countless fields (Firewire, custom-designed CPU's, UI design, ergonomics, craftmanship, etc).
As Steve Jobs stated, generally Apple have been about 5 to 10 years ahead in terms of innovation... it took Microsoft almost 10 years to copy Mac, and then copy OSX years later with Vista/Win7.
Same thing with iPod, and iPad.
The slight exception being iPhone, because Google's head (eric schmidt) was on the board of Apple, so knew exactly what Apple was creating. He basically took the earliest engineering samples to Google which they swiftly began copying to create Android (originally secretly funding a startup Android Inc).
Bunch of fandroid kids!
Not sure, but perhaps this is a subtle way to point out to the Apple-haters that Apple created Thunderbolt... along with Intel, and they've innovated in countless fields (Firewire, custom-designed CPU's, UI design, ergonomics, craftmanship, etc).
As Steve Jobs stated, generally Apple have been about 5 to 10 years ahead in terms of innovation... it took Microsoft almost 10 years to copy Mac, and then copy OSX years later with Vista/Win7.
Same thing with iPod, and iPad.
The slight exception being iPhone, because Google's head (eric schmidt) was on the board of Apple, so knew exactly what Apple was creating. He basically took the earliest engineering samples to Google which they swiftly began copying to create Android (originally secretly funding a startup Android Inc).
[citation][nom]hydac7[/nom]10 bucks for a meter of copper wire , best way to con suckers ever[/citation]
If you knew anything about these cables you'd know that they're more than "wire". It's an "active" cable which includes circuitry inside the connectors to manage the very high signal speeds.
If you knew anything about these cables you'd know that they're more than "wire". It's an "active" cable which includes circuitry inside the connectors to manage the very high signal speeds.
ojas
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[citation][nom]ibnmuhammad[/nomApple created Thunderbolt... along with Intel, and they've innovated in countless fields (Firewire, custom-designed CPU's, UI design, ergonomics, craftmanship, etc).[/citation]
Thunderbolt wasn't created by Apple "along with intel", it was created by Intel that used Apple's products as a vehicle to slowly integrate it into the mainstream market. even intel knew that the only place such an expensive connection interface would fly is in Apple-land. Everyone else would point out that it's over-priced, and mostly useless since there are very few products (back then, perhaps none at all) that use it.
Plus the original form of Thunderbolt was Light Peak, which was supposed to use optical channels.
Firewire, though better than USB 2.0 in the sense that it was independent of the host's processor speed, never really took off and is all but dead today.
They're making custom designed CPUs NOW. And who isn't? Intel's made them forever, Samsung is, Qualcomm is, TI is, AMD is, Nvidia is, IBM, PowerPC, PowerVR...the list's endless.
UI design. Again, what's new? Icons? Home screens? Touch interfaces? They've done a good job, no doubt, but then somehow implying no one else has, is slightly sad.
Same goes for ergonomics and craftsmanship. Even my Xbox 360 controller can be considered innovative as far as ergonomics and craftsmanship is concerned, it's even patented, but i'm not going to use that to give M$ "DA BESTEST" award.
Point is, give credit where it's due and troll companies where they act shitty.
I brought up the point that i did above because it's valid. I recognize that the A6/A6X is one of the best SoCs in the market because it's valid and true.
Be balanced, FFS.
Thunderbolt wasn't created by Apple "along with intel", it was created by Intel that used Apple's products as a vehicle to slowly integrate it into the mainstream market. even intel knew that the only place such an expensive connection interface would fly is in Apple-land. Everyone else would point out that it's over-priced, and mostly useless since there are very few products (back then, perhaps none at all) that use it.
Plus the original form of Thunderbolt was Light Peak, which was supposed to use optical channels.
Firewire, though better than USB 2.0 in the sense that it was independent of the host's processor speed, never really took off and is all but dead today.
They're making custom designed CPUs NOW. And who isn't? Intel's made them forever, Samsung is, Qualcomm is, TI is, AMD is, Nvidia is, IBM, PowerPC, PowerVR...the list's endless.
UI design. Again, what's new? Icons? Home screens? Touch interfaces? They've done a good job, no doubt, but then somehow implying no one else has, is slightly sad.
Same goes for ergonomics and craftsmanship. Even my Xbox 360 controller can be considered innovative as far as ergonomics and craftsmanship is concerned, it's even patented, but i'm not going to use that to give M$ "DA BESTEST" award.
Point is, give credit where it's due and troll companies where they act shitty.
I brought up the point that i did above because it's valid. I recognize that the A6/A6X is one of the best SoCs in the market because it's valid and true.
Be balanced, FFS.
Thunderbolt is really old news.... just built a house and had 1200mhz Cat 7a installed for 10Gbit over copper.
Have thunderbolt compete with that.... my mouse and keyboard all take cat 7........ even the 100TB raid does to
Cat 7 cost 35% more than cat 6 to buy..... but we are talking 1gbit vs. 10gbit.
Have thunderbolt compete with that.... my mouse and keyboard all take cat 7........ even the 100TB raid does to
Cat 7 cost 35% more than cat 6 to buy..... but we are talking 1gbit vs. 10gbit.
BigMack70, Intel makes the ACTIVE CONTROLLER CHIPS chips that are in every thunderbolt cable, so it is not just copper wire! Do You have green teeth! Do you, BigMack70, dream of your sister in a see through Teddy! Intel makes the Thunderbolt cable cost $$$$, beacuse ot makes the active chips that go into every thunderbolt cable! BE angry at INTEL!
http://techreport.com/review/23035/a-quick-look-at-thunderbolt-on-the-pc/2
http://techreport.com/review/23035/a-quick-look-at-thunderbolt-on-the-pc/2
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