ThunderBolt Port Mac Computers

Intel and Apple are shipping a new computer interface named ThunderBolt. Once code-named LightPeak - it delivers a huge leap in data transfer speeds for Mac accessories.

** NOW SHIPPING **
ElGato ThunderBolt SSD

120GB & 240GB Sizes

AFFORDABLE ThunderBolt backup drives are finally listed at Amazon and in the Storage section of the Apple Store Online:
1TB LaCie TBolt Drive

2x500GB Platter Drives
Two 500GB conventional hard drives are paired in a RAID 0 config for maximum thruput from spinning platter technology. Dual ThunderBolt ports allow daisy-chaining additional devices. A 2TB drive model is also available for $499.95. A TBolt cable is NOT included - so be sure to include Apple's special TBolt cable along with the drive.

ThunderBolt RAID Array

4 and 6 Drive TBolt Interface

Recently, new iMac and MacBook Pro models with built-in Thunder-Bolt ports began shipping. We'll have to wait for a wider range of Mac compatible ThunderBolt hard drives, enclosures and adapters. Eventually we'll see ThunderBolt Audio Mixers, TV Tuners, Webcams, Printers and other ThunderBolt audio and video high-speed accessories.

Seagate has announced future support for ThunderBolt later in 2012 with a TunderBolt adapter for it's Seagate GoFlex Drive line with interchangeable interface adapters protecting your hard drive investment.



Stay tuned as both Macintosh and Windows PC computers with ThunderBolt ports hit the market to utterly redefine the speeds of computer gadgets as we know it. A growing number of ThunderBolt computer accessories and products that have been announced will hit the market in 2012 and beyond.

Intel and Apple's next generation computer peripheral and display interface offers an insanely fast mind-blowing 10Gbps available bandwidth per channel. In simplest terms it's over TWENTY times the speed of the now ubiquitous USB 2.0 standard.

Apple Computers With Built-In ThunderBolt Ports

The first Apple computers shipping with a single ThunderBolt compatible port supplanting the mini-DVI DisplayPort were initially models of Apple's MacBook Pro series. TBolt enabled iMacs soon followed, with dual ThunderBolt ports on the hi-end 27" model. Revisions of Apple Mac mini desktop and laptop MacBook Air with built-in ThunderBolt have been rolled out. Mid 2102 revisions so far now include ThunderBolt MacBooks with USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports as well. Expect TBolt + USB3 iMac and Mac mini before year's end, and a Macintosh Pro with Thunderbolt in early 2013.

ThunderBolt + USB 3.0 Laptop Computers

More affordable than ever and reduced to a base price of $999 the compact Apple MacBook Air 11.6" Laptop w/ThunderBolt + USB3 is the most affordable TBolt (and now USB 3.0) equipped laptop yet.

The most popular model of Apple Laptop:
Entry-Level ThunderBolt Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro 13.3"

Apple MacBook Pro 15.4"

Intel i7 Quad-Core

For a Top-Of-The-Line TBolt Capable Laptop now with TWO ThunderBolt AND USB 3.0 Ports - as well as a stunning high-resolution Retina Display:
Retina Display MacBook Pro

DUAL ThunderBolt + USB3 Powerhouse<

ThunderBolt iMac Computers

Quad-Core 27" iMac With ThunderBolt

DUAL ThunderBolt Ports

Alternately, here's the Apple iMac MC812LL/A 21.5" with a SINGLE T-Bolt port.

ThunderBolt Port Mac mini

New Model - No DVD

HDMI and ThunderBolt

New iMac models with T-Bolt ports are shipping. The revamped 21" & 27" Quad-Core desktop line features a range of Dual and Quad Core Intel i5 and i7 CPU's at varying clock-speeds. There's a single port on the more affordable 21" models, and DUAL ThunderBolt ports on the 27". That's some serious bandwidth! It's a smart move to target both casual consumers and Prosumers as well. The iMac (especially Dual-ThunderBolt 27" model) are a CPU and Graphic powerhouse to rival the Macintosh Pro towers - and highly favored by Video editors and Music studios for a 1-piece editing station.

The optional Apple Store Build-To-Order configrations include an optional Solid-State SSD secondary drive in the iMac line - or a SSD as a primary drive in a BTO MacBook Pro. A Solid-State drive is highly recommended to compliment and leverage ThunderBolt's incredible I/O speeds.

Thunder Bolt Device Adoption Rates

It was a smart move for Apple to introduce ThunderBolt on the Unibody Aluminum MacBook Pro line. The MacBook is and has long been responsible for the lion's share of Macintosh computers sold over the past few years. Roughly 2 out of 3 Mac's sold are portable MacBook laptops. So this is the best way for Apple and Intel to spur rapid adoption. Now with TBolt iMacs casual and Pro content creators have been brought into the mix. The Mac mini, MacBook Air now ship with ThunderBolt I/O port. The somewhat neglected Mac Pro tower line has yet to receive a TBolt upgrade, but it's expected soon.

Intel is a huge OEM provider of PC logic boards. So expect ThunderBolt port motherboards to hit the Windows market as PC's start to ship with Ivy-Bridge Intel Chipsets. ThunderBolt adapter cables and converters are on their way to help foster the adopton of the ThunderBolt - LightPeak standard. They'll provide legacy computer interface expansion options across both platforms.

One Interface To Rule Them All

Because ThunderBolt aka LightPeak is a direct extension to the PCI-x bus, it can be an 'On-Ramp' for other peripheral bus technologies. Mac users have bemoaned the lack of upgradability or 'Expansion Slots' in many Mac models. Well, ThunderBolt delivers just that: Access to the PCI bus externally thru a mini-connector. Expect a wide range of ThunderBolt interface adapters to USB 3, USB2 and 1.1, FireWire 400/800, eSata and others to provide port-conversion compatibility to a wide range of high-speed and SuperSpeed devices. Macintosh models that now sport a single T-Bolt port where the DisplayPort was - uses the same connector.

ThunderBolt Has Room To Grow

The 10GBps per-channel, dual-channel ThunderBolt spec far exceeds the data transfer capabilities of any wired computer peripheral interface spec to date - Double that of the emerging SuperSpeed standard of USB 3.0 accessories for Mac. So it is a major leap forward for computing technology.

ThunderBolt vs USB 3.0 SuperSpeed

Apple has suprised many by initally bypassing USB 3.0 and waiting to introduce it's ThunderBolt computer interface. The race is on between Thunder Bolt and USB 3 for Mac. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 offers potentially 5Gbps bandwidth, while ThunderBolt promises 10Gbps in each of it's dual-channels in it's first iteration. Both are rather mind-bogglingly fast. In fact, many many PC and Apple peripherals can't even begin to take advantage of USB 3.0 speeds let alone more than twice that. However, it does mean great things for the demands of uncompressed HD digital video and TV Tuners at Hi-Def 1080 and 720 resolutions, hard drive storage and solid-state SSD drive backups in particular. Imagine being able to back up an ENTIRE Terabyte of information in a few mere minutes or the contents of a DVD in seconds!

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