Partnering up
The firm is currently in talks with several industry organizations - including Sony, Foxlink, Corning, eLaser, Foxconn, Avago, SAE, Insphere, Foci and Iptronics - to try to build a spec, but as those who worked on USB 3.0 can testify, that's easier said than done.
Still, there are high hopes the industry will really pull together here, especially considering the advantages Light Peak would offer, including super-fast external storage, the possibility for SSD or HDD arrays to transfer at 10Gb/s and faster, advanced docking, PC-to-PC high-speed connection and more.
"I think it's a great opportunity to unify electronic interconnects for everything," Jim McGregor of Instat told HEXUS, adding, "It would be nice to go to a single interface for displays, for peripherals, for p2p, especially knowing that copper has its limits."
Intel says Light Peak components should be ready to ship in 2010, with the firm saying it will provide the controller chip, and is working with optical component manufacturers to supply the optical components, cables, and connectors. But realistically, an industry-wide standard isn't likely to appear anytime soon, with analysts predicting it may even be some five years out.
"It's more of a labs project right now," confirmed McGregor. This is one lab project, however, we'd dearly like to see in the real world very soon indeed.
