Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by maggit 5597 days ago
In the long run, Thunderbolt aims to replace USB, FireWire, Ethernet, DisplayPort/HDMI/etc, eSATA and be considered an external variant of PCIe.

This is feasible and would be a good future, just like the future we live in now where USB has replaced serial ports, parallel ports and PS/2.
3 comments
metageek 5597 days ago
The weird thing is that there already is an external cable for PCIe. An 8-lane PCIe cable can beat Thunderbolt, at 16Gb/s instead of 10. (Although I'm not sure if that's bidirectional; if not, you'd have to go to a 16-lane cable.)

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/PCI_Express#P...

link
bugsy 5595 days ago
Yes, this is what they say about every new standard. And once you have thrown out all your working peripherals and bought all new ones, then LightningBlast is released, not compatible with Thunderbolt. This has been going on as long as I have been alive.

I know, I know: Thunderbolt is the last time people will have to throw out all their things and start over. This time really will be the last time because it is a new standard to rule over all, just like NuBus was.

And it's definitely not going to be dead on arrival like PCI-X, or not supported by drivers on the Mac for most peripherals like PCI-e. No, Thunderbolt is going to be truly universal and forever lasting world without end. If only you believe, amen.

link
Semiapies 5597 days ago
I for one don't miss serial, parallel, and PS/2 ports.
link
BCM43 5597 days ago
I miss serial ports.
link
Semiapies 5597 days ago
Why?
link
ac-slater 5596 days ago
Because serial is a trivial interface to implement in home brew electronics, just throw in a MAX232.

Even many major consumer electronics are still developed via a serial console. Sure they have fancier connectors to talk to your PC and the network but serial is so simple it's practically idiot proof. So it breaks far less often, makes new hardware much simpler to bring up, and it allows you to debug the fancier interfaces without interfering with their operations.

link
Semiapies 5596 days ago
Ah, I see. I can definitely understand that.

Still not crazy about it as yet one more connector for mass-manufactured devices, though.

link