Light Peak Port For High-Speed Media Transfers for iPad 2?
Posted by unlocker under News, iPad on Sunday Mar 6, 2011CNET reported last week that Apple is expected to introduce its Light Peak based connection technology in the near future. Light Peak is optical cable interface that device that was developed by Apple and Intel to be able to connect to other devices. This device is significantly faster than USB 3.0. USB 3.0 which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0 (current generation MacBooks come with USB 2.0 ports) can manage a theoretically maximum throughput of 4.8Gbps while Light Peak can manage 10Gbps in both directions simultaneously.
Some people think that Apple will introduce the Light Peak based technology in the new MacBook Pro product line, which is said to be unveiled this week. However, according to Macrumors, Apple will also introduce the Light Peak technology in the second generation of iPad. In their site, they said:
First, is the presence of a “mystery port” on early iPad 2 case designs from third-party manufacturers. The case designs have been remarkably consistent and seem to be clearly sourced from the same design document. These early design documents aren’t perfect (third-generation iPod touch camera being a notable example), but early case designs have generally done a good job predicting upcoming Apple hardware.[..]
[..]As it turns out, the Light Peak prototypes have been using hybrid USB 3 connector connectors that might easily be confused for USB. The exact connector for Light Peak hasn’t been described, but it may be close enough to USB to be a case of mistaken identity in the early iPad 2 rumors. The opening for the port may be a bit small for a full-sized USB connector, though it seems feasible that the Light Peak could also adopt a mini USB style form factor as well.