While Intel got the ball rolling with LightPeak, the giants in the likes of Apple and LaCie have gotten on the wagon with the new technology. Apple is bundling the newly renamed I/O as Thunderbolt in the MacBook Pro, and LaCie is putting it into their storage device, the Little Big Disk.
According to LaCie this professional caliber storage option will be available in the Summer of 2011, and will kick off a whole line comparable devices.
Official press release:
LaCie Introduces Little Big Disk, Featuring High-Speed Thunderbolt Technology
LaCie today announced the LaCie Little Big Disk featuring the all-new Thunderbolt™ technology, developed by Intel® and brought to market with collaboration from Apple®. Designed to store large audio and video files, the LaCie Little Big Disk will bring a new level of performance to creative workflows with ultra-fast data transfer, complete system backup in minutes, and faster content editing than ever before.
"Thunderbolt technology is a breakthrough in I/O technology and represents the future of mobile computing. Soon you will be able to carry workstation-class power and functionality in compact devices," said Philippe Spruch, Chairman and General Manager, LaCie. "LaCie is excited to be one of the first to deliver Thunderbolt technology with the LaCie Little Big Disk."
"Intel believes Thunderbolt technology in combination with LaCie’s unique portfolio of storage products and displays will drive new levels of performance and simplicity for consumers," said Jason Ziller, Director, Thunderbolt Planning and Marketing, Intel Corporation.
Thunderbolt technology delivers incredible bandwidth at 10Gbps and runs two protocols (PCI Express and DisplayPort) simultaneously over a single cable for connectivity to high performance peripherals like the LaCie Little Disk and high-resolution displays. Created with mobile and media professionals in mind, Thunderbolt technology moves content with blazing speed and facilitates complete system backups in minutes. Using a single Thunderbolt cable, users can connect their notebooks to high resolution displays, cameras and storage — all at the same time — for a fast, simple, and portable computing environment.
The LaCie Little Big Disk can deliver multiple streams of HD video and offload hours of content in minutes without compromising bandwidth and performance. With the LaCie Little Big Disk, speeds that previously were only available from rack mounted storage arrays are now possible with a portable computer – including Apple’s MacBook® Pro, the first notebook to feature Thunderbolt technology. Users will be able to edit on-set during a day of filming, and then transfer all of the assets for the edit suite within seconds. The LaCie Little Big Disk can even be daisy chained for storage expansion or connecting other peripherals.
AVAILABILITY
The LaCie Little Big Disk will be the first in a range of storage and peripherals solutions from LaCie that feature Thunderbolt technology. The Little Big Disk will be available by summer 2011 from the LaCie Online Store (www.lacie.com), the Apple Store (www.apple.com) and authorized resellers. For more information please visit www.lacie.com.
About LaCie
With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, LaCie is the leading manufacturer of storage devices for PC, Apple, and Linux. LaCie has differentiated itself through sleek design and remarkable technical performance.