Speedy Thunderbolt ports will take off with next-gen PCs, Intel says
By Jim Bask
Intel’s long-running but largely unsuccessful effort to transform how you plug devices into your PC will make major progress this year and ultimately conquer much of the industry, the chipmaker predicts.
Intel has promoted a connection technology called Thunderbolt for years with few signs of the mainstream success enjoyed by its chief rival, USB. At this week’s Intel Developer Forum, though, the company offered two reasons why its high-speed connection technology will soon take off as a better way to hook storage systems, external displays and other peripherals to PCs.
First is the arrival this fall of PCs powered by Intel’s “Kaby Lake” seventh-generation Core processor. Those machines will include the new USB Type-C multipurpose port. Thunderbolt piggybacks on the same physical design, so it will be easier for PC makers to support Thunderbolt.
“We’re expecting more than double number of designs,” up from 60 Thunderbolt-equipped PCs for sale today, said Jason Ziller, the Intel marketing director who’s been the public face of Thunderbolt. “The marriage of USB-C and Thunderbolt is really driving a lot of that adoption.”