I highly recommend reading Rick Merritt’s article 10 things to know about Thunderbolt to understand Thunderbolt.

I recommend another article from Merritt talking about USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt.  I think Merritt’s article is correct in terms of slowing the adoption of Thunderbolt.  (His writing is also excellent).

For Apple, the use of the DisplayPort for other connectivity makes sense.

1) It keeps the small form factor of the DisplayPort

2) It bridges to other technologies, like USB 3.0

So that means your Apple Monitor will have a USB 3.0 Hub inside of it that will connect to a DisplayPort Hub. And your Monitor becomes your docking station.

There is the weird challenge from AMD in an XBIT article regarding Thunderbolt.  The article states that the bandwidth of Displayport is already saturated with Displayport data, so you can’t put more data across a Thunderbolt line.  I really don’t know because I haven’t seen any specs.

1) If the data is somehow multiplexed on the standard DisplayPort lines than this might be true.

2) If the data is on separate lines, this isn’t the case.

I also received this interested article from MCCI on Thunderbolt and security concerns.  The article says that you could basically walk up, plug something into a Thunderbolt port, and somehow grab the data.

I haven’t a clue, but I actually believe that it will be no different than any thing else. It is more likely someone will just walk up and steal your laptop or portable SSD or phone or flash drive. 

According to Nielsen, SmartPhones continue to replace regular Feature Phones (phones that only make phone calls, and do have not internet).

Looking the graph below, I personally think that variations of 5% or less are almost like noise.

I suspect that the rise in the adoption of Google phones below shows:

1) The SmartPhone market growth of 3% mean more people buy phones
2) More SmartPHone buyers, most of who do not use AT&T, buy the Google Phones.  Google Phones are available on all Service Providers like Verison, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T. New users only great choice for a touch screen phone to stay on their network is a Google Phone.  (I should note that the HTC Incredible and the latest phones are truly terrific).
3) Migration of some RIM and Windows Mobile users going to Google.

LightPeak

More articles on LightPeak again. More on it passing up USB 3.0.  It always surprises me how Journalists or bloggers like to speculate for the sake of creating content for their blogs.

I would like to reiterate

1) USB 3.0 has 100s of developers
2) USB 3.0 has 100+ certified products
3) USB 3.0 has hardware on shelves
4) USB 3.0 PCs can be bought (or built to order)
5) The USB-IF has a formal USB Certification and Interoperability program.
6) If you think USB 3.0 is complex, wouldn’t LightPeak be even harder? 
- Think about it. 
- Tens of thousands of engineers understand how use copper to send data.
- How many understand optics? 
- How many understand how to build the optics?

To be clear, there are issues with USB 3.0.  None of them easy.  All of them being addressed by the USB-IF and it’s member companies.

LightPeak will come.  It has several advantages.

USB 3.0 is and will be first.

Creative Tablet

Creative announced a tablet in 7” and 10” formats.  They are cool and they use USB.

Read more here: http://www.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/welcome.asp?pid=13189

I still get questions about Light Peak versus USB 3.0 so I’d like to set the record straight.

LightPeak has been demonstrated once, at one event.
USB 3.0 has an Ecosystem of IP, Software, Chip, and Hardware with dozens of products shipping.

I’m sure LightPeak will be successful in the future, but USB 3.0 is taking-off now

And since Analog is hot, here’s the latest on our analog offerings.

http://www.design-reuse.com/news/22134/40-nm-data-converter-ip.html

More USB 3.0 Products

Vantec announced both USB 3.0 Host PCI-e Add-In cards for PCs and ExpressCards for Laptops

Startech announced an ExpressCard

Century has an HDD Stage rack which is suspiciously like the Sharkoon HDD docking station.  These accept standard SATA Hard Disk Drives and let you use USB 3.0.

I’m told you can buy USB 3.0 Hosts and Drives in Taiwan and in Japan pretty easily, but it’s all back-ordered in the U.S.   I’m thinking the suppliers underestimated the demand?