2018 is the year of Thunderbolt tech. Everything you touch will be Thunderbolt-infused, from laptops and PCs, to external hard drives, graphics enclosures, NAS devices, monitors, hubs, and some networking gear. Get ready to be thunder-struck.
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt, a wired protocol and cable co-developed by Apple and Intel, made its debut in 2015 on the Apple MacBook Pro. Now, three years later, it is starting to find its way in to WIndows PCs as USB-C becomes more commonplace.
Yes, 2018 is the year that Thunderbolt breaks out of its niche and becomes a mainstream technology in everythings from laptops and PCs, to external hard drives, graphics enclosures, NAS devices, networking, and even more devices.
At your desk
Don't worry, you wont be "living the dongle life", like many Apple fans have been, over the last few years. As USB-C ports and Thunderbolt start appearing on more devices, you'll be able to connect directly with a USB-C Thunderbolt cable from one device to another, without an adapter.
From your laptop to a monitor, or from a laptop to an external hard drive, or from a laptop to an external graphics card.
Better still, you'll be able to daisy-chain your Thunderbolt devices with a hub, or a hub built in to a monitor.
Imagine your desk, with a monitor, and all your gear plugged in to the monitor via Thunderbolt. Add your laptop, and connect your laptop with one cable from your monitor. Easy.
Connect your SLR camera, video camera, hard drive, phone, tablet, and other devices, all with Thunderbolt speeds and a USB-C port.
In your living room
Dock your phone or tablet on a stand on your coffee table or next to your TV. It charges, while your TV displays Netflix, your photos, videos, iTunes movies, or a big-screen version of Candy Crush or Pet Rescue.
Connect your new Thunderbolt-enabled TV directly to your laptop, without having to plug in a HDMI cable, or use an adapter. Does your new laptop even have HDMI anymore?
What other cables can be replaced by USB-C and/or Thunderbolt?
Just about anything.
Until next time,
Xavier Zymantas
XYZtech
XYZ Media Group