Random Thoughts – Randocity!

Apple loves to adopt brand new bleeding edge technologies and shun existing functional and supported technologies.  Case in point, Apple’s new MacBook Pro line sports a new Thunderbolt (Lightpeak) port. So, yeah, while this port is capable of 10Gb per second, there are no peripherals yet available for this technology.  But, instead of placing USB 3 ports (capable of 5Gb per second) onto the MacBook Pro, they instead decided to skip this recent technology.  So, the MacBook Pro comes shipped with dog slow USB 2.0 ports running at a whopping 480Mb per second.  That’s ok if the only thing you want to transfer is sync data to your iPhone or iPad. For hard drives, this speed is unbearably slow.

Apple’s own stupidity

We don’t want ports with no peripheral support.  We want ports that are actually supported.  Simply because Apple has adopted the Thunderbolt technology doesn’t mean that it will in any way become a standard.  In fact, Apple’s bleeding edge adoption of the Thunderbolt port is about as risky as the Firewire (1394) port was way back when. And, where is Firewire now?  Dead.

I just don’t get why you would stick old technology on a brand new notebook when new technology already exists?  There are many USB 3 adapters and peripherals that could easily get users faster speeds until (or if) Thunderbolt actually takes off.

Apple needs to wake up and realize we want to connect fast drives to external ports.  So, at least give us ports where we can do this.  Sure, LaCie and other manufacturers will likely start making Thunderbolt compatible drive enclosures, but they probably won’t hit stores for months or possibly even as late as 2012. Until then, we have to live with USB 2.0 ports that suck rocks for speed.

Thanks Apple.