I'm kinda disapointed about the whole Type-C scenario.<p>Now when you've got a Type-C Port, you just don't know what it can do. It could be anything from a USB 2 Port, up to a USB 3.1 + 20A Power + Thunderbolt Port.<p>You can't see this from looking at it, and Spec Sheets today have a problem of listing the version numbers of HDMI and DisplayPort Ports, I don't see them suddenly becoming very concise about this.<p>The promise of USB has always been one of standardization. If I knew my mothers notebook is from around somewhere after 2008, if it has a USB Port, it will be USB 2 compatible.<p>In 2020 i won't be able to know if the monitor i recommend my mother will be able to connect to her laptop over the USB Type-C Port or not, or if it will run at full resolution or not, if it will be able to charge the notebook over it, or not... etc.<p>Its just a mess. If you make a standard, please make it a standard, not a pick and choose affair where the result ist just confusion.
Hmm, I don't understand the description fully - does that mean that it can happen that I can get a device with USB-C plug, plug it into computer and it won't work because the device uses Thunderbolt 3 and the computer isn't an Apple?<p>Or will all Thunderbolt 3 devices be able to scale back and communicate with devices over USB if the controller is not available? How will that work with displays over USB-C connectors? Is there a possibility that now instead of just checking for a USB port, we'll have to read the list of controllers/protocols available in devices connecting over USB-C ports?
When Thunderbolt was first released it caused a lot of confusion in my office for people with DisplayPort who couldn't hook up to Thunderbolt monitors, bought for them by our IT group that really didn't understand the difference. I see this problem coming on strong AGAIN with this. This port is just USB-C while this other port is USB-C <i>and</i> Thunderbolt... That sounds like a load of confusion waiting to happen.
Ugh Intel. We <i>just</i> fixed the USB problem of "I can't figure out which way to plug this thing in", why do you have to go and add the complication of "Wait, is this a Thunderbolt or USB C device/port?"<p>This is why we can't have nice things.
Sadly, the blocker for external graphics isn't the power draw, it's that Intel steadfastly refuses to license Thunderbolt for external GPU enclosures.<p>That's why you can't buy a macbook air and plug in a little $300 box with a GeForce 970 and play high-end games on it right now. There are no technical reasons why this won't work-- in fact, people have hacked together solutions that work great.<p>Intel doesn't want to let you do it.
Seems to be trading all our different ports with the problem of having all levels of different cables?<p>This port is going to be very expensive for the manufactures. If it does everything I'm going to need a bunch. Does anything stop OEMs making a row of identical ports that only 1 charges my laptop, only a couple take can use the fastest cable and I'm sure all sorts of potential shenanigans,
And finally, the future has arrived. If the iPhone 7 (doubt the 6S) sports USB-C as well, there will be a truly universal connector. Imagine screens, laptops, TVs, phones, mp3 players, docks, hard drives and toasters all using the same plug (well, maybe not the last one). There will be a painful time of transition until we are there, but hopefully it will be the last one.<p>(Conveniently this also saves Apple on the new MPBs, they can now have both USB A and USB C ports without it being weird)
The linked site seems to be completely toast, but here are some secondary sources which I’d guess have approximately the same content: <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/thunderbolt-3-and-usb-type-c-join-forces-for-one-port-to-rule-them-all/" rel="nofollow">http://www.cnet.com/news/thunderbolt-3-and-usb-type-c-join-f...</a> <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2929798/thunderbolt-3-to-work-over-usb-c.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.pcworld.com/article/2929798/thunderbolt-3-to-work...</a> <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/2/8704067/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-computex-2015" rel="nofollow">http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/2/8704067/thunderbolt-3-usb-c...</a>
Can someone explain whether I should care that they are still using DP 1.2 rather than 1.3? I had thought 1.3 was needed for non stitched 4k 60hz, but this should have plenty of bandwidth, so I'm now not sure what the issue with 1.2 vs 1.3 is.
So now you can't even put glue in the thunderbolt port anymore to prevent DMA attacks?<p>I don't think DMA attacks have been fully solved yet via software, or am I not up to date here? I guess you could blacklist the driver.
The USB C connector is awesome and this is great news.<p>I still wish the industry would have standardized on the 2.5mm jack. It can be plugged in any direction. You could pull a cord out of a mess of cables and it would not snag as there is nothing to snag on.
And they leave out the one thing that would be interesting, a wiring diagram.<p>the C port is interesting in that it provides both USB pins and a set of pins that can be used for a number of functions (Displayport being its out of the gate use).<p>If this leave the USB pins alone, and make use of the supplemental pins for Thunderbolt, there will be no port confusion. Especially as Tunderbolt is already set up to carry Displayport data anyways.<p>Then it just comes down to the chipset to negotiate the right protocols.
So, will Apple finally be able to refresh the Thunderbolt Display?<p>I got an old one I want to sell before it gets obsolete. I guess the time is now.<p>Edit: "Thunderbolt 3 integrates USB 3.1, optional 100W power delivery, 5K @ 60Hz display."<p>Optional power delivery? Optional nowadays just mean "will be removed before even reaching production"
Given that it supports dual 4K displays at 60Hz with one cable, or a single 5K display at 60Hz with one cable, I think it's safe to say Apple are waiting for this to announce their new cinema display.<p>Anyone think they'll pre-announce it at WWDC (like they did the Mac Pro)?
I'm interested in how backwards compatibility works - will old Thunderbolt devices work with just an adaptor cable? As someone who does a lot of professional video/audio work, I have a bunch of Thunderbolt devices so I hope that's the case.
I have a Thunderbolt Display I have been meaning to sell. I think a.s.a.p is probably the time to do it, since I expect a release of a USB-C display at WWDC.