You might remember Intel’s Light Peak connectivity option, which is capable of transferring files at a rate of 10Gbps. To make things better, it can also be compatible with a USB 3.0 connector, and considering the popularity of USB, this is certainly great news. Now Intel has confirmed at its Intel Developer Conference (IDF) that it is expecting partners to ship devices to ship with Light Peak support as early as next year. If it can transfer data at 10Gbps and be compatible with USB 3.0 ports, there’s a high chance that it’s going to be rather popular, unless the cost of it is inhibitive.
Some say that this could “kill” USB 3.0, but don’t buy in the media’s tendency to put “killer” on everything to attract your attention (and ad dollars). USB 3.0 will probably be integrated in the next round of Intel chipsets, and that is really when the standard will take off.
Check out a video of Light Peak in action after the jump