AMD Lighting Bolt would echo Thunderbolt on the cheap
updated 03:20 am EST, Sat January 14, 2012
AMD Lightning Bolt in development
AMD is developing a parallel to Intel's Thunderbolt, the chip designer unveiled at a closed-doors demo late into CES. Conspicuously known as Lightning Bolt, what AnandTech saw would similarly use Mini DisplayPort jacks and would share both power, USB 3.0, and video over a lone cable. Unlike Thunderbolt, it would make very minor changes to the cable and cost as little as a dollar premium over a basic Mini DP connection.
Shaving costs would have some setbacks over Intel's approach. It wouldn't transmit data at USB 3.0's full speed, AMD said. In exchange, low-cost notebook docking stations would be an option, in some cases costing as little as a USB hub.
AMD plans to ship Lightning Bolt before the end of 2012, although it may arrive too late to be a part of the first wave of Trinity-based processors for notebooks. It could still even the balance for AMD and give it a high-speed, notebook-oriented interface. Thunderbolt has the full speed advantage but often costs much more for controller chips and special cables.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2004
Goodbye AMD/ATI
They should have called this Lightning Rod instead. Same connector, synonymous name to Thunderbolt and it's icon, incompatible and far less performance, but cheap. It's almost like AMD moved to Korea. I can hear the lawyers salivating already.
Given the glacial pace of the courts, both Lightning Bolt and Thunderbolt will be obsolete by the time AMD succeeds in sowing enough confusion to kill the latter.