Apple releases $49 Thunderbolt cable, offers external RAID systems
Apple on Tuesday added a new $49 Thunderbolt high-speed data cable to its online store, as well as a handful of external RAID storage options starting at $999.
The new Thunderbolt cable measures 2 meters and supports the next-generation data port found on Apple's latest iMacs and MacBook Pros. Thunderbolt offers two independent channels of 10Gbit/s each.
The official Apple Thunderbolt cable allows users to connect Thunderbolt peripherals, but it can also be used for Target Disk Mode between two Macs. The cable can also be used to make a Thunderbolt-equipped iMac serve as a display for a new MacBook Pro.
Also available in Apple's online store are a handful of external RAID systems, all of which ship within 24 hours:
The least expensive option is the Promise Pegasus R4 with 4TB of data. It features four 1TB 7200-rpm drives delivering over 500MB/s of disk performance.
For $1,499, the Pegasus R4 can be doubled to 8TB, operating at the same 500MB/s.
For more speed, Apple offers the Promise Pegasus R6. It includes six 1TB 7200-rpm hard drives that deliver over 800MB/s of disk performance for $1,499.
Finally, the R6 can also have twice the storage with the 12TB offering, priced at $1,999.
Thunderbolt was launched in March, when Apple's new MacBook Pros went on sale. The technology, co-developed by Intel and Apple, utilizes the standard mini DisplayPort connector, but offers high-speed data transfers in addition to external monitor support.
Thunderbolt also appeared on the new iMacs launched in May, and is expected to rapidly appear on the rest of the company's hardware lineup. Tuesday's additions to the Apple online store mark some of the first Thunderbolt-capable accessories available for purchase.
Just last week, LaCie showed off a new Thunderbolt solid-state drive that it will release this summer. The system has two SSDs paired in a RAID 0 configuration offering read speeds of up to 870MB/s.
Though Apple cooperated with Intel on Thunderbolt, the technology is not exclusive to the Mac maker. This week, rival Sony showed off its own proprietary implementation of Thunderbolt, which will arrive on a new laptop in Europe this summer, dubbed the VAIO Z.
The new Thunderbolt cable measures 2 meters and supports the next-generation data port found on Apple's latest iMacs and MacBook Pros. Thunderbolt offers two independent channels of 10Gbit/s each.
The official Apple Thunderbolt cable allows users to connect Thunderbolt peripherals, but it can also be used for Target Disk Mode between two Macs. The cable can also be used to make a Thunderbolt-equipped iMac serve as a display for a new MacBook Pro.
Also available in Apple's online store are a handful of external RAID systems, all of which ship within 24 hours:
The least expensive option is the Promise Pegasus R4 with 4TB of data. It features four 1TB 7200-rpm drives delivering over 500MB/s of disk performance.
For $1,499, the Pegasus R4 can be doubled to 8TB, operating at the same 500MB/s.
For more speed, Apple offers the Promise Pegasus R6. It includes six 1TB 7200-rpm hard drives that deliver over 800MB/s of disk performance for $1,499.
Finally, the R6 can also have twice the storage with the 12TB offering, priced at $1,999.
Thunderbolt was launched in March, when Apple's new MacBook Pros went on sale. The technology, co-developed by Intel and Apple, utilizes the standard mini DisplayPort connector, but offers high-speed data transfers in addition to external monitor support.
Thunderbolt also appeared on the new iMacs launched in May, and is expected to rapidly appear on the rest of the company's hardware lineup. Tuesday's additions to the Apple online store mark some of the first Thunderbolt-capable accessories available for purchase.
Just last week, LaCie showed off a new Thunderbolt solid-state drive that it will release this summer. The system has two SSDs paired in a RAID 0 configuration offering read speeds of up to 870MB/s.
Though Apple cooperated with Intel on Thunderbolt, the technology is not exclusive to the Mac maker. This week, rival Sony showed off its own proprietary implementation of Thunderbolt, which will arrive on a new laptop in Europe this summer, dubbed the VAIO Z.
Comments
Finally, the R6 can also have twice the storage with the 12TB offering, priced at $1,9999.
Can anyone point me to any of the thunderbolt equipped raid drives. I AM in the market for raid backup at another location, an Apple sku number i can find?
They are still being developed. Soon...
Now we just need the monoprice.com versions.
They are still being developed. Soon...
Thanks=!
mention of the new raid systems are bracketed in the article by Thunderbolt paragraphs, I inferred the raids were thunderbolt -
guess i will stick with separate usb time machine drives for each mbp for now
I get the feeling Apple have their decimal point in the wrong place. ...
Your feeling is wrong. The Apple Store clearly lists the PROMISE VTrak x30 Series (16x 2TB SATA) 3U RAID Subsystem at $19,999.00. The mistake in the placement of the decimal point was made by AppleInsider, not Apple.
Not in the market for Thunderbolt yet...but I am glad so many are cause the early adopters that will spend $50 on a cable pay the R and D costs for guys like me who cant quite afford to be on the cutting edge...that said, even for cutting edge tech that cable should be no more than $25...Apple must model their cable business after monster...not a bad plan for stock holders
If it weren't for Promise leaving out the cable, this wouldn't be necessary. Most external drives include the data cable. These Promise devices are the first I've seen to leave out the data cable.
Can anyone point me to any of the thunderbolt equipped raid drives. I AM in the market for raid backup at another location, an Apple sku number i can find?
The Promise units in the story are linked to Apple's web store, the ones I checked are Thunderbolt enabled.
If it weren't for Promise leaving out the cable, this wouldn't be necessary. Most external drives include the data cable. These Promise devices are the first I've seen to leave out the data cable.
The Promise units in the story are linked to Apple's web store, the ones I checked are Thunderbolt enabled.
Yes! Thanks for pointing that out. Searching the apple store with keyword thunderbolt, only the cable showed up
Apple, please make a Mac that is about the size of that RAID system. Perfect size for a Mac between the Mini and the Pro.
Why would they do that? Only a handful of geeks want that.
Extra nine. Its $1999.00. For price comparison, the Thunderbolt equipped pegasus series has $200 premium over the firewire800 equipped smartstor series in the same configuration.
Also coming down the pipes is a thunderbolt to dual 4GB fibre channel adapter.
http://www.promise.com/storage/raid_...sn1=40&rsn3=49
Yes! Thanks for pointing that out. Searching the apple store with keyword thunderbolt, only the cable showed up
Promise Pegasus R4 4TB
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H5...g&s=topSellers
They're all under:
Home > Shop Mac > Mac Accessories > Storage
Yes! Thanks for pointing that out. Searching the apple store with keyword thunderbolt, only the cable showed up
Wow, that is sad.
Not in the market for Thunderbolt yet...but I am glad so many are cause the early adopters that will spend $50 on a cable pay the R and D costs for guys like me who cant quite afford to be on the cutting edge...that said, even for cutting edge tech that cable should be no more than $25...Apple must model their cable business after monster...not a bad plan for stock holders
If you remember when HDMI first came along the cables were taking the piss expensive like this. Prices soon drop and in practice, this is an area where buying the Apple option will cost you dear, when compared with a generic.
Now we just need the monoprice.com versions.
They are still being developed. Soon...
No kidding!