Intel: Thunderbolt Ports to Dock Soon On PCs and Ultrabooks

Intel made it known today that its Thunderbolt I/O port technology isn’t just for Apple. The quick-paced solution for wired data transfers will soon be made available to PCs and the new class of ultraportable notebooks Intel is currently throwing a lot of weight behind, ultrabooks. Thunderbolt I/O was developed in conjunction with Intel, so its presence on the heavily Intel-sponsored ultrabooks shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. 

Originally known as “Light Peak,” Thunderbolt is capable of transferring both data files and video over a single cable at speeds of up to 10GB per second. Plus, it can carry up to 10 watts of electricity. Its main competitor, USB 3.0, is only capable of carrying 900 milliamps of power. That means more devices can draw power from a Thunderbolt port instead of from a wall wart. 

During the keynote, it was revealed Acer and ASUS will be debuting “platforms with this technology on them next year.” Though they didn’t specify exactly what those platforms are, we’d put our money on the two manufacturers’ forthcoming ultrabooks.

In the meantime, check out this demonstration of Thunderbolt in action on a Windows 7 machine below.