Apple's been a front runner of technology since the company's inception. From the desktop-computer mouse, to the initial adoption of USB as an input, Apple's been speedy about adopting technology before its prime. The Cupertino-based computer giant has also birthed some of its own proprietary technology like FireWire and the Mini Display Port, and while it's a pain for those of us that are cross platform, it does make it easy when it comes to purchasing peripherals. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to follow suit in its perceived reluctance to adopt USB 3.0, but it turns out that there's actually a pretty good reason for that and it might have something to do with a very speedy piece of next-generation technology.

There have been numerous road blocks keeping Apple Computers and USB 3.0 from synching in perfect harmony. Initially, it was a lack of drivers provided for Mac OS X by NEC, followed by the lack of support for the technology from Silicon Valley chip maker, Intel. Intel's reluctance to delve into the USB 3.0 sphere has nothing to do with leaving Apple out of the game, however. The company has been keeping its distance because of its own plans for a next-generation optical cable interface dubbed Light Peak.

Taking a page out of Apple's book on proprietary, Intel is developing Light Peak as a universal replacement for USB, SATA, FireWire and PCI Express in an attempt to reduce the number of ports needed on any given computer. Gone will be the need for four different ports on a laptop that's already trying to maintain its weight and svelte chassis, and motherboard manufacturers will no longer need to save room on the board to integrate a myriad of different ports. Theoretically, you'll be able to plug in your USB3 and FireWire hard drives without the worry of which port it's going into (or with an adapter). Light Peak will also be able to handle up to 10 gigabits per second read and write speeds--making it almost twice as fast as USB 3.0.

Its speedy, proprietary nature makes it a viable candidate for Apple's consideration. This sort of technology reduces the need for multiple ports on a laptop or desktop computer and makes it easy for cross platform users to switch over at the drop of a hat.  There have also been plenty of clues that suggest Apple is going towards the light, starting with the alleged reports that Apple approached Intel and asked the company to work on something similar to Light Peak. At a developer conference in 2009, Intel also showed off its new technology running full speed on a Hackintosh. And, with USB 3.0 hardly gaining any traction in the PC world, it seems likely that Apple would rather adopt technology that's both a game changer and easy to implement.

The way USB 3.0 is currently bootstrapped into Apple products also reinforces the fact that it may just be a lost cause for the future. Companies like LaCie offer a USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 adapter, but the limited bus speed of the ExpressCard slot doesn't offer Mac users the optimal speed, and LaCie has limited access to the technology to their own USB 3.0 hard drives. We're still partial to using FireWire for our Time Machine backups, and companies like Seagate offer hard drives with interchangeable docks that make it easy to use your drive on USB 2.0, 3.0 or FireWire.

USB 3.0 is backwards compatible, so there's nothing really stopping Mac users from purchasing the hard drives in preparation for the future. If the reports are true, then Light Peak should work with absolutely everything, simplifying the lives of many. And that's just like Apple's own M.O.: to keep its technology one step ahead while simplifying the adoption process for those who want a piece of the pie but aren't entirely sure how to get it.