Apple may have Thunderbolt fever if its latest MacBook Pro and iMac models are any indication, but that doesn’t mean other PC manufacturers are ready to follow them into the storm. Case in point: Hewlett Packard.
MacRumors is reporting that Hewlett Packard (better known these days as simply HP) recently weighed the merits of Intel’s new Thunderbolt I/O technology, but decided to sit tight with USB 3.0 for now. According to PCWorld, the manufacturer doesn’t quite see the value of Thunderbolt for their desktops, presumably since there are zero accessories available to plug into them right now.
“We did look at [Thunderbolt]. We’re still looking into it. Haven't found a value proposition yet,” HP’s worldwide marketing manager for desktops, Xavier Lauwaert, told PCWorld.
The report claims that “everyone seems to be content with USB 3.0,” so for now HP is sticking with the devil they know -- which could come back to haunt them later on if the Thunderbolt technology really catches fire, since Apple will have a considerable jump on them by that point as the earliest adopter of the technology.
Apple introduced Thunderbolt (formerly Light Peak) earlier this year with their latest MacBook Pro models, then carried the technology onto the iMac line this month. A barrage of Thunderbolt peripherals are expected this summer, especially as Intel plans to open up development to third parties this quarter.
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(Image courtesy of MacRumors)
