Last week, Apple introduced a new MacBook Pro sporting a new interface port employing Intel’s Thunderbolt (aka Light Peak) technology. Though originally designed as an optical interface, cost pressure from its OEMs caused Intel to provide its first commercial chip using this technology with a copper-only interface.

Nonetheless, Thunderbolt is an impressive chip that provides two bi-directional channels operating at 10-Gbits/sec. That’s a total of 40-Gbits/sec and is up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and more than 12 times faster than with FireWire 800! Moreover, these chips will transparently carry both PCI Express (x4) and DisplayPort protocols and up to six devices can be daisy chained together. What’s more, Thunderbolt offers a low latency with 8-nanoseconds accuracy time synchronization across 7 devices.