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Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
#38938 02/17/16 03:33 PM
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jchuzi Offline OP
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Thunderbolt technology has been around for several years and there are many external enclosures that have TB connectivity. Enclosures that have Firewire and USB 3 are common and inexpensive. Why is TB connectivity still so pricey?


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
jchuzi #38939 02/17/16 05:12 PM
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confused Not widely in use, supply and demand… . crazy


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
Ira L #38940 02/17/16 05:22 PM
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jchuzi Offline OP
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Gouging because they can get away with it? mad


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
jchuzi #38943 02/17/16 10:43 PM
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I suspect that it's just plain expensive technology to begin with, and since it's proprietary Apple property it's probably extremely over-priced, particularly from non-Apple vendors.

Remember the FireWire debacle?

Last edited by artie505; 02/18/16 12:16 PM. Reason: Better

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Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
artie505 #38945 02/18/16 10:47 AM
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Just like the Toyota Prius (which is an expensive little car), Apple has just about all of the market for Thunderbolt, and thus it will be expensive for some time.

Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
artie505 #38946 02/18/16 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
I suspect that it's just plain expensive technology to begin with, and since it's proprietary Apple property it's probably extremely over-priced, particularly from non-Apple vendors.

Thunderbolt is NOT an Apple proprietary product. Like USB it is an Intel product. In fact Thunderbolt 3 and USB C (used on the new MacBook) use the same connector. Apple has always been an early adopter of new technologies and that inevitably has implications for cost and risk. I am confident that by the time PCs have adopted Thunderbolt and prices have come down, Apple will have moved on to still newer technologies. If you want cheap, buy Dell not Apple.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
joemikeb #38951 02/18/16 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
I suspect that it's just plain expensive technology to begin with, and since it's proprietary Apple property it's probably extremely over-priced, particularly from non-Apple vendors.

Thunderbolt is NOT an Apple proprietary product. Like USB it is an Intel product. In fact Thunderbolt 3 and USB C (used on the new MacBook) use the same connector. Apple has always been an early adopter of new technologies and that inevitably has implications for cost and risk. I am confident that by the time PCs have adopted Thunderbolt and prices have come down, Apple will have moved on to still newer technologies. If you want cheap, buy Dell not Apple.


Thanks for the clarification. Yet, since Apple is the only company that has, so far, adapted it, it will remain expensive. Interesting that no other companies (that I am aware of) adapted Firewire 800, which was expensive for some time. Wonder if Thunderbolt will follow the same pattern?

Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
joemikeb #38953 02/18/16 10:39 PM
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Well, this time I DID get hung on an assumption...thanks for correcting me. blush


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In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
honestone #38954 02/19/16 12:02 AM
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Originally Posted By: honestone
Thanks for the clarification. Yet, since Apple is the only company that has, so far, adapted it, it will remain expensive. Interesting that no other companies (that I am aware of) adapted Firewire 800, which was expensive for some time. Wonder if Thunderbolt will follow the same pattern?

PCs are sold in a commodity market unlike Apple which sells in a quality and performance market. A few cents in cost to manufacture or a few dollars in selling price will make or break a product in the PC market and that market is declining world wide. On the other hand Apple is getting a bit more of that declining market primarily from new purchasers brought into the store by the iPhone and iPad. Because of their experience with the iPhone and iPad those buyers are willing to pay more to get Apple quality and performance and are not shopping primarily on cost. PC manufacturers are all struggling in a declining market environment so they are understandably reluctant to try anything new, especially if it might increase their cost or price.

Apple spends far more on research and development than any one else in the industry. PC manufacturers sit back and wait to see what Apple does that is successful and then only if they can do it cheaply enough they adopt the new technology. Staying on the leading edge is not cheap and Apple greatly prefers to lead not follow.

As I said if you want cheap buy Dell, not Apple.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
joemikeb #38955 02/19/16 01:45 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
A few cents in cost to manufacture...will make or break a product in the PC market....

Case in point... Didn't FireWire flop because Apple wanted 50¢ per PC...just too much for the low end market to bear?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
joemikeb #38956 02/19/16 04:05 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: honestone
Thanks for the clarification. Yet, since Apple is the only company that has, so far, adapted it, it will remain expensive. Interesting that no other companies (that I am aware of) adapted Firewire 800, which was expensive for some time. Wonder if Thunderbolt will follow the same pattern?

PCs are sold in a commodity market unlike Apple which sells in a quality and performance market. A few cents in cost to manufacture or a few dollars in selling price will make or break a product in the PC market and that market is declining world wide. On the other hand Apple is getting a bit more of that declining market primarily from new purchasers brought into the store by the iPhone and iPad. Because of their experience with the iPhone and iPad those buyers are willing to pay more to get Apple quality and performance and are not shopping primarily on cost. PC manufacturers are all struggling in a declining market environment so they are understandably reluctant to try anything new, especially if it might increase their cost or price.

Apple spends far more on research and development than any one else in the industry. PC manufacturers sit back and wait to see what Apple does that is successful and then only if they can do it cheaply enough they adopt the new technology. Staying on the leading edge is not cheap and Apple greatly prefers to lead not follow.

As I said if you want cheap buy Dell, not Apple.


Well said, and I could not agree more! That is of course why I have stuck with Apple for so, so long, starting with the venerable Apple IIE, then upgrading to the Apple IIGS, and finally starting with the Power Mac 6100 back in 1996, been through about 10 Macs (or so) since. I never, never wanted a cheap PC, and especially given the crappy OS!

Re: Thunderbolt: Why so expensive?
honestone #38964 02/19/16 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted By: honestone
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
I suspect that it's just plain expensive technology to begin with, and since it's proprietary Apple property it's probably extremely over-priced, particularly from non-Apple vendors.

Thunderbolt is NOT an Apple proprietary product. Like USB it is an Intel product. In fact Thunderbolt 3 and USB C (used on the new MacBook) use the same connector. Apple has always been an early adopter of new technologies and that inevitably has implications for cost and risk. I am confident that by the time PCs have adopted Thunderbolt and prices have come down, Apple will have moved on to still newer technologies. If you want cheap, buy Dell not Apple.


Thanks for the clarification. Yet, since Apple is the only company that has, so far, adapted it, it will remain expensive. Interesting that no other companies (that I am aware of) adapted Firewire 800, which was expensive for some time. Wonder if Thunderbolt will follow the same pattern?

DisplayPort is extremely common among the PCs where I work. Perhaps 85% or more of the 3,500 windows boxes here are attaching to their monitor with the full-size displayport connector. (looks a lot like a locking HDMI) But not thunderbolt, not yet. The PC laptops are using mini displayport though, when they don't use HDMI or mini HDMI. So many video connectors! And HDMI / Displayport don't adapt easily either. (finding a way to hook an AppleTV to a projector with a DisplayPort connector is a pain!)


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