Surface Pro 3 may have thunderbolt!

[GoodBytes]

At the Surface AMA, the Surface Team reveals that the Surface Pro 3 may have indeed Thunderbolt.

The question was asked:

where is the thunderbolt link? you could have external gpu's and make it a desktop replacement, i thought the "ultrabook" standard included thunderbolt.

And the following was answered by the Surface Team:

When you buy your Surface Pro3, do me a favor, and take a close look at the "power connector"

Source: sherryoak comments on We are Panos Panay and the Surface team at Microsoft. We proudly introduced Surface Pro 3 last week. Ask us anything!

And if we have a look at inside the connector and dock station, we can see a bunch of pins... too many pins if you ask me.

And yet, if we look at the power connector, look how many few pins it only has:

 

[demandarin]

Sorry to rain on parade but I don't think so. Take a look here. At post #653

Surface Pro 3 Discussion Thread - Page 66

 

[demandarin]

If it truly did, you would be able to find it in device manager in pro3

 

[daniielrp]

The thunderbolt spec also states the connector should be the same as DisplayPort, which the power connector is very different to. Whether they meant to say "look at the video-out connector?" or he was talking BS...

 

[GoodBytes]

The thunderbolt spec also states the connector should be the same as DisplayPort, which the power connector is very different to. Whether they meant to say "look at the video-out connector?" or he was talking BS...

no not really. Sony used USB 3.0 port. And I am thinking that some of those wires (well pins) of the power connector are deisgned to connect to the physical thunderbolt chip to provide it. Meaning that the DisplayPort connector on the new dock station has thunderbolt in it self, and not inside the Surface Pro 3.

 

[daniielrp]

no not really. Sony used USB 3.0 port. And I am thinking that some of those wires (well pins) of the power connector are deisgned to connect to the physical thunderbolt chip to provide it. Meaning that the DisplayPort connector on the new dock station has thunderbolt in it self, and not inside the Surface Pro 3.

Oooohh ok that could work, but if the SP3 still uses DisplayPort, surely it just would have been easier to swap that for a thunderbolt one? Same size port, same size connector/pins etc, but much more functionality.

 

[GoodBytes]

Thunderbolt requires expensive license (which I believe Apple is getting a deep discount or free to showcase it), and consumes power.
I am thinking the thunderbolt chip, is on the dock. Either way you are not at the go when using thunderbolt. You are connected to big equipment or GPU which both requires wall plugs, and cost a lot.

 

[Saul]

In some ways, I would've preferred TB on the SP3, but perhaps what you're suggesting makes more sense.
Either way, I hope this isn't some retarded communication by the Surface Team, I hope TB really is coming!

 

[GoodBytes]

In some ways, I would've preferred TB on the SP3, but perhaps what you're suggesting makes more sense.
Either way, I hope this isn't some retarded communication by the Surface Team, I hope TB really is coming!

What I hope, for those interested, is that it's not going to be this situation:
-> Dock has no thunderbolt
-> And by the time Surface Pro 4 comes out, oh look, Dock with Thunderbolt for the Surface Pro 3 and 4, like the power cover for Surface Pro 1 owners, where it came out a couple of months after the Pro 2 came out.

 

[daniielrp]

Thunderbolt requires expensive license (which I believe Apple is getting a deep discount or free to showcase it), and consumes power.
I am thinking the thunderbolt chip, is on the dock. Either way you are not at the go when using thunderbolt. You are connected to big equipment or GPU which both requires wall plugs, and cost a lot.

Not necessarily, it could just be an portable external HDD which I would take on the go with the SP3. I agree it's unlikely, but there is a use case there for it.

And also, this is a premium device, so adding it premium ports wouldn't be a bad thing!

 

[GoodBytes]

Not necessarily, it could just be an portable external HDD which I would take on the go with the SP3. I agree it's unlikely, but there is a use case there for it.

Hmm, a portable 5400RPM HDD on USB 3.0, where the speed of the HDD doesn't even come close to max out USB 3.0 speeds, let alone 2.0. Thunderbolt would cost more, and well, not needed at all.
So, on the example you provided, it is not a good one, let alone that to my knowledge there isn't a thunderbolt portable HDD to start with. They are all desktop 7200RPM HDDs which requires power.

But, I know what you mean. You are saying how it could be convenient to not have to carry a dock station with you if you can't afford a second one, or if you are on the go all the time, and need thunderbolt.
Which is true, but then again, why power something that no one will use, and minimize profits on a product that is trying to show its shareholders that it is profitable, and keep the device alive.

 

[daniielrp]

Why get a portable 5400RPM HDD on USB 3.0, where the speed of the HDD doesn't even come close to max out USB 3.0 speeds, let alone 2.0, when you can pay even more for the same drive on thunderbolt.
So yea... I don't see how this situation would be remotely possible, especially that a portable external HDD with thunderbolt does not exist, then again, I can't wait for marketing to showcase that, considering my previous statement, which is true.

Erm, yeh it does:

LaCie 1TB Rugged Thunderbolt/USB 3.0 Hard Drive - Apple Store (UK)