Thunderbolt: Should You Make the Connection?

To Thunderbolt or not to Thunderbolt, that is the question—at least for system builders pondering peripheral interfaces. The answer today may be a partial, and qualified, yes. A stronger affirmative may lie in the future, assuming that Intel, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip manufacturer, makes good on its backing of Thunderbolt, its new and proprietary peripheral interconnect technology. One key will be the cost.

“The rule of thumb, several PC OEMs have told me over time, is that...