Thunderbolt Technology – MacBook Pro’s Advantage Over Rivals

MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro of Apple Inc will definitely have an advantage with the current crop of notebooks due to the Thunderbolt technology.

The Thunderbolt technology, which was developed by Intel, was initially introduced way back in 2009 under the name Light Peak. It reportedly has the capability of data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. In comparison to the Thunderbolt technology, the USB 3.0 is only capable of 4Gbps, the Firewire 800 has a speed of up to 800Mbps while the USB 2.0 is limited to 480 Mbps.

At this speed it will only take minutes to download large files or transfer files from one storage to another. According to Mooly Eden, PC Client Group general manager over at Intel, the Thunderbolt technology will facilitate the work of a number of people, especially those who work with HD media.  The Thunderbolt technology will make their work faster, be it HD movie file or large music files. It allows faster transfer of files between devices.

Thunderbolt Technology

The Thunderbolt technology was initially called Light Peak a name change was necessary since it did not utilize fiber-optics, rather the Thunderbolt technology utilized copper wires in the original designs. But in the future it may be possible for the Thunderbolt technology to use fiber-optics.

The Thunderbolt technology is compatible with majority of link protocols however it is rooted on the PCI Express technology. Data transfers in the Thunderbolt technology utilizes the PCI Express in communicating between devices while DisplayPorts are utilized for displays.

The real potential of the Thunderbolt technology cannot be measured yet due to the lack of other Thunderbolt-compatible devices however LaCie is already offering an external hard drive which utilizes the Thunderbolt technology.

The advantage of the MacBook Pro over other devices with regard to the use the Thunderbolt technology may continue until 2012 when other manufacturers are set to unveiled devices which will use the technology even as Intel has indicated that Apple does not have an exclusive right to the technology. According to Intel other manufacturers can create their own design for devices that will utilize the Thunderbolt technology at any time that they want.

Motorola Xoom or Apple iPad? The Choice Is Yours

Apple iPad

With the recent release of the Motorola Xoom and upcoming introduction of the Apple iPad 2, consumers are in a bind as to which tablet PC they would purchase. Both have their own pros and cons, their own advantages and disadvantages, but which one is better, the Motorola Xoom or the Apple iPad 2. This is not an easy question to answer since the preferences of each user are different. Since the specifications for the Apple iPad 2 have not yet been revealed, the original Apple iPad will be used to compare it with the Motorola Xoom.

The Motorola Xoom utilizes the latest Android 3.0 or the Honeycomb of Google while the Apple iPad utilizes the iOS 4.2. The Honeycomb is Android OS of Google specifically design for tablet PCs. Despite its impressive features and widgets, the iOS 4.2 of Apple has the advantage when it comes to the applications. So unless the Android apps will be optimized for use in the Motorola Xoom, the Apple iPad will have the advantage over the Motorola Xoom.

In terms of the processor, both tablet PCs have a processing speed of 1GHz. The Motorola Xoom uses the Tegra 2 Dual Core microprocessor of NVIDIA while the Apple iPad uses the Apple A4. In this case both are on equal terms when it comes to processing speed.

The Motorola Xoom has much bigger screen size compared to the Apple iPad by 0.4 inches and if reports are true, the Apple iPad 2 will have a much smaller screen size at 7 inches. This is where individual preference will come in, if the user prefers a bigger screen size then the Motorola Xoom would be the practical choice, but if a smaller screen is favored then the Apple iPad or Apple iPad 2 will be the best choice.

With the bigger screen size, the Motorola Xoom will have a better resolution at 1280x800 compared to the 1024x768 of the Apple iPad. So, score another one for the Motorola Xoom.

Motorola Xoom

The Motorola Xoom has two cameras, one in front and the second at the back. The front-facing camera would facilitate video calling for the Motorola Xoom. The original Apple iPad has no built-in camera however reports have indicated that the Apple iPad 2 may have a front-facing and rear-facing camera. If this is true then both tablets will be on even terms.

An SD card slot can be found on the Motorola Xoom however reports have indicated it is currently unusable due to an issue with the Android OS. The Apple iPad has no expandable storage slot but unless the issue of the SD card slot on the Motorola Xoom is resolved, none of the two tablet PCs will have the advantage here.

The internal storage of the Motorola Xoom is at 32 GB. On the other hand the Apple iPad has a 16GB, 32GB and 64 GB version, giving it an advantage over the Motorola Xoom in the storage category.

One other thing to consider when choosing between the Motorola Xoom and the Apple iPad is the price. The Motorola Xoom is offered by Verizon for $600 with a contract, however if no contract is included, the Motorola Xoom is priced at $800. On the other hand the price of the Apple iPad starts at $499 which gives the Apple iPad the advantage in terms of pricing.

Choosing the tablet PC for one’s use will largely depend on one’s preference so basing on the preceding comparison, the Motorola Xoom has the advantage in terms of screen resolution and camera while the Apple iPad has the advantage in the apps available, internal storage and pricing. One’s preference will take precedence on the screen size while both are equal in processing speed. Although both tablet PCs are equal in terms of external storage, once the issue on the Motorola Xoom is resolved, it will have the advantage in this category.