upgrading to final cut X Yes or no

[Craig Seeman]

[Bernard Newnham] “There seem to be a few motherboards that can provide you with that – “

Yes, but it’s not yet close to ubiquitous especially on built systems. Lenovo already has a laptop with Thunderbolt built in but it’s nearly impossible to discern on their website.

I know several developers tested their Thunderbolt devices on Windows, usually using Bootcamped Macs. Generally if one is considering Windows, I’d consider Thunderbolt important. Given the infrequency of its use on the Windows platform it’s not going to help moving from Windows computer to Windows computer unless you focus on getting such computers. It’s also not going to help if you walk into another Windows based facility typically. Where it will help is the ability to move between Mac and Windows if you make sure you build/buy Thunderbolt systems.

On the Mac side, there’s no worries though because all Macs from bottom to top have (will have in the case of MacPro replacement) Thunderbolt from 2011 forward.

[Bernard Newnham]

“Yes, but it’s not yet close to ubiquitous especially on built systems.”

I suppose that’s because they go where the money is. In wandering around the geeky world, I find it’s only amongst Mac-y people that it gets much of a mention. As I now don’t use my Mac much any more since FCP7 sailed into the sunset, I’ve not quite worked out why Thunderbolt is so important – and maybe the mainstream motherboard manufacturers haven’t either.

Bernie

[Craig Seeman]

[Bernard Newnham] “I’ve not quite worked out why Thunderbolt is so important “

Because I can use the same HD-SDI input device on laptop or desktop. Same goes for any other peripheral. Can use small RAID in the field with laptop and just plug and play into desktop (iMac only, MacPro coming) back at home base.

[Michael Gissing]

I can see the use of thunderbolt in edit environments with laptops and limited PCIe slots. The last three jobs I have done from Win based AVIDs have all been delivered on USB3 drives. Even a few FCP7 jobs have been delivered on drives that are USB3 only which I found weird.

I haven’t seen a thunderbolt drive delivered yet for a job. With eSata common on many WIN motherboards plus USB3, I can see why thunderbolt is not yet common with WIN mobos. It is certainly more important in the Mac world, given the loss of a PCI slot for esata and USB3 uncommon.

[Craig Seeman]

[Michael Gissing] “I haven’t seen a thunderbolt drive delivered yet for a job”

I assuming you’re talking about file delivery on drive. Single drive systems is the least advantageous. Transfer speed isn’t going to be much different than USB3. All Macs this year going forward do have both Thunderbolt and USB3. The biggest advantage in single drive systems is, IMHO, Thunderbolt passthrough to some other needed device.

Examples advantages are a small two drive raid going from field laptop, simply plugged into desktop for editing. Inexpensive HD-SDI/HDMI input including the $140 Blackmagic Recorder can be moved to any system for simple input and can be on the back end of the pass through of that RAID on a laptop. Also the ability to use a PCIe Thunderbolt chassis so one can move Decklink Duo or even Quad or maybe two Intensity Pros from laptop to desktop.

Granted the above scenarios aren’t common especially for the typical consumer so it’ll be a very long time for Thunderbolt to become anything close to ubiquitous on Windows. On the other hand, every Mac can be pressed into some professional service in a pinch.

[Michael Gissing]

Yes I agree Craig. I didn’t expect Tbolt on delivery drives although some small clients do bring their one and only edit drive (shudder). When I ask though, these same clients do not use Tbolt. They also are staying on older hardware and FCP7 so in my area there has been almost no movement in the past twenty months.

As I have said before my path is a transition to CS6/ da Vinci on WIN from now on with legacy FCP/ Color work for a good while yet. An internal five drive RAID is all I need and USB3 is fine for source files in most broadcast codecs, although slow with r3d files.

[Craig Seeman]

If you’re on a single system work station than TBolt doesn’t offer a great advantage. TBolt’s advantage is in moving things around.

Now if you had to move the stuff on your internal RAID to a USB3 drive to do work on a laptop… With a TBolt based drive system, there’d be no copying since it’s on the portable RAID. And if you really need RAID0 speed even when working on the laptop, there’d be no worry there either. As I noted before your Video I/O can move with you as well.

These days, as more people take their work with them, I think they’ll gravitate towards Macs for each of use interchangeability.

If you’re only tied to your workstation and large media only coming in, you may not see the advantages to TBolt.