I have always found Thunderbolt's design quite hilarious.
They (Intel) want to create a new high bandwidth connector, so they decide it will use optical fibers. But optical fiber systems are expensive, so they start with copper. LOL#1: from a very modern design, this has just been switched to a common one. They will then switch to optical fibers later. Perhaps. So they say. Read: never. This is, and will stay copper.
They want this system to become universal. So they start shipping it with an exclusive partnership with Apple so that only them can use it. LOL#2: limiting the distribution of a technology you want to make universal‽ Seriously? This is going to be the new firewire, used by only some people, and anything but universal.
Oh, and by they way, although copper interface was only to bootstrap the system, they already shipped copper-based computers. The copper interface is there to stay, believe me. :-)
Now when you design a new protocol, it is only sensible to use a new physical interface so that people do not mix cables up, right? Guess what Intel did? Re-use the DisplayPort physical interface for that new protocol that is completely unrelated to display! Now, of course they are not /that/ stupid, so they added a compatibility with the DisplayPort protocol. LOL#3: I do not know if you were thinking about designing a simple, clean protocol, but this is starting to look quite monstruous now.
Now, everything is not that bad. At least they did not reproduce the error of Firewire, that does not include a reliable power line. And the error of eSATA, that does not include a power line at all. Thunderbolt may become universal if they really want it, while Firewire did not have any chance against USB (Firewire sticks cannot exist, for instance).
Mwraf
They (Intel) want to create a new high bandwidth connector, so they decide it will use optical fibers. But optical fiber systems are expensive, so they start with copper. LOL#1: from a very modern design, this has just been switched to a common one. They will then switch to optical fibers later. Perhaps. So they say. Read: never. This is, and will stay copper.
They want this system to become universal. So they start shipping it with an exclusive partnership with Apple so that only them can use it. LOL#2: limiting the distribution of a technology you want to make universal‽ Seriously? This is going to be the new firewire, used by only some people, and anything but universal.
Oh, and by they way, although copper interface was only to bootstrap the system, they already shipped copper-based computers. The copper interface is there to stay, believe me. :-)
Now when you design a new protocol, it is only sensible to use a new physical interface so that people do not mix cables up, right? Guess what Intel did? Re-use the DisplayPort physical interface for that new protocol that is completely unrelated to display! Now, of course they are not /that/ stupid, so they added a compatibility with the DisplayPort protocol. LOL#3: I do not know if you were thinking about designing a simple, clean protocol, but this is starting to look quite monstruous now.
Now, everything is not that bad. At least they did not reproduce the error of Firewire, that does not include a reliable power line. And the error of eSATA, that does not include a power line at all. Thunderbolt may become universal if they really want it, while Firewire did not have any chance against USB (Firewire sticks cannot exist, for instance).