Village Instruments could be the first with an external graphics card for Macs and other computers using Thunderbolt. Company head Hubert Chen confirmed after an unexpectedly large response to a question that the company would make a Thunderbolt version of the ViDock. The much improved bandwidth over the current ExpressCard version could give even ultraportables like the MacBook Air desktop-level video performance with software support.
The company still had to work to set out a development and production schedule for the new ViDock and wasn’t yet ready to commit to specifications or when it would ship.
Sn updated ViDock wouldn’t be the first external Thunderbolt-based graphics in the industry. Sony’s new VAIO Z uses a non-standard port but the same fundamental technology as Apple’s system to include a Radeon HD 6630M along with an optical drive and extra ports. Village Instruments’ model could be the first, though, to follow a true standard and work beyond just one computer
