Apple using smaller, cheaper Thunderbolt controller in MacBook Airs

Like their big brothers, the new MacBook Air models now include a Thunderbolt port. Though it looks the same on the outside, internally the Air's Thunderbolt controller is much different from the one found in the 2011 iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac mini line.

To fit a Thunderbolt controller in its thin chassis, the MacBook Air includes a controller that is half the size of the one found in other 2011 Mac models. Codenamed Eagle Ridge, this smaller chip includes two Thunderbolt 10 Gbps channels (instead of four) and one display port output (instead of two).

Beside size, this chip may also be less expensive, notes Anandtech, which means it might show up in machines from other manufacturers; especially those companies looking to keep the cost of their hardware to a minimum.