Apple has reduced the cost of its 2-meter Thunderbolt cable—first introduced in June 2011—from $49 to $39. Additionally, the company has unveiled a new, shorter, half-meter model, which costs $29.
Two other Thunderbolt cables in the Apple lineup—the Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter and Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter—remain available for $29 each.
Thunderbolt cables have remained relatively expensive for an extended period; while Thunderbolt adapters are on every new Mac, the only people who've reallyneeded the technology have been those involved in video production and other pursuits that demand the fastest possible data transfer.
The price of Thunderbolt accessories may be sliding due to a change in manufacturing methods: The cables have relied on copper wiring until now, but newer methods of making the cables with fiberoptic technology should reduce manufacturing costs.
