High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Thunderbolt (codenamed Light Peak) is an interface for connecting peripheral devices to a computer via an expansion bus. Thunderbolt was developed by Intel with technical collaboration from Apple. It was introduced commercially on Apple`s updated MacBook Pro lineup on February 24, 2011, using the same connector as Mini DisplayPort (MDP). Though the Thunderbolt trademark was registered by Apple, full rights belong to Intel which subsequently led to the transfer of the registration from Apple to Intel.