Intel has just announced that Thunderbolt is finally coming to Windows. Both Acer and Asus are planning on creating PCs that support the port in 2012, and while we presumably expect to see other OEMs join the party in short order, there's no official word yet. Intel also demoed Thunderbolt running on a Windows 7 PC during its keynote today, streaming four HD videos at once. The plug on that prototype looked identical to Apple's current implementation, but Intel didn't commit itself to that particular shape during the presentation. That could mean that there is still at least a slim chance left for those of you hoping for a USB-compatible implementation.

Next year isn't exactly the timeline we'd like, but at least all those Thunderbolt PCI-E expansion boxes will have a better chance of finding a home once Acer and Asus release their computers.