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Hieveryone

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 11, 2014
5,622
2,337
USA
I have a 13" retina. I use the USB ports, HDMI port, and headphone jack regularly.

I never use the thunderbolt ports. I'll probably end up using the SD card slot before the thunderbolt ports.

What do you use them for?
 

yjchua95

macrumors 604
Apr 23, 2011
6,725
233
GVA, KUL, MEL (current), ZQN
I have a 13" retina. I use the USB ports, HDMI port, and headphone jack regularly.

I never use the thunderbolt ports. I'll probably end up using the SD card slot before the thunderbolt ports.

What do you use them for?

I have several Thunderbolt peripherals at home (Promise Pegasus R6 12TB RAID array, Buffalo HD-PATU3 Thunderbolt 1TB HDD, Seagate GoFlex adaptor for connecting SATA3 drives to my Mac via TB, LaCie Rugged SSD with a 250GB 840 Evo in it, Caldigit TB dock for expansion).

I use them because I do heavy video editing and photography, so I need the speed.

I could have just put the 250GB 840 Evo in a USB 3 enclosure, but TRIM wouldn't work over USB (it works over TB). Besides, I carry it with me all the time.
 
Nov 28, 2010
22,670
30
located
I'm guessing you have the thunderbolt display? I'm not sure if there are other monitors that have thunderbolt. I have a Dell monitor and have a DVI to HDMI cable I use.

One does not need an Apple Thunderbolt Display to use the TB ports, one can also just use a DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort or DVI or HDMI or VGA display with that.
 

simon48

macrumors 65816
Sep 1, 2010
1,315
88
I'm guessing you have the thunderbolt display? I'm not sure if there are other monitors that have thunderbolt. I have a Dell monitor and have a DVI to HDMI cable I use.

I have two HDMI monitors, one I connect straight to the HDMI port on my rMBP and the other I connect to one of my Thunderbolt ports with a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter.
 

Fzang

macrumors 65816
Jun 15, 2013
1,314
1,081
On my rMBP I use it for the ethernet adapter, so I won't waste a USB port.

Nothing overly exciting.
 

glenthompson

macrumors demi-god
Apr 27, 2011
2,982
842
Virginia
I have a CalDigit expansion port attached to give me USB 3 and my ACD is also attached. Only connections to my clamshelled MBP are power and thunderbolt so I can disconnect quickly.
 

TerryReis

macrumors newbie
Jul 21, 2011
13
0
Certainly do use a lot.
Thunderbolt Display.
Various Thunderbolt Drives for backup and extra storage.
UA Apollo audio interface (Thunderbolt option card added).
Sonnet Echo Express Pcie Chassis.
 

whitedragon101

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2008
1,336
334
I have several Thunderbolt peripherals at home ..... LaCie Rugged SSD with a 250GB 840 Evo in it.

I could have just put the 250GB 840 Evo in a USB 3 enclosure, but TRIM wouldn't work over USB (it works over TB). Besides, I carry it with me all the time.

1) Are you sure about TRIM working on external TB enclosures? Does this work with any external TB enclosure?

2) The LaCie Rugged comes with a drive in it. Did you buy it and swap the drives? Isn't that very expensive? LaCie should offer case only so you can use your own drive.
 
Last edited:

yjchua95

macrumors 604
Apr 23, 2011
6,725
233
GVA, KUL, MEL (current), ZQN
1) Are you sure about TRIM working on external TB enclosures? Does this work with any external TB enclosure?

2) The LaCie Rugged comes with a drive in it. Did you buy it and swap the drives? Isn't that a very expensive? LaCie should offer case only so you can use your own drive.

1. Yes, TRIM works via TB - be it a GoFlex, HD-PATU3, LaCie Rugged....etc.
2. Yup I swapped the drive with my own 840 Evo. It's costly, but worth it because I need the speed :)
 

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
TB is used 24/7 at our house. It connects from our rMBPs to our ATDs. TB connects from our ATDs to our LaCie 2Big 6TB drives.

Can't image a modern Mac ecosystem without TB. ;)
 

Boe11

macrumors 6502a
Sep 12, 2010
516
23
Always.

When I'm at work, one TB port is used with an external HD and FW800 adapter and the other one is used with an ethernet adapter.

When I'm at home, they're both occupied by DVI adapters for monitors.

I'd kind of like to get a thunderbolt display at home to simplify things but I'll probably wait til the next generation comes out.
 

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
I'm guessing you have the thunderbolt display? I'm not sure if there are other monitors that have thunderbolt. I have a Dell monitor and have a DVI to HDMI cable I use.
I have a 15 rMBP + Thunderbolt display at work.

What I love the most about Thunderbolt is that one cable connects all of these devices to my notebook:
monitor
ethernet
speakers
video camera
LaCie TB drive
USB security token

I'm constantly coming and going from my desk during the day and really like being able to quickly connect/disconnect those devices using one cable.

If I didn't have a TB display, then I'd def. have one of the TB docking stations out there.
 

Eduardot

macrumors regular
Mar 30, 2013
159
32
Thunderbolt Ports Usage

Have an iMac 27 and a Macbook Pro Retina 15 both have two TB ports which i regularly use to hook up two external monitors so i can have a three monitor setup. very handy. more productive.
 
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