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2 thunderbolt ports?

F

Freyqq

macrumors 601
Original poster
Dec 13, 2004
4,038
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What do you think the chances are that the next mbp will have 2 thunderbolt ports (like the imacs)? With usb 3.0 coming, I don't see why they couldn't replace the firewire 800 port with another thunderbolt port and instead offer an optional firewire-->thunderbolt adapter. I just want the capability to drive 2 monitors like all windows laptops with discrete graphics :)
 
Freyqq said:
What do you think the chances are that the next mbp will have 2 thunderbolt ports (like the imacs)? With usb 3.0 coming, I don't see why they couldn't replace the firewire 800 port with another thunderbolt port and instead offer an optional firewire-->thunderbolt adapter. I just want the capability to drive 2 monitors like all windows laptops with discrete graphics :)
Click to expand...

I'm thinking the chances are pretty slim. Apple will point to the fact that you can already for the low, low (sarcasm) price of 2 x £900 thunderbolt displays.

I'm wondering whether the move to Intel HD 4000 will mean a MBA can drive 2 displays, or a 13" MBP can drive 2 plus it's own display?
 
Actually, I think its quite possible. One rumor I've heard is that Apple would get rid of the ethernet port because TB can serve the same function in its place. That would be completely logical by Apple's methods and allow for dual (or more) ports with multiple functions.
 
Freyqq said:
not everyone wants to drop $999 on a monitor. I have 2 24" dvi monitors i'd rather use.
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Oh I see, you want to use thunderbolt -> DVI. Unfortunately, multiple external display capability will likely be one of those things that Apple uses to say "Hey, come buy our Thunderbolt displays because they can do this". I agree, the price for those things are absurd.
 
Xplode35 said:
Actually, I think its quite possible. One rumor I've heard is that Apple would get rid of the ethernet port because TB can serve the same function in its place. That would be completely logical by Apple's methods and allow for dual (or more) ports with multiple functions.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be surprised if they just removed the ethernet port altogether instead of adding something in it's place. That would be a very Apple move imo.
 
Xplode35 said:
Actually, I think its quite possible. One rumor I've heard is that Apple would get rid of the ethernet port because TB can serve the same function in its place. That would be completely logical by Apple's methods and allow for dual (or more) ports with multiple functions.
Click to expand...

I think the FW800 port will be the first to go. It's major purpose was external hard drives and audio equipment. With thunderbolt and usb 3.0, FW800 is essentially obsolete. However, keeping legacy compatibility with a thunderbolt adapter would keep everyone happy.
 
Freyqq said:
I think the FW800 port will be the first to go. It's major purpose was external hard drives and audio equipment. With thunderbolt and usb 3.0, FW800 is essentially obsolete. However, keeping legacy compatibility with a thunderbolt adapter would keep everyone happy.
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there is no TB Audio equipment yet, and as it is I miss having 2 FW ports, 1 for HDD and 1 for my Audio interface (I know daisy chaining but I want to have my Audio interface on it's own port for latency ect.)

also USB3 is still going to be too much like USB2 to replace FW for people like me
 
Dangerous Theory said:
"Daisy chaining" exists for this reason. Thunderbolt displays have an extra TB socket to link to another display.
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Ladies and gentlemen, the Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt adapter

Daisy what now?

...and that's a measly $100 adapter.
Just imagine how many chain killing devices will be out next year.

27" iMac (2x thunderbolt): Doing it right.
Everything else is wrong.

There should be room on the other side of the next MBP refresh w/o the optical disk.

One on each side would sure make people's workstations look less stupid.

Freyqq said:
I think the FW800 port will be the first to go. It's major purpose was external hard drives and audio equipment. With thunderbolt and usb 3.0, FW800 is essentially obsolete. However, keeping legacy compatibility with a thunderbolt adapter would keep everyone happy.
Click to expand...
It better not be the first to go.
Thunderbolt daisy limit = 7
Firewire daisy limit = 63
Also, see below.
PAPO said:
there is no TB Audio equipment yet, and as it is I miss having 2 FW ports, 1 for HDD and 1 for my Audio interface (I know daisy chaining but I want to have my Audio interface on it's own port for latency ect.)
Click to expand...
Same problem.
The Seagate Thunderbolt desk adapter is $200.
My Seagates are for storage not SSDs, not even RAID (G-Tech).
Also, I don't even have a thunderbolt port, because Apple hasn't actually updated the MBP in 440 days... Idiots didn't even fix the optical drive's Sata problem in the October nudge--only the stupid 13" can take 2x sata 3 drives for almost 1GB/s.

Not paying $250 extra ($50/cable) per $90 3TB storage drive for a whopping 12mb/s boost.

Why is the whole world sprinting backwards
into a corn field
buttered and loving it?
 
Freyqq said:
not everyone wants to drop $999 on a monitor. I have 2 24" dvi monitors i'd rather use.
Click to expand...

Whatever Thunderbolt accessory you use will most likely have two ports as well to support daisy-chaining, be it a display or a external storage device. Only very low end terminal devices would have a single port (I imagine low end to be something like an UDMA card reader).
 
Freyqq said:
not everyone wants to drop $999 on a monitor. I have 2 24" dvi monitors i'd rather use.
Click to expand...

well isnt that really using the port as a mini display port?? your not really using thunderbolt technology

thunderbolt displays will have allow daisy chain, your really asking for 2 mini display ports

since thunderbolt devices will allow daisy chaining there really is no reason to have 2 "thunderbolt" ports
 
I think it's very possible, especially when you see that the 27" iMac has two of them.
 
Judging by what Apple usually does I think 2 TB ports got pretty much a zero chance of coming into being. I agree it would be better but they would do anything to force you to buy more of their stuff. If you are like me and cannot stand glossy displays even indoors or you don't want to buy such an expensive display, well bad luck.

Thunderbolt sucks and it will for at least another 2 years, because those controllers are way too expensive. Every peripheral just gets really expensive that uses it. It is the same problem FW had just an order of magnitude worse.

At least USB 3.0 will solve the problem with fast cheap external HDDs. It is also fast enough for GBit LAN.
For Display anybody who wants two has to buy at least one new Thunderbolt monitor but if I am not mistaken the one at the very end is allowed to be different. Quite sure DP is supported at the end. DVI or HDMI probably still not without some special adapter that would be expensive enough that you can just go buy the new screen.
Maybe Thunderbolt Docks with VGA, HMDI, DVI Ports will show. That would be something but again I think that will cost enough that you can just go ahead and buy 2 new Dell Monitors for the money which already sport TB and DP.
 
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