Apple Discontinues Thunderbolt Display

[32828870]

The 20", 23", and 30" CCFL LCD lineup was tops. The switch to repurposed iMac LED LCD panels as replacements wreaked of profit margin focus over function. Given the official statement, it's 99.9% certain that Apple has officially killed their display "line".

It wasn't a niche market as many professionals used them on Mac's and Windows systems. Annie Leibovitz famously used 4 30" CCFL LCD's with her Power Mac's years ago as they required little to no calibration and worked seamlessly with OS X. Apple made it niche when they began dropping professional quality products then turned around and claimed there wasn't a market... after they stopped selling them. I know many pro's/pro-sumers, production and design studios who spent bank on hardware.

 

[thekev]

Strange that they haven't introduced a 4K or 5K model yet. Wonder why the long delay?

It's most likely because they don't intend to make one. They probably require TB3 for an external 5K, and a 4K 27" wouldn't align with their pixel doubling strategy. If they still intended to release one, they would most likely keep this one around until that time. When they cancel something outside of a new product announcement, it's usually just gone after that.

 

[willgreene99]

Steve did say that we are now living in a post-pc era. And going on that premise the demise of the TB display makes sense. And extrapolating further, the Mac Mini could also be eliminated and eventually the Mac Pro. Like a previous post mentioned, keeping the product line in tune with an iPhone/iPad makes sense as it is their main income source.

 

[bladerunner2000]

The 6 used thunderbolt ports on my Mac Pro and 2 on my rMBP disagree :\

Doesn't matter, there's always an exception. The vast majority... well actually, damn near everyone else doesn't care for thunderbolt; the devices are all expensive, it's limited to pretty much only Macs, and there aren't many things that actually need thunderbolt anyway. Essentially, it's another Apple failure just like Firewire.

 

[jwingstrom]

Some of us will pay a premium for working hardware brightness buttons and the cable-clutter reduction this design enables (it's essentially a "dock"). Not enough of us, apparently <shrug>

 

[Matt Leaf]

I wonder what this means for the ones in the Apple stores... Will they be displaying these 'great third party displays'?

They already do.

Bunch of Dell's running off the Mac Pro and Mac Mini's near me the other day, as well as Samsung Tv's on an Apple TV

 

[Corrode]

The end of the world outrage is hilarious here. It's a 5 year old monitor that was overpriced from the get go that about .01% of Mac users bought. It looked cute and was made nice. It's discontinuation means nothing in the grand scheme of Mac ownership.

You, among many others, are missing the point. They don't care about the discontinuation, it's the lack of a new model that is disappointing. We've been waiting on the edge of our collective seats for a retina Thunderbolt Display and to hear they won't sell the old one but also won't make a new one is what's truly sad.

 

[CrAkD]

I've always wanted 2 of these but just way too pricey. I guess it makes sense since 4K-5k is the future

 

[flat five]

My guess is that they will drop thunderbolt and now use USB-C.

Sigh

USB-C is thunderbolt.. and then some.

 

[FasterQuieter]

Good. It was shameful how much they were charging for a display you could buy in a different enclosure for $270.

 

[RevToTheRedline]

Maybe because the thunderbolt port is a joke and nobody uses it?

So you account for all computer users? good to know, thanks for the insightful information.

 

[2010mini]

Steve did say that we are now living in a post-pc era. And going on that premise the demise of the TB display makes sense. And extrapolating further, the Mac Mini could also be eliminated and eventually the Mac Pro. Like a previous post mentioned, keeping the product line in tune with an iPhone/iPad makes sense as it is their main income source.

Some things still need raw power that tablets can't do as well right now.

 

[theatremusician]

This, along with the lack of meaningful computer hardware updates over the last 3 years, I think basically is the end of Apple as a computer company. Sierra may be the last Mac OS we ever see. I hope I'm wrong and Cook & Co. have something great up their collective sleeve, but I'm, unfortunately, probably correct. It was a great ride from 1997-2011.

 

[boast]

Dropping the display instead of waiting for a new one to release is pretty shocking. I guess they were never really waiting for a single cable 5k solution after all.

I very much wonder what the future of the Mac Mini and Mac Pro will be.

 

[B.K.]

Maybe they're getting out of the display business.

yeah, why sell a complete solution alongside a Mac mini or Mac Pro...

 

[newyorksole]

Okay. So this is the direction Apple is taking.
Unless Apple exceeds my expectations with the MacBook Pro refresh, I'm done with this company. There's nothing for me here anymore.

You're overreacting.

 

[hleewell]

4K resolution will be sufficient but if Apple want to go with 5K, the more the merrier. I am thinking Apple will sell this in conjunction with MacBook as a power source & data peripheral hub with USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, USB3, HDMI as port options. That's the reason MacBook 12" only has a single port. If Apple can produce a "color temperature" accurate display good enough to satisfy the most demanding photographers, I am in.

 

[BorderingOn]

Maybe they're getting out of the display business.

Maybe they're getting out of the display personal computer business.

There ya go, ftfy.

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

I swear, at this rate, they may as well just kill the entire Mac line and get it over with!

AUGH! How I DESPISE Apple right now! Betrayal after betrayal after betrayal! Thunderbolt displays were always an incompatibility JOKE, but this takes the cake!

I'm calling it: Apple is going to kill the entire Mac line in the next 5 years and do NOTHING but their garbage iToys.

May I suggest the new Breathe app in Watch OS 3

 

[akac]

Not by a long shot. 2560x1440 110ppi display for $1000 in 2016? USB 2 ports?

My $500 Dell P2715Q blows it out of the water, is matte, 4K, IPS, 3X USB 3.0 ports, identified by macs as a Retina display with multiple scaling options and is an absolute dream to look at/edit video on. I'm sure anyone with $1000 could do even better than me, but I opted for two of these Dells to go with a custom built 12 core Haswell-E/980Ti hackintosh because I simply couldn't push myself to buy a 2013 Mac Pro with worse video and CPU for more money. I'll pay the apple tax all day, but for frick's sake at least keep the hardware current so I don't feel totally jipped.

Their official statement really leads me to believe they're just going to straight up not make a standalone display anymore, though.

I've considered this myself. What are the negatives of your hackintosh? Tell me what would you want to buy if you built it today.

 

[rawweb]

Hopefully that's a sign that the new 5K display is coming.

I too want to believe. However, pointing customers to find some third party display is...well...pretty crappy. Looking at actions and words this pretty much spells the end of Apple's modern display line, 18 years...1998-2016. For what it's worth, I don't think I've ever seen them discontinue a product without having another one ready to replace it. That means lost interest and profits (yeah, they said go somewhere else we don't want your business).

I for one am incredibly happy I snagged a 27" LED Cinema Display (TD's older brother) on the refurb site a year ago...got Apple Care through 2018.

Tim Cook, what are you thinking?

 

[Cole Slaw]

I would say the writing is on the wall for the Mini and the MacPro.
Sadly it appears that'll pretty much be it for me and Apple desktops after my Mini needs replacing, as I have zero interest in an iMac.

 

[freiheit]

When they discontinue the Mac Pro and Mac Mini there will be no need for external displays in store anyway

Sadly too true. I kept hoping Apple would realize the trash can Mac Pro was a mistake (like the old G4 Cube) and do a competent redesign for users who actually want the ability to expand and upgrade their systems (without adding more power bricks to their work space). Now I fear this spells the end of the line for all headless Macs.
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I would say the writing is on the wall for the Mini and the MacPro.
Sadly it appears that'll pretty much be it for me and Apple desktops after my Mini needs replacing, as I have zero interest in an iMac.

Hear, hear. I cannot use a laptop due to poor eyesight (no amount of accessibility improvements will change the fact the screen is really tiny) and Apple's belief that even a desktop Mac must always become thinner and lighter (seriously, who is picking up and carrying around their iMac on a regular basis who would even notice or care about that) makes me not want to deal with the complete lack of user-serviceability of the iMac. Running on a 6 year old Mac Pro until it dies and then I'll look elsewhere, I guess.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

So strange. Seems like the concept of a Thunderbolt Display is on the cusp of being greater than ever with Thunderbolt 3 allowing for a 5K display at 60Hz over a single USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 cable that will also charge a MacBook Pro. Basically external display utopia for many users.

Understanding that Thunderbolt 3 is still using DisplayPort 1.2 requiring multi-stream transport (MST) to accomplish 5K over a single cable, I can see Apple holding off until DisplayPort 1.3 is built into Thunderbolt and supported by Intel processors in 2017. This will allow for a clean single-stream transport (SST) of 5120x2880px to a 5K Thunderbolt Display. By then, GPU's should also be advanced enough to handle the load comfortably. Still think Apple gets in this game when it's ready.

 

[ILikeAllOS]

I see it as, "Yeah, we can't make any money off of these anymore with the growing market for computer monitors. Get whatever you want."

I don't know.
With the PC market in constant decline every quarter, I would think it is now the opposite.

It is more likely that computer monitor sales are in a rapid decline as well and thus Apple sees no point in continuing to sell separate displays as it is no longer profitable enough for them.