Apple's Thunderbolt Display Classified as 'Vintage' Amid Rumors of a Replacement

[Macintosh IIvx]

Remember how much people hated them? They complained non-stop that they were overpriced and then they weren't updated for years and were so behind the times.

Do you really want that again?

 

[dannyyankou]

If they release an affordable (LOL) consumer monitor, I will definitely get one for my MacBook.

 

[tkaravou]

I love the Thunderbolt!!! Wish Apple would make a consumer display ($500). Having a display with decent speakers, webcam and being able to control volume/brightness with OS X would be tops.

Did someone say 720p camera?

 

[turbineseaplane]

My rule of thumb for predicting Apple pricing: Determine what you think is a reasonable price. Then double it. And then add $199.

Smartest thing I've seen posted in here...

 

[turbineseaplane]

Remember how much people hated them? They complained non-stop that they were overpriced and then they weren't updated for years and were so behind the times.

That was before we had the new benchmark of 32" and Five THOUSAND dollars (with no stand!!)

They could release a 27" 5K for $2499 with a stand and the Apple ecosystem of pump and hype will laud the "affordability" of it.

Even the ATP guys (well, two of the three) capitulated after some grousing and went all in for a six THOUSAND dollar monitor (that has features they have no professional use case for either)

Apple keeps ratcheting up the ante and the cult just keeps buying.
It's wild.

I'd enjoy an Apple monitor again, but I'm not going to bend over, touch my toes and "transact" to get one.

 

[UMHurricanes34]

That was before we had the new benchmark of 32" and Five THOUSAND dollars (with no stand!!)

They could release a 27" 5K for $2499 with a stand and the Apple ecosystem of pump and hype will laud the "affordability" of it.

Even the ATP guys (well, two of the three) capitulated after some grousing and went all in for a six THOUSAND dollar monitor (that has features they have no professional use case for either)

Apple keeps ratcheting up the ante and the cult just keeps buying.
It's wild.

I'd enjoy an Apple monitor again, but I'm not going to bend over, touch my toes and "transact" to get one.

As a video professional, I do have a professional use case for the XDR. I’ve come close a few times, but I just can’t justify the cost. Its partially a self-boycott of the ridiculous way they announced and priced the Pro Stand and mostly the fact that I want a monitor that also has the webcam and speakers included. Still rocking this TB display at home and at the office until Apple finally offers us a glass of ice water in hell. I’d gladly spend $2K for an updated consumer version of this monitor in the 30-32” range.

 

[mrr]

Apple should have an external display to go along with their Mac mini.

 

[Techwatcher]

There was a "Thunderbolt Display?" Lmao I don't remember this at all, especially it looking like an iMac.

Regardless... Isn't it ironic that this display is how everyone expected the M1 iMac to look (albeit with thinner bezels) yet many years older? Apple is silly sometimes.

 

[Spock]

The 27in Thunderbolt sold for $999. I'm not optimistic that Apple will sell the same size monitor for the same price.

My guess is we'll get a 24in display for $999 (essentially an iMac display without the computer) and a 27-30in display for $1199.

My rule of thumb for predicting Apple pricing: Determine what you think is a reasonable price. Then double it. And then add $199.

If you base the M1 components of the new iMac to the M1 Mac mini and subtract the cost of the Mac mini from the iMac that would be around $599 for the display. Adding your $199 would make the cost around $799 but that’s to reasonable for Apple I think. The issue with a consumer display is that Apple already sells one, the iMac. They expect “pros” to use the XDR and consumers to use the iMac and Mac mini users to use a display they already have, like the old TB display.

 

[Trenches]

Staring into my two as I read this.

 

[Craptastic]

Writing this on my "vintage" 2011 27" iMac and somewhat matching 2011 27" Thunderbolt display.

Longevity FTW.

I tend to use this combination as much or more than my 2019 iMac and other miscellaneous Macs and PCs I have around.

I would really really like to move up to a retina external display. The display quality on the 2019 iMac is simply superb.

Your iMac is “obsolete”
sorry =\

 

[AppleTO]

If you base the M1 components of the new iMac to the M1 Mac mini and subtract the cost of the Mac mini from the iMac that would be around $599 for the display. Adding your $199 would make the cost around $799 but that’s to reasonable for Apple I think. The issue with a consumer display is that Apple already sells one, the iMac. They expect “pros” to use the XDR and consumers to use the iMac and Mac mini users to use a display they already have, like the old TB display.

That works out well for everybody except those who either don’t like all-in-ones, or can’t afford an XDR. So most of this forum basically. Haha

 

[azentropy]

With all the laptops that Apple sells I always found it odd Apple never came out with another consumer monitor. Hopefully that will change soon.

 

[mozumder]

This was the best designed Apple display before the XDR.

Still have and using mine.

Best monitor investment ever!

 

[justperry]

Still have and using mine.

Best monitor investment ever!

Mine works....but....I need to change the ccfl backlight.

 

[schneeland]

A new display to fit the upcoming Mx machines would indeed be nice - 6k widescreen (21:9) would be ideal, but 5k 16:9 seems more likely, if anything happens at all. It's a bit weird that they don't offer something with a matching design for so long.

 

[citysnaps]

Heh... many of the Jony Ive haters who liked the old thunderbolt display are now jonesing for a new Ive-designed display. And probably don't want to pay the premium such a display will demand.

 

[funman895]

Money on the table. Money literally thrown at them, and Apple won’t take it.

Can’t last forever in a capitalistic system.

I really wish Apple would make such a product, but at the consumer level there may actually not be enough money in the market given the quality Apple strives for and the margins that currently exist in consumer displays. As we saw with the AirPods Max, an aluminum enclosure and Apple build quality adds cost and ultimately a much higher price than its competitors.

Back in the days of the Thunderbolt Display, that extra one pays for a nice enclosure and A/A+ grade panels may have been stomache-able, but it could unfortunately be that a display that Apple is “happy enough” to sell today simply can’t exist under the price point of the XDR, given current technology/manufacturing.

That being said, I could also imagine an outcome where the technology and production experience gained by the ProDisplay, iPad Pro, and perhaps upcoming products enable the price to hit a point where Apple turns an “acceptable” profit given demand from consumers. Maybe the “Apple Tax” would only by $500 instead of the current $2,000 if you compare the ProDisplay XDR to the Dell 32” 8K monitor.

 

[SwiftLives]

If you base the M1 components of the new iMac to the M1 Mac mini and subtract the cost of the Mac mini from the iMac that would be around $599 for the display. Adding your $199 would make the cost around $799 but that’s to reasonable for Apple I think. The issue with a consumer display is that Apple already sells one, the iMac. They expect “pros” to use the XDR and consumers to use the iMac and Mac mini users to use a display they already have, like the old TB display.

My Thunderbolt display has pretty good built-in speakers, 3 USB-A, 1 Firewire 800 (HA!), 1 Thunderbolt, and 1 ethernet jack. It acts as a hub and it connects to my MacBook Pro via a single thunderbolt cable. It also has a MagSafe power cable that charges my computer. I'd like to see something similar in a new display.

Add in charging, decent sounding speakers, some USB-3 ports, an ethernet jack, and a (hopefully) decent built-in camera, and you're easily back up to $999. Or more.

 

[Chompineer]

View attachment 1786527

Still going strong with 5x30" ACD with my trashcan Mac Pro. I'm ready to update though as these things are like radiators and give off the heat big time. Still work and look great though.

I’m inclined to believe the heat issue isn’t getting better with new tech.

My one monitor, an LG 27GN950 4K160 panel, actually has a fan in it.

 

[mbeachcontrol]

The Thunderbolt Display was fantastic for it's narrow connectivity. I owned two of these, one since 2011 when it was released and another in 2012 when first working from home. One was stolen during a burglary in 2014. The other served me until the end of 2020 when the ports on the back started failing. The screen still works, but the ports are hit or miss.
I replaced it with a Dell 48" ultra wide monitor that is effectively 2 of these with double the refresh rate and uses half the power. My office is a bit cooler because of this switch alone.

 

[nottooshabby]

Mine still works awesome. bought mine used about 5 years ago. Love it. Only thing that doesn't work is the MagSafe charger.

 

[ItachiSBT]

it's one of the thing that I don't understand about apple.

I really think that a lot of people would buy an apple display. There are not a lot of products with usb-c and a decent panel and design, looking at the new iMac I think that a monitor like that without the chin would be a best buy.

 

[theorist9]

Generally, Apple tries to offer its new models for about the same base price as the those they're replacing. Thus I'd expect the new large iMac, which should be 30"-32", to start at ~$1800. If they do offer a 30"-32" stand-alone consumer display, it would make the most sense for it to use the same panel as the large iMac (economies of scale, no need to do R&D on a separate panel, etc.).

So if the AOI is $1800, I'd guess they should be able to offer the display alone (30"-32" retina) for $1000 or less and still make their usual profit. The question is how much less.

 

[gugy]

As a video professional, I do have a professional use case for the XDR. I’ve come close a few times, but I just can’t justify the cost. Its partially a self-boycott of the ridiculous way they announced and priced the Pro Stand and mostly the fact that I want a monitor that also has the webcam and speakers included. Still rocking this TB display at home and at the office until Apple finally offers us a glass of ice water in hell. I’d gladly spend $2K for an updated consumer version of this monitor in the 30-32” range.

Yep, I am in the same boat. I need the nanotech because I work in a bright environment and the glare of the standard displays is awful. so basically the XDR with stand, nano, and tax would be close to $8k. That's insanity.
Give me a 5k 32" display with the specs above for no more than $2k and I'll buy two or three.