I've always wished I could justify buying a thunderbolt display, but the $1000 price tag is simply insane when compared to other monitors on the market.
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New Thunderbolt Display With Integrated GPU Still in the Works
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I wonder what the chances are that the integrated GPU will at least be MXM-based so it'd be technically upgradable even if not officially supported? I'm guessing not likely.
I am guessing if it is announced, it will be announced with the new MacBook Pros (and perhaps new Mac Pros).
Intel is not supporting DisplayPort 1.3 in Thunderbolt 3 and DP1.3 is the minimum standard to support 5K single-plane panels over a single cable. Instead, TB3 supports double the DP1.2 channels so a single cable can drive a 5K dual-plane panel using MST (so one channel drives one half of the panel and the other channel drives the other half).
By putting the GPU and the same custom display hardware they have in the iMac 5K in this 5K display, it might allow use of a single-plane display panel with a single TB3 cable. It might even allow the current MacBook Pros, iMac 5Ks and Mac Pros with TB2 to use the display with a single TB2 cable (instead of the required two via MST as is the case now). And if they can eliminate the need for MST, that would improve response times for things like gaming.
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Why would it be $1500? You can pick up a 27" iMac, with all you mentioned plus the actual computer inside, for $1700. Now, what would be cool is if there were an option for three sizes (21, 24, 27) and maybe different GPUs in each. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that.
Except, they are ugly looking monitors, plastic housing, aluminium is expensive you know.
Apple's monitors are by far the best looking ones, and if I am honest I prefer the older all aluminium look ones.
Yeah, I dont know why Apple bother releasing anything at all. Too expensive. /s
Agreed on the external slot option, I'd seriously consider a display like that. It would be great if you could buy one that's GPU-less and just pick your own, but I don't see them making a display with a giant box somehow tethered and display not functioning without it... but then again, we're starting to talk about a whole different product unrelated to the display (ala Alienware GPU dock).
If cable connection is indeed the problem (which is true at 5K still), then why focus on 5K? 4K is just as gorgeous on a 24" or 27" monitor. And with an NVIDIA Pascal or AMD Polaris GPU, single cable solutions can now easily supply 4K.
As a 27" iMac 5K owner, I would not be interested in having a second 27" display that was only 4K - I would want it to also be 5K. I imagine I am not alone in that belief.
Now if Apple decides to replace a 21" 4K display along with a 27" 5K display, that would be nice.
Yay! Good to know Apple hasn't abandoned the display. With all of Apple's great laptop choices, not to mention the mini & Mac pro, it'd be a shame if apple customers were forced to pair their elegant devices with an ugly buggy 3rd party monitor.
According to this: http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/23/12020510/apple-thunderbolt-display-discontinued
the Thunderbolt display is being discontinued and not replaced. About half way through the story, an Apple spokesperson says there are a number of "great third party options" for Apple users.
Good point. And why didn't they announce the discontinuation at the same time as the new monitor? Why leave a gap?
There aren't that many 3rd party alternatives, at all, not that were as encompassing as the Thunderbolt Display. Even manufacturers who HAVE DisplayPort 1.2a compatible displays with built-in speaker and webcams (HP, looking at you) don't even KNOW if they work with Macs and certainly don't SUPPORT any of that. And I've been looking; though I've not been stupid enough to BUY one (only to find they didn't work). Even APPLE can't tell me whether their equipment supports USB over DisplayPort 1.2a. I guess you're supposed to just buy and try, good luck!
Further, most of the monitors out there that even HAVE speakers in them use Audio over HDMI or similar, and OS X treats that like Line-level out...meaning you can't control the ***** volume from the Mac (much less use the keyboard volume controls).
This is just such a mess. If Apple is working on a newer Thunderbolt display, there was no reason NOW to make moves on this turd of an over-priced model. It is ages old, leave it be. But to publicly DISCONTINUE it, without so much as announcing plans for a replacement, it really gives the public-at-large the impression that Apple has abandoned the space. And if they DO release a 5K display that requires Thunderbolt 3, then they've effectively cut off an upgrade path to millions of Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 owners (not that anyone but an idiot would have paid the $1K for this thing). Point being, Apple has just cut off their nose to spite their face. Anyone who buys into the "Thunderbolt" marketing is a fool; perhaps a RICH fool, but a fool nonetheless. Apple has, yet again, shown themselves to be untrustworthy as a platform provider.
Further, most of the monitors out there that even HAVE speakers in them use Audio over HDMI or similar, and OS X treats that like Line-level out...meaning you can't control the ***** volume from the Mac (much less use the keyboard volume controls).
This is just such a mess. If Apple is working on a newer Thunderbolt display, there was no reason NOW to make moves on this turd of an over-priced model. It is ages old, leave it be. But to publicly DISCONTINUE it, without so much as announcing plans for a replacement, it really gives the public-at-large the impression that Apple has abandoned the space. And if they DO release a 5K display that requires Thunderbolt 3, then they've effectively cut off an upgrade path to millions of Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 owners (not that anyone but an idiot would have paid the $1K for this thing). Point being, Apple has just cut off their nose to spite their face. Anyone who buys into the "Thunderbolt" marketing is a fool; perhaps a RICH fool, but a fool nonetheless. Apple has, yet again, shown themselves to be untrustworthy as a platform provider.
Well Apple has long-recommended third-party vendors for 4K monitors so this might be a case of continuing the party line.
It is also possible this new display requires TB3 to work, so any current Apple Macintosh model would be incompatible and only the next refreshes that include TB3 will work with it so no need to worry about losing sales before then.
Do people just like to brag about specs? What does it matter?
If they give it a GPU that can properly drive the 5k display, then what does it matter if a GPU that can drive a 6k display comes out the very next day? You've still got a 5k display which is still being driven perfectly.
This is Apple brilliance. Now, every MacBook and Mini will come with integrated graphics only.
Oh, you want a discrete GPU, but an Apple display.
Now Apple has to channels for upgrades one in the computer side for faster CPU, memory, ssd, etc and a second for a better GPU.
And sure as I am sitting here future OS updates will certainly come with features that support your computer but not the display and vice versa.
A whole new channel created for desired and or forced upgrade paths.
Wow, brilliant.
Oh, you want a discrete GPU, but an Apple display.
Now Apple has to channels for upgrades one in the computer side for faster CPU, memory, ssd, etc and a second for a better GPU.
And sure as I am sitting here future OS updates will certainly come with features that support your computer but not the display and vice versa.
A whole new channel created for desired and or forced upgrade paths.
Wow, brilliant.
If a new monitor does end up getting introduced (whenever), I would like to see a matte screen and an ultra-wide aspect ratio. Somehow, I got a feeling that both of those are unlikely.
I think a lot of what we call Apple's tardiness is due to dependencies. Here, they don't want to release the new display until they have TB3 Macs. And those TB3 Macs are yet waiting for another thing.