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It would be so difficult to design a desktop computer with upgradable desktop graphics and a useful line of monitors... It would take years to figure out how to build a monitor with non-upgradable mobile graphics. You would need a company with a horde of cash, thousands of employees, a network of retail stores, and amazing creativity.
 
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What a surprise! One day after Thunderbolt display discontinuation, more rumours about an updated display with integrated GPU (great for notebooks, but in 5 years it’ll be pretty out of date).

Hopefully they will have a passthrough mode, to bypass the built in GPU... But this is Apple “we know best”
 
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It feels like Apple was stuck in an awkward waiting period while Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C were fully developed. Now that they are, they can transition their entire lineup.
Not so fast.... even the upcoming Intel Kaby Lake processors still won't support DisplayPort1.3, necessary for single-cable 5K support. Until then it's dual DisplayPort1.2, with two cables feeding each monitor, or custom solutions like Apple's 27" 5K Retina iMac.
 
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Apple yesterday announced plans to discontinue the 5-year-old Thunderbolt Display, leaving it unclear if Apple's display business is coming to an end or if another model is in the works

I still vote for the former. It's very un-Apple-like to discontinue a product category and explicitly steer their customers to competitor's products if they really plan to stay in the display business. Apple displays aren't coming back.
 
Forgive me if this has been mentioend but...
Is it not possible there will be various models with various graphics cards? Maybe some without a card in it at all? Would make sense to me for professionals whos bottleneck is just the graphics card of their mobile workstation. Everyone else could get the one with the weakest (I am leaning towards none at all) graphics card. Unless I am missing something there is nothing about such a display that requires a graphics card; the card would just be an added feature/bonus.
 
This will only work with Macs with TB3 or USBC, right?

No, but TB3 over USB-C, so not the Macbook which has only USB-C. If it's a 4K screen, that is. If it's a 5K screen, probably TB4 with DP 1.3 support over some new funky Apple "Mini USB-C" implementation would be expected.

edit: According to techcrunch, the cable requirements may be lower if the gpu is in the screen(?) Who knows.
 
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MacGizmo said:
Where did you get the idea that the average Mac user is a gamer or 3D/Video render pro? Those are niche markets for Apple. Joe Average consumer is their market, and has been since the early 2000s.
You misread my post. I was saying the OC was neither of those things and as such, was likely in the category of average Mac user.
 
How about the 4k display with at least Thunderbolt 2 that Apple should have already released years ago? That would be plenty good enough and would actually work with the huge installed base of Macs sold over the last several years, unlike the mythical 5k display that nobody will be able to afford anyway.

The Thunderbolt connected GPU would be a fantastic addition, but would require Apple to finally add the capability to support it to OS X. Which of course they also should have already done many years and versions ago.
 
Hopefully this is a thing. Long overdue in my opinion. Still can't stand they they sold a display for 1,000 bucks that had MagSafe1 and USB 2.0 :rolleyes: no emoji can emote the eyeroll I truly feel.
 
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thunderbolt kind of suck. I have never used it and I wanted to buy external HDD but it is 4x more expensive than normal SSD with usb3. Apple display had lot of problems, but nobody talks about that.
 
So the iGPU inside this display could be a precursor to external GPU solution sanctioned by Apple with Apple design?

Imagine if Apple puts a current GPU from AMD such as the RX 480 (150w) inside this machine, and you connect your Macbook, Air, Pro to play AAA games.

Will allow Apple to make the Pros even thinner and without the dGPU option. No worries about the dGPU failing in the 15" as it will.
 
thunderbolt kind of suck. I have never used it and I wanted to buy external HDD but it is 4x more expensive than normal SSD with usb3. Apple display had lot of problems, but nobody talks about that.
All "Display Port" Monitors have the same problems as Apple Thunderbolt Display has.
Thunderbolt HDD originally was designed before external USB 3.0 HDD, after usb 3.0 they are senseless, however, thunderbolt is still very useful in the "pro" section, with External Audio / Video and DAS extensions.
[doublepost=1466839264][/doublepost]If new Apple Thunderbolt Display will support eGPU or would be able to bypass its integrated graphics, it's fine to me.
 
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thunderbolt kind of suck. I have never used it and I wanted to buy external HDD but it is 4x more expensive than normal SSD with usb3. Apple display had lot of problems, but nobody talks about that.
Thunderbolt is more expensive because it does more.

A friend has been running eGPU on his MBA for years....

 
Can someone explain this to me...

If Thunderbolt 2/3 doesn't have the capability or bandwidth over a single stream to deliver enough data... then how do they get the data over that same cable to the internal GPU in the proposed display?

I understand it's different data format that's being sent from the computer over the cable to the GPU/Display... not actual pixel data, but some other data that needs to be interpreted into pixel data by the GPU?

Anyone able to give me a high-level explanation?

Scottie
 
Can someone explain this to me...

If Thunderbolt 2/3 doesn't have the capability or bandwidth over a single stream to deliver enough data... then how do they get the data over that same cable to the internal GPU in the proposed display?

I understand it's different data format that's being sent from the computer over the cable to the GPU/Display... not actual pixel data, but some other data that needs to be interpreted into pixel data by the GPU?

Anyone able to give me a high-level explanation?

Scottie

Very high level explanation:
Apple uses their own custom timing controller and cable in the iMac. The bandwidth in thunderbolt is there, but the standard in the display port part of the thunderbolt connector (i.e., which the monitor uses) does not support it.

Putting a GPU in the monitor would be one way of getting around the problem - the GPU does drawing locally and can use a custom proprietary standard to the display in the interim before an official standard exists.

But also, i think the GPU in monitor thing is essentially Apple's option for a fully featured "dock" for their machines including high resolution display and additional processing. Irrespective of any standard or connectivity problems.
 
Very high level explanation:
Apple uses their own custom timing controller and cable in the iMac. The bandwidth in thunderbolt is there, but the standard in the display port part of the thunderbolt connector (i.e., which the monitor uses) does not support it.

Ah gotcha - makes perfect sense. Thanks. And 'duh' about the iMacs. I should have realised that.
 
It would be so difficult to design a desktop computer with upgradable desktop graphics and a useful line of monitors... It would take years to figure out how to build a monitor with non-upgradable mobile graphics. You would need a company with a horde of cash, thousands of employees, a network of retail stores, and amazing creativity.

Not really. All it needs is a thunderbolt -> PCIe bridge in it and some sort of connectivity between the display and the chip.

It wouldn't take years at all, Apple or any of the big OEMs could knock it out as a side project. Just no one has the balls to see if there's a market for it yet, and for PCs thunderbolt is uncommon. If anyone does it, it will be Apple.
 
Sadly No. Baked in support for those is not yet available in CPUs in all segments. The problem is it's the products most desperately in need of a refresh for which those CPUs are not yet released.


I would count on it.

Sounds like planned obsolescence for a Premium Monitor....remember, Apple is a hardware company.
 
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Apple is a hardware company.

Apple is an awful hardware company. At least most of the time their hardware is expensive, out-of-date, and incompatible with the rest of the world. However, it is the only legal way to use their software, which is (in general) top-notch.
 
Yeah, I dont know why Apple bother releasing anything at all. Too expensive. /s

I think this is just wishful thinking.

I do not think that Apple will release another monitor.

Monitors now are not that expensive as before and Apple does not adjust their pricing as the market does. If they put out another monitor they will fall into the same pricing problem as the thunderbolt monitor in competitive price comparisons after 6 months. Pricing drops too quick for Apple to make their margins, so no monitor.

I think we have seen the last monitor for some time.
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I think that if they're going to release a device that combines a monitor, a graphics card, speakers, microphone, Thunderbolt ports, and USB ports, they really ought to just go ahead and put the rest of the iMac into the case as well...

Good points and makes sense.
 
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