Thunderbolt Hubs for Apple Cinema Display Users

[Macspectation]

If you are a user of the 24inch or 27inch Apple Cinema Display which does not have thunderbolt ports on the back, there is still NO option for you to use your monitor AND at the same time, connect a thunderbolt peripheral device that does not have the port duplicated. These displays use the mini display port connector which will use one port on the hub, the other port will connect the hub to your MacBook Pro/Air.

Think about adding a video encoding/recording device from matrox or blackmagic design and you are stuck! Yes even the latest www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F4U055 Thunderbolt™ Express Dock from Belkin has only TWO ports at the back. Do not be misled by the pictures. That dark receptacle at the front is a groove that cuts through to the back allowing a tidy way to connect the cable to your MacBook Air/Pro.

I am waiting (not sure how long I can wait) for a 3 or 4 port thunderbolt hub!

 

[newdeal]

If you are a user of the 24inch or 27inch Apple Cinema Display which does not have thunderbolt ports on the back, there is still NO option for you to use your monitor AND at the same time, connect a thunderbolt peripheral device that does not have the port duplicated. These displays use the mini display port connector which will use one port on the hub, the other port will connect the hub to your MacBook Pro/Air.

Think about adding a video encoding/recording device from matrox or blackmagic design and you are stuck! Yes even the latest www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F4U055 Thunderbolt™ Express Dock from Belkin has only TWO ports at the back. Do not be misled by the pictures. That dark receptacle at the front is a groove that cuts through to the back allowing a tidy way to connect the cable to your MacBook Air/Pro.

I am waiting (not sure how long I can wait) for a 3 or 4 port thunderbolt hub!

Thunderbolt hubs are too expensive, eventually they might put more than one port on the computer or put on HDMI like they did both of on the rMBP. I certainly would rather have two thunderbolt ports on the air than have an SD card reader. Or failing that at least have an ethernet adaptor with thunderbolt passthrough because with the air ethernet plus external display is a big issue unless you use USB 3.0 for one or both

 

[Stetrain]

I am waiting (not sure how long I can wait) for a 3 or 4 port thunderbolt hub!

You will be waiting a long time, because Thunderbolt does not work like that.

If you have a single Thunderbolt port on your computer, the only way to connect multiple devices to that port is through daisy chaining. That's probably why Apple has switched to including two TB ports on most of their new designs.

The first few generations of Thunderbolt chips were expensive and the ones that supported the second Thunderbolt daisy chain port were even more expensive. Those are supposed to be dropping in price, so I think we will see many more Thunderbolt devices that support daisy chaining.

If you would be willing to spend $300 on such a hub, couldn't you just sell your cinema display and purchase a Thunderbolt display for about the same difference in cost?