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When will the MacBook Pro support 3 ATD's?

J

Java Overlord

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 7, 2012
15
0
USA
Will the MacBook Pro ever support 3 ATD's? (Apple Thunderbolt Displays).

Also, unrelated, what is the best solution for external storage for someone not in a professional field needing something fancy? (for instance, a computer science undergrad?)
 
3 Displays? Sometime soon. You can daisy chain via thunderbolt. Also, depends on the type of storage you want. How reliable, how much of it, connection type and speed of transfer.
 
jav6454 said:
3 Displays? Sometime soon.
Click to expand...

Is this possible to happen by summer 2014? Or is that asking for too much?

As for what I need it for, I'm basically just needing storage for HD videos from iTunes and I was looking for something that would last a long time and where I wouldn't have to worry about running out of storage.
 
chrise2 said:
Baller. I could barely afford 1. Your desk must be gigantor also.
Click to expand...

LOL thats what I was thinking..

When can I daisy chain 3k worth of proprietary displays to my $1500 computer. But I also need some cheap storage for iTunes..

@OP I'm sorry for being hard on you I'm just cynical.
 
GermanyChris said:
LOL thats what I was thinking..

When can I daisy chain 3k worth of proprietary displays to my $1500 computer. But I also need some cheap storage for iTunes..

@OP I'm sorry for being hard on you I'm just cynical.
Click to expand...
I plan on acquiring this hardware over the span of about 10 years. However, I need to get a new laptop for college, so I was hoping said laptop would be compatible with 3 displays. And it's not just iTunes I want cheap storage for, I download lots of Computer Science lectures and I want to be able to store those as well.

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Ploki said:
Why do you need 7680 pixels of width?
Click to expand...

To increase productivity. I read about how someone claimed that 2 monitors decreases productivity due to the fact that you're looking at the crease between the two monitors when you look straight ahead, so I'm aiming for 3.

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chrise2 said:
Baller. I could barely afford 1. Your desk must be gigantor also.
Click to expand...
I plan on the one I get after college to be, yes. I like having space to lay stuff out on.
 
Java Overlord said:
To increase productivity. I read about how someone claimed that 2 monitors decreases productivity due to the fact that you're looking at the crease between the two monitors when you look straight ahead, so I'm aiming for 3.
Click to expand...

Actually it makes sense. When I had a Mac Pro i bought an additional card to drive 3 monitors, i worked in a studio with two laptops and it annoyed the heck out of me. Unfortunately some things came in between and I sold everything and bought a new laptop... And am now aiming for a single large display instead. Either single 27" or that crazy LG EA93.

To answer your question:
15" retina is tested to drive 2 27" ATD + one fullHD display + internal @retina resolution.(total 4) (Tested here http://blog.macsales.com/14241-macbook-pro-15-with-retina-display-can-run-3-external-displays)

the only problem is that I don't know whether you can daisy chain one ATD through another, and that the current OSX version doesn't support higher than 1920*1200 over HDMI. (Booting in Win8 however rMBP does output 2560*1440 over HDMI.)
So technically, yes. Practically at the moment in OSX no, in Win8, yes.
 
Java Overlord said:
I plan on acquiring this hardware over the span of about 10 years. However, I need to get a new laptop for college, so I was hoping said laptop would be compatible with 3 displays. And it's not just iTunes I want cheap storage for, I download lots of Computer Science lectures and I want to be able to store those as well.

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To increase productivity. I read about how someone claimed that 2 monitors decreases productivity due to the fact that you're looking at the crease between the two monitors when you look straight ahead, so I'm aiming for 3.

----------


I plan on the one I get after college to be, yes. I like having space to lay stuff out on.
Click to expand...

Then the last thing you want is Apple displays remember the ADC you probably don't but about 10 years ago the were all the rage at Apple. Now if you'd like to hook them to something as simple as a DVI port you need a 100 plus dollar out of production adaptor.

Buy what ever computer gives you a stiffy connect a display or two to it install Slackware and graduate...when you're making the big bucks worry about silly proprietary Apple display's and expensive outdated the day you buy them notebooks
 
I plan on acquiring this hardware over the span of about 10 years. However, I need to get a new laptop for college, so I was hoping said laptop would be compatible with 3 displays. And it's not just iTunes I want cheap storage for, I download lots of Computer Science lectures and I want to be able to store those as well.
Click to expand...

whatever laptop you may buy today will be no more than a paper weight and relic in ten years..
you should reconsider your fancy plans and worry less
 
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