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Apple Thunderbolt Display (photos)

Apple's new Thunderbolt Display is not just sleek and huge, it can also turn any Thunderbolt-enabled MacBook into a high-end workstation in a matter of seconds.

Dong Ngo

CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.

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Dong Ngo

Sept. 16, 2011 1:46 p.m. PT

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The Thunderbolt Display is the latest Thunderbolt-based device from Apple. It's a 27-inch wide-screen display with LED backlight technology and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The LCD works immediately when plugged in to Thunderbolt-enabled devices and automatically extends the display of a Thunderbolt-enabled computer. Among portable computers, currently only Apple's newest laptops are equipped with Thunderbolt technology. When the laptop's screen is closed, the Thunderbolt Display immediately becomes the main computer screen. Since Thunderbolt can also deliver sound, the display comes with built-in stereo speakers and a subwoofer. All this means that with an external keyboard and mouse, the display quickly turns any Thunderbolt MacBook into a high-end workstation.

The new display is also a docking station that adds more peripheral ports and an HD camera to the computer.

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The Thunderbolt Display can be quickly adjusted separately from the laptop's display. It offers a maximum resolution of 2,560x1,440 pixels.

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On top, the Thunderbolt Display boasts a FaceTime HD camera and microphone, allowing users to conduct video chat even when their laptop is closed.

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The Thunderbolt Display shares a similar design and thickness with Apple's Cinema Display.

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The Thunderbolt Display comes with a Y-shaped cable that's Thunderbolt on one end and power adapter on the other. The power adapter can be used to power any Apple laptop. This is a great design that spares users from having to use the laptop's power adapter, which helps make the workstation less cluttered.

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The Thunderbolt Display's Y-shaped cable works perfectly with a Macbook Air, of which the power port and Thunderbolt port are located on two different sides.

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On the back, the Thunderbolt Display has three USB 2.0 ports, one Thunderbolt port, one FireWire 800 port, and one Ethernet port. All these ports can be used at the same time to add more devices or a network to the computer. Per Thunderbolt's standard, up to six Thunderbolt devices can be daisy-chained together.

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Here the Thunderbolt Display is daisy-chained with a Thunderbolt external hard drive.

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In a daisy-chain setup, the Thunderbolt Display can be any part of the chain. Here, the display is connected to a MacBook Air with a Thunderbolt drive connected to it.

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Apple's Thunderbolt Display is not just pretty and huge, it also helps create a flexible and powerful workstation when coupled with a Thunderbolt-enabled computer and a Thunderbolt storage device.