Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch)

Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch)

Customer Reviews and Ratings

3.5 out of 5 stars

Based on 110 reviews

Write a Review
  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Great display, poor ethernet integration

    • Written by from Florham Park

    As a display, this monitor is magnificent. Great colors, clarity, viewing angles, etc.

    Where it fails miserably is in the ethernet integration. This display is supposed to act like a docking station where you can plug your usb and ethernet into the display, then your laptop uses the ethernet and usb interfaces in the display when the thunderbolt cable is plugged into the laptop.

    Unfortunately once you disconnect from the display, when you return and plug the thunderbolt cable back in, you may find that the ethernet port is no longer available. The only way to restore functionality is to reboot your laptop.

    You can read a very long thread discussing this problem on the apple forums. You will see this isn't just an isolated problem. Unfortunately this site doesn't allow me to publish the URL, so just google for: thunderbolt ethernet not available

    I keep hoping every OS X Lion update will fix this but after at least 6 months, the problem still persists.

    6 of 6 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Another nearly perfect product from Apple

    • Written by from Louisville

    I was seeking a solution that allowed me to move between two offices regularly without having to fumble around with cords & cables. This display addresses that need perfectly. I use a TwelveSouth Book Arc, drop my MBP15 into it, connect the Thunderbolt (via a single cable w/two connections, one for power, the other for everything else) and I'm up and running in less than a minute. The display is stunning both in terms of image quality as well as resolution. Using spaces, I regularly have the equivalent of 10-12 separate full browser windows open and/or applications running simultaneously. The display is silent, clean and features a minimal footprint (really feels like it is floating in front of me). Yes, the reflectivity is high and depending on your environment (e.g. if you have natural light coming through a window), you may need to rotate the screen slightly. That said, you can slide this display around effortlessly thanks to its aluminum stand which smoothly sails across your desk. The upside to the finish is the image quality - again stunning. Hard to envision a better execution of a product. If you own this display, you will never be able to go back to anything else.

    4 of 4 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    I dig it!

    • Written by from Carlsbad

    At first I wanted to use this as second larger display for my macbook air, but it's got such a high resolution that I just use it as my sole display, and I use Better Touch Tool to get AeroSnap-like ability. Then with spaces, I can use separate virtual desktops with two apps side by side, or four windows in quadrants. No glare issues for me, it's bright enough that the glare is not a problem. I'm using wireless and not the integrated ethernet interface, so I'm not getting intermittent issues which others are reporting.

    Looks great, works great, but not cheap. Hey Mr taxman, I'm writing this bad boy off!

    If your work puts you behind a monitor all day, I say treat yourself and go for it.

    10 of 14 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Doesn't work well with my Macbook air

    • Written by from 香港

    It doesn't work well with my macbook air. Detail can search the key word "Thunderbolt display" from the Apple Offical Forum.

    20 of 34 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Best in Class

    • Written by from Lake View

    I own a recording studio and I purchased this for my mac book pro at home. I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. Only downside is that it needs a power button and I need a Thunderbolt port on my mac pro in the control room a the studio. Thunderbolt is the future , great product. Thank you apple.

    13 of 20 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Nightmare

    • Written by from Lakeland

    I purchased 2 of these displays on the date of release for my work and its been nothing but a nightmare since that day. between the light bleed on the bottom left of the screen. the amount of heat these things put out. the severe issue with image persistence, and the fogging under the glass. for a $1000 a pop you would not expect to have these issues. to top everything off the apple stores in my area are an hour away and have done absolutely nothing to repair them besides replace the glass and feed me lip service about this being normal. here i am 9 months later with 7 trips to apple stores and separate apple techs, now running out of warranty and i'm screwed.

    40 of 50 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Does not work as advertised

    • Written by from Montreal

    This monitor has absolutely stunning visuals. As a monitor, its unreal.

    However, the thunderbolt 'docking' element of it is just plain broken. If you connect the monitor while the computer is asleep, Audio NEVER works and Ethernet is hit and miss.

    Its clearly a firmware issue. So if you want a stunning monitor... save money and get the DELL one. If Apple fixes this issue, then this monitor is like the missing link you've been waiting for. It functions as a docking station as well as a stunning display.

    14 of 14 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    TBD, Another Excellent Apple Product!!!

    • Written by from Brunswick

    Display works great turning my 15" late 2011 MBP into a wonderful desktop workstation.

    I have had the display for about a month now and love it. I have not experienced any of the issues that I have seen discussed in other reviews, such as the USB ports not working correctly or issues waking up my MBP. I did however experience the screen blacking out a few times within a two day period where the screen turned off an on in a split second sequence which was mentioned by several users as an issue on another Mac forum, but after doing some further investigating, I found my Thunderbolt cable was a bit loose and this seemed to fix the issue which has not occurred again.

    I use an Apple wired keyboard, which is left plugged into one of the USB ports on the back of the display along with a wireless Trackpad and simply hit the space bar to wake the MBP up when it is in sleep mode and connected via Thunderbolt.

    I usually use the display with my MBP in clamshell mode in a Bookarc, and love the graphics of the TBD. I have also used the TBD with my MacBook Pro open as a second screen and think the design is fantastic and simple to adjust depending on the physical location of each screen.

    Another great product!!! Two thumbs up!!!

    10 of 14 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Unusable due to reflections and glare

    • Written by from Ankeny

    This display wasn't compatible with my windows, and I'm not referring to a Microsoft product. The windows were across the room to left of the display not directly behind it. There was a large roll-top desk between the windows and this display to provide some shade. Until I closed the blinds, every solid color on the screen showed bright reflections. The solid blacks of my terminal window backgrounds reflected like a mirror.

    I could only reduce the glare enough by closing the blinds and turning the brightness up to two bars below maximum. That was too bright to be comfortable for regular use, and besides I should be able to see outside and see what's on the screen at the same time.

    Apple needs to invest some its profits into display R & D. The matte displays sold a few years ago look far better than this display. If people require the vivid colors, Apple must find a way to offer the color without this much glare.

    10 of 13 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    excellent display

    • Written by from London

    I bought this at an apple shop in the UK. What immediately struck me was the build quality. This display will obviously last a very long time. It works very well with my Macbook pro 15 inch .

    13 of 19 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Brilliant, and truly more than just a display.

    • Written by from Milwaukee

    Four months of daily usage, this product compliments my mac mini perfectly. The resolution easily surpasses most all of the competition. It is pricey, but the built in ethernet, thunderbolt, firewire, and 3 usb easily makes up for it. I use the display ethernet with the mini ethernet to link aggregate the data signal from my airport extreme base station. Overall, very satisfied with this product.

    28 of 43 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Amazing

    • Written by from Westminster

    This truly is the ultimate docking station for your MacBook Pro. Screen looks spectacular and built in MagSafe adapter is brilliant!

    19 of 31 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    dont buy it

    • Written by from Atlanta

    total waste of my time. as other have said...apple is a use-ta-be.

    1. it does match the height of an imac
    2. it does not height adjust
    3. no power button total joke ------- and reason to return
    4. looks like cheap plastic

    48 of 152 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Expensive display that has serious issues

    • Written by from Somerville

    This display has serious issues such as the display ethernet connection working intermittently after connecting Mac Book Air (mid-2011). Hundreds reported that problem on the forums. The only solution so far is to reboot the computer after plugging it back to the display. This is extremely annoying.

    Apple tried to fix my display twice and eventually replaced it but the issue reappeared within 48h.

    You should think twice before buying this display if you own a MacBook Air (mid 2011).

    40 of 51 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    WORST PURCHASE EVER

    • Written by from Lawrence

    USB ports on the back of the Thunderbolt display usually do not work. I have a brand new 2012 macbook pro that I am trying to use with it but I can't get the connected devices that I leave on my desk at work to operate when I connect the display to my macbook pro. I have an apple usb keyboard and a usb flash drive and neither will work routinely. Apple support doesn't have a solution. Actually, the automated system doesn't even understand the item "thunderbolt display." It just says "I don't understand."

    I recommend a simple google search on "thunderbolt display usb issues" before you throw away $1000.00

    Apple can't fix this issue and they will not give me a refund.

    I've wasted my money and my time trying to use this display the way it should work.

    My workaround as is: every morning I have to come into my office, attach the thunderbolt cable to my macbook, open my macbook to wake it up, shut it down, restart holding down the command+option+p+r to reset the pram, then wait for it to start up fully, close the lid, and then and only then can I use the keyboard or any usb peripherals.

    NOT COOL.

    55 of 71 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Nice But Not Enough Pixels

    • Written by from Lake Oswego

    Okay, this is a great display. And okay, it has more then ample pixels for most people. But, for developers and designers creating stuff for the new 2012 iPad, using this display requires either zooming back or panning to create native art. Obviously, less than ideal and not what you're looking for when you're shopping for a mega-display. Hopefully, Apple has something new waiting in the wings, but until they release that phantom, this is their best offering for us and it fails a bit.

    19 of 29 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 3.0 out of 5 stars

    Sharp display, but unacceptable glare/reflection.

    • Written by from Fremont

    First let me say it really is a beautiful display, the thing is very sharp and colors are noticeably more rich than other LCDs. However, there's just way too much glare even in a moderately lit office environment to use it comfortably for long periods of time. After just a couple of hours of looking at it, my eyes get sore and I have headaches by the end of the day.

    I tried a 3M privacy/anti-glare filter, which quickly eliminated the eye strain and headaches, but it makes the display look absolutely horrible, worse than some bargain bin LCD. The screen is just too big for a filter; while looking at the center of the screen, several inches of the edges are blurred without moving my head.

    Also I've had problems with the Ethernet over Thunderbolt to my MBP that others have reported in forums. I connect/disconnect my laptop several times a day for meetings and eventually the MBP doesn't see Ethernet link anymore unless I reboot (some device enumeration issue?).

    I really want to like this display. I understand the color and sharpness may be a function of the glass, but there needs to be a better medium. What's the point of a great display if you can't look at it?

    20 of 22 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great

    • Written by from SAN FRANCISCO

    Very impressed with the quality of the screen. HD editing and playback are both excellent. Monitor really shines when playing games as well.

    11 of 16 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    Ready to give up!

    • Written by from MONROE TOWNSHIP

    After using my Thunderbolt Display for 5 months with my 2.0 i7 MBP, I can safely say that the monitor itself is awesome but plagued with some very strange problems that does not go away even with the latest firmware updates.

    9 out of 10 times, thunderbolt display does not wake up after sleeping for more than a few hours. The thunderbolt cable on the MBP needs to be unplugged then plugged back in to make it work.

    2 out of 10 times, ethernet does not work after wake or after the cable has been unplugged then plugged in to wake it up. The power cable needs to be unplugged from the socket and put back in to get it working.

    I'm still hoping that this issue gets resolved via a firmware update, but in the meantime, I will probably be going back to my U2711.

    43 of 51 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Resolutionary

    • Written by from Mundelein

    Love it!! it's easy to forget in the PC world....this sort of quality would cost you minimum 1200 bucks....and that doesn't even come with TB. Love the fact it has connector for power to my macbook. And I finally understand why they only do this in high gloss. It's easy to clean :).

    20 of 35 people found this useful

    Was this useful?

    Flag as inappropriate