Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch)

Reviews for Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch)

Customer Reviews and Ratings

3.5 out of 5 stars

Based on 207 reviews

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Works as Advertised

    • Written by from Morgantown

    I use this display in conjunction with an MBPro from 2011 (i7 CPU, SSD). Thus far it has performed according to expectations. The ethernet and USB integration is fine. It's incredibly convenient to take my MBPro out of its case, make two connections, turn it on, and be up and running. I'm not a Mac "fan-boy." I use Windows and Linix machines as well. I've only had it a couple days but it simply works and that's often the best thing about Apple products.

    107 of 123 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    GREATEST MONITOR ON EARTH

    • Written by from San Francisco

    I bought this monitor one week ago after reading the reviews here. I expected to have some problems with it. I have had none. I use it for development with my MBP plugged in. It is fantastic and I have not had a single issue with it. I highly recommend this monitor for anyone who uses a laptop but who would like a desktop solution sometimes.

    The colors and resolution are perfection. I never really understood the purpose of this monitor until I bought it. It gives me the flexibility of a laptop and the ability to have a desktop solution with a docking station built in. If you get tired of staring at your tiny laptop screen and want to see how beautiful Lion is you have to have this product.

    67 of 76 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    No hesitation 5 stars! Music Producer Review

    • Written by from Camarillo

    I want to sure my setup and thoughts.
    I work in music production and needed a setup that would suit my mobil rig.

    I do not really understand what some people do not like about this screen...

    It is important to separate the two major players here.
    Software/firmware and hardware.

    SOFTWARE:

    Apparently people are having problems connecting several screens etc etc.
    Jerky thunderbolt performance etc etc.

    This is all fine, but it does not warrant a lower star rating in my eyes.
    They do their best to eliminate software issues through beta testing etc but it is NEVER before major releases that people come along with all sorts of ways of use and find all sorts of bug that will have to be addressed.
    As the issues of software can be anywhere in the chain (Lion, thunderbolt firmware, iMac, Macbook etc) I think the right thing to review is the..

    HARDWARE:

    Beautiful, big, crisp, instant, you can't really misunderstand it as it has NO buttons..which is almost weird. It just works..
    Im actually proud to have this screen on my desk. When people come over they actually say "wow..thats nice!" Im proud of it.

    I must say that I was very nervous weather my setup was going to work the way I hoped.
    For weeks, I had been think about ways to minimize and turn my rig into something I could easily pack up for sessions in LA.
    I sold my HD2, Mac Pro, Control24..EVERYTHING as it was mostly collecting dust as my mobile rig was getting more work.

    So I invisioned a thunderbolt setup.
    MacBook Pro w thunderbolt
    Pegasus RAID (thunderbolt)
    and the 27" Screen (again, thunderbolt.)

    For compatibility reasons I use Snow Leopard for my music and need to boot from my Thunderbolt RAID.
    I have LION on my internal MacBook Pro drive as I want to be uptodate when I do my personal computing.

    Here is my setup:

    Thunderbolt Screen is connected to

    1) a Digidesign 003 Rack (FW800)
    2) a USB hub with iLoks
    3) a AXIOM USB MIDI controller
    4) the Apple Keyoboard
    5) Ethernet for fastest connection while plugged in.
    6) Daisy chained thunderbolt to my Pegasus RAID Drive with my music software/samples etc. (I can happily report around 500MB/s. More than enough for what Im doing. (option click on startup and boot SL from the RAID)

    Now. Instead of having tons of cables running to my macbook or compromising speeds which I did in the past..
    All is connected via ONE thunderbolt cable that runs to my MacBook Pro.
    Its all VERY simple and with all the iLoks, software, powdered USBs etc..One would think that something should go wrong..

    EVERYTHING WORKS PERFECT!

    I couldn't be more happy with this setup!

    The screen does EXACTLY what it promises to do. In my eyes it is so worth the 949 I spent on it!

    I can recommend this for anyone..

    Sorry for a very long review but I wanted to let everyone know how I use it and that it is spectacular!

    Thank you for simplifying my life!

    73 of 100 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Incredible Design and Quality

    • Written by from Woodinville

    I've used them all, and this one is number one bar none. The quality of this external display is extremely high, the thunderbolt/ethernet/USB is a huge win for demanding professionals and the reliability of these things is incredible. I'm a system administrator in a 300+ enterprise Mac environment where everyone has a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with a Thunderbolt display, so they see quite a bit of hard use. None have ever failed. There's quite a number of 24" and 27" non-thunderbolt displays as well that are well over 1.5 years old, and none of those have ever failed either.

    58 of 72 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Display

    • Written by from San Diego

    I am now on my third month with my display. I use it as my hub. I use it with my new MacBook Pro with the retina display. It's great!! I have a keyboard, 2 mice (mouse?), what ever, a super drive, and another powered USB hub. I will be getting a Thunderbolt external drive (DROBO) and for now that's about it. I connect and un connect my MacBook Pro several times a day. I do not have any problems with the display and everything connected works great. I can't wait for a retina 27" Thunderbolt display. That way I can give this one to my wife and get the new display for me, haha, like that will happen. Anyway I love this display and I think Apple did a great job!!

    71 of 100 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great, monitor...and its fixed now

    • Written by from Brooktondale

    As of the new 10.7.4 update which included a fix to thunderbolt, this monitor now works perfectly for me. Wakes up out of sleep everytime....just fantastic.

    44 of 49 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great product

    • Written by from Toronto

    I have a Macbook Pro 13" and really needed either a bigger screen, and the 27"display was the perfect choice. It's just to plug it in and the mac recognized it fast with no questions asked. When I'm on the go I take the mac and when I'm in the office it's just to plug , close the lid (have a magic mouse and a wireless keyboard) and I have a desktop with a big screen, good sound system e printer, external HDD and etc. already wired in. The best of both worlds.

    52 of 67 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Graphic Designer's Dream Screen

    • Written by from Greenville

    I understand some people may have had some negative experience with defective devices, but I'm not one of them. I am a SERIOUS Mac user with just about every product that they have made in the last 7 years. This is by far the absolute best monitor on the market for graphic designers. Just incredible. I couldn't believe it when I put this next to my 30" HD Cinema Display. It is just soooo much better. It's crisp. It's clean. It's just beautiful. Can't imagine using anything different. Can't wait to see it beside my new retina Macbook Pro next week! :)

    47 of 58 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Display. No problems

    • Written by from Marietta

    I have had this display for 1 year. First hooked to an Airbook, now hooked to a Mac Mini. I have had none of the issues reported. For the last 6 months it has been in daily use.

    Graphics are incredible, camera/mic/speakers work better than any other product I have used.

    It is pricey, but probably worth it.

    46 of 58 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    A Great Investment

    • Written by from Beecher

    I purchased this display a couple of days ago. I was looking for a smaller version and came to find out that Apple only makes the 27", so I purchased it. I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and set it up. I have it connected to my Mac Mini Server and also connect it to my Mac Book Air. The resolution and color are amazing. The functionality of Thunderbolt is amazing. I have my GB Ethernet connected to the monitor, along with my USB cables for the iPhone, etc., and it all gets delivered to the connected computer via the one Thunderbolt cable. I had a little buyers remorse when I got this display home, but after setting it up, I am more than happy I purchased it.

    48 of 64 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    An outstanding product

    • Written by from EL PASO

    The nicest thing about this display is that it just works. It docks with my mbp flawlessly. The design is just nice + again it works. It's not cheap but the same thing goes to the other monitors with similar specs.

    40 of 49 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Works perfectly

    • Written by from Camarillo

    I have a late 2011 MBP. I literally plugged in the TB cable, closed the lid and up came the screen on the new monitor. It's working perfectly for me. Wakes up from sleep just fine (read a lot of complaints on this.) Perhaps the sleep issue is a bluetooth error? My keyboard and mouse are using USB.

    Colors are great. Response is great. I wouldn't ever imagine all this power was coming from a laptop.

    Another step into the future.

    38 of 45 people found this useful

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  • 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.

    44 of 57 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    MUST BUY

    • Written by from Pueblo

    This is the best Apple product that I have invested in. Its completely worth 1000! The display, size, resolution and quality is just amazing and to die for! If you want a desktop display for your laptop this is it. Apple did an amazing job making this aluminum body display screen!

    54 of 79 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Looks and works perfectly - No issues whatsoever

    • Written by from Wyncote

    I was hesitant at first to drop $1000 on a monitor, when there are comparable displays out there for much cheaper. But let me assure you, this is worth every penny. The casing of the display itself is a work of beauty. But the graphics are so crisp and vivid (especially in 2560x1440 mode). The Thunderbolt integration is simple...literally plug and play with my MBP. No issues with the Ethernet port on the back of the monitor, and I also have my Traktor Pro DJ Console connected via USB to the back of the monitor. The only thing that I needed to figure out was how to enable the Display Ethernet port in Network settings, but that's incredibly easy to do. Also, you need to re-route the audio and microphone to the display (again, very simple configuration change through System Preferences). Highly recommend.

    33 of 37 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    No issue with ethernet port!

    • Written by from Naperville

    Just got the new Thunderbolt display and it is awesome. Screen is huge and gives you a lot of real estate to play with. I am using it as a docking station for my MBA 13". I use the m-Stand from Rain for the MBA and it gives me a lot of flexibility on my desktop. The connectivity options on the Thunderbolt display are great and I have a small USB hub connected to the back of the display. I am running Parallels desktop for Windows applications and have it configured so that I can use the MBA screen as my "Windows" desktop and then use the Thunderbolt as my "MAC" desktop. Really gives the feel of having two separate laptops.

    I tested the ethernet connectivity from the monitor and have had no issues whatsoever. "undocked", returned to "dock" and the ethernet connection is still active. I made sure my wi-fi was turned off to validate the result.

    My only "wish" is that there was a connectivity option to go from mini-displayport on my older MacBook pro - to the Thunderbolt display. I am hoping Apple or a third party will figure out a way to do this in the future.

    35 of 41 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Worth it - Simpy great! But...

    • Written by from Valencia

    In short, these displays are best on the market by far (that I have seen), in this price range. The price is actually very close to other high end monitors that do not have all the functionality these do. I own a Apple 27" Mini Display Port (aka MDP - the older model), and TWO of these 27" Thunderbolt (I do Maya and Video editing).

    The Good
    Everything. Sharpness, runs cool, design, color reproduction, I don't get people that could complain about this display. Also, I have a 17" 2.33ghz (quad core) laptop and daisy chain these TB monitors. It works perfectly with the laptop display AND the two displays running different desktops. The older MDP model won't daisy chain until you put it at the end of any other TB device. (Which I don't currently own). This is not a fault of Apple, it is a limitation of MDP. I have firewire plugged into display 1 and I also have a scanner (firewire) plugged into display 2. It all works flawless. I don't need to have the firewire drives in display 1 on for the scanner to work. Very elegant and seamless. I also do use the ethernet and USBs on display 1, and firewire and USB on display 2, which are all flawless. Interestingly, the ethernet on display 2 could also be used, but I don't.

    The Bad
    The 27" MDP (old) display I bought a year ago was flawless. The first 27" TB I purchased had the well known flaw where the fan stays on (when you unplug or sleep your computer). This IS a bug. I returned it to Best Buy, got another one, opened it and tested it (no noise), and it has worked flawlessly ever since. The second one I purchased a few weeks later was also perfect. Just beware, and return it if you encounter this issue. Also, every time I put it to sleep (and disconnect the computer), the displays get swapped, and I can't change them. I have to reboot to put display 1 back in the center, and display 2 to the right.

    37 of 46 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Wow...amazing.

    • Written by from Hermosa Beach

    I really was hesitant to make this purchase. How much of a difference could it really make I thought to myself? Having had it for six weeks now I am still in awe.

    First, I underestimated how much value there was to being able to work on applications side by side, spreadsheets next contracts, artwork next to powerpoint. Very very helpful.

    Second, having the ports in the back of the monitor is a real treat. Plug in my iPad, iPhone and a Thunderbolt back up drive and all is good in the world. Creates a great work environment.

    Finally, it is just incredibly good looking on the desktop. Brilliant display from the front and almost as amazing from the back.

    There are lots of things apple I like and then the shine wears off. So far this is one of my favorite products yet.

    34 of 40 people found this useful

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  • 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.

    43 of 59 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    I LOVE my Thunderbolt Display

    • Written by from Limestone

    After having my TBD for about 8 months now, I still absolutely LOVE my display. I have my TBD connected to my late 2011 MBP and they work great together. I was just reading over all the other reviews and was quite surprised to see so many complaints and problems with their TBD's. I actually bought my TBD refurbished (great money saver) and didn't notice any scratches or anything, great condition. I love the resolution on this display, watching movies and tv shows from itunes is amazing.

    28 of 34 people found this useful

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