Reviews for Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch)

The quality of this monitor is amazing. It gets high remarks here.

But, it's useless as a docking monitor. I have a TB Macbook Air, and I wanted to take advantage of the docking features of the monitor. As other folks have mentioned in the review and numerous other apple discussion threads, this monitor fails as a docking monitor.

1) When in clamshell mode, it's impossible to wake up the computer from sleep mode without restarting the computer. Given how many times a day I go from meetings to my desk, restating my computer every time is impractical.

2) Even when you get the monitor to work with the laptop, devices connected to the USB port & ethernet port will not working without a reboot.

I'm fed up with this monitor. Clearly, the docking solution via thunderbolt is flawed in this monitor. Save yourself some frustration and get the LED Cinema display instead. The Thunderbolt display is the worst device I've ever bought from Apple. Doesn't work as advertised. It is clearly not ready for prime time.

I had nothing but problems with this display for two days. I ended up returning it. The screen flickered in and out, and it wouldn't switch properly when resuming from sleep mode. The USB and network ports also wouldn't work. I have a brand new MacBook Pro 17" and it has worked fine with other monitors. For $1,000, you'd think apple would test this before they released it. What a joke.

Despite appearances, a Thunderbolt Display (TBD) will not work with a Mini DisplayPort. The cable fits in the port, but the monitor does not turn on. From all I've read, no MacPro will work with these displays (yet), and I'm currently looking at a black TBD attached to a macpro5,1 as a data point that confirms that statement.

Pros: all but glossy screen.
Cons: glossy screen. I want a display; not a mirror!

SOLUTION: just offer a matte option; even if more expensive.

This display had no thought put into it. They took existing monitors and added Thunderbolt. So I get it home, and after realizing I still need a new bluetooth keyboard and trackpad and a way to keep the 2011 Air on with the lid closed I am losing faith. You end up with a cluttered mess of wires and equipment. Your better off just getting an iMac. At least you have a disc drive, keyboard and mouse without all the hassle. With top notch 27" monitors selling for under $300.00 you're kidding yourself with this thing at a grand! Had the thing shipped with keyboard, mouse and maybe made a nice array of ports on the BASE for convenience I would have kept it. Also, I can see myself in the screen in almost every lighting scenario. I feel the Mid 2011 Air may well be the last innovative product we see as the rest of the world gangs up and blows by this company. There's still time to go buy Google guys, before they rework all those Motorola set top boxes in everyones homes for Google TV stealing Steve's "Cracked TV code"! He just lost the phone war even with record iPhone 4S sales Google has a 47% market share - and growing - Sorry for the rant, it seems to fit this display, to little to late!! Very disappointed! Stop suing and start innovating again! $1,000 for a 27" monitor with USB 2.0 ports OMG

I was so excited to get my 27 inch iMac, and thunderbolt display(TBD)...until i opened them up and set them side by side.... and went huh?

The TBD is shorter than the 27 iMac so the screens do not line up. that is a bad design flaw. if you had the laptop or the 21 inch iMac this wouldn't even matter so I'm lost for why they didn't make them match. did they hire someone from micro$oft to design this?

Second design flaw for the TBD is actually LION the os... does not work well with multiple displays like snow leopard does! when you use the new FULLSCREEN mode in lion apps it actually dims out the TBD(or any other screens for that matter) and displays a linen style backdrop which make the $1,000 monitor a very nice paper weight. I would hope this would be addressed in a LION update ASAP.

The third and very irritating design flaw is the lack of a POWER BUTTON. so now your pretty much forced to look at the linen style backdrop because you can't turn off the monitor. its like a reminder how much you paid to look at NOTHING.

I have been a mac user and customer for over 13 years and have owned/used almost every product apple has made and let me say that I have not been this disappointed from apple ever with both the TBD and LION.