Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
2011 iMac Notes: Magic Trackpad Option, Display Connectivity, Boot Camp Update
In the wake of today's release of new iMacs, a number of tidbits about the new models have been surfacing.
- Magic Trackpad: While Apple previously allowed customers to add a Magic Trackpad to their iMac orders for an additional charge of $69, the company now offers customers the option of swapping out the included Magic Mouse for a Magic Trackpad at no additional charge.
- 27-Inch Model as External Display: Since 2009, the 27-inch iMac has supported use of the machine as a secondary display via the Mini DisplayPort connector. Called "Target Display Mode", the feature allows users significant flexibility in using the machine either on its own or to provide extra screen real estate for other machines when needed.
While we were unable to find explicit mention of support for Target Display Mode on the new iMac product pages, an Apple sales representative has confirmed to us that the new 27-inch models do continue to support the feature through the new Thunderbolt ports.
- Dual External Display Support: Beyond continued support for display input, GigaOM reports that the presence of two Thunderbolt ports on the new 27-inch iMac will allow the machine to drive two external displays for a total of three screens.
Boot Camp is Apple's utility for allowing users to natively run versions of Microsoft Windows on their Macs.
Update: Engadget has a hands-on review of the new 27-inch model and has tested hooking it up to two 30-inch Dell displays.
Update 2: Macworld clarifies that the Target Display Mode available on the new 27-inch iMac also requires that the source computer be Thunderbolt-equipped. Only the current MacBook Pro and of course other new iMacs currently meet this description, with other machines offering only Mini DisplayPort and not Thunderbolt unable to send video to the new iMac.
- Magic Trackpad: While Apple previously allowed customers to add a Magic Trackpad to their iMac orders for an additional charge of $69, the company now offers customers the option of swapping out the included Magic Mouse for a Magic Trackpad at no additional charge.
iMac comes with a wireless keyboard and either a Magic Mouse or a Magic Trackpad - your choice. With Magic Mouse, you get a mouse unlike any other. Its smooth, seamless design lets you control everything with simple gestures. But if you're all gestures all the time, then opt for Magic Trackpad. Its touch-friendly all-glass surface gives you plenty of room to scroll, swipe, pinch, and rotate to your fingers' content. When you purchase your new iMac from the Apple Online Store, you have the option to replace the included Magic Mouse with the Magic Trackpad at no extra cost.
Customers can of course still add the Magic Trackpad for $69 if they wish to have both input devices.- 27-Inch Model as External Display: Since 2009, the 27-inch iMac has supported use of the machine as a secondary display via the Mini DisplayPort connector. Called "Target Display Mode", the feature allows users significant flexibility in using the machine either on its own or to provide extra screen real estate for other machines when needed.
While we were unable to find explicit mention of support for Target Display Mode on the new iMac product pages, an Apple sales representative has confirmed to us that the new 27-inch models do continue to support the feature through the new Thunderbolt ports.
- Dual External Display Support: Beyond continued support for display input, GigaOM reports that the presence of two Thunderbolt ports on the new 27-inch iMac will allow the machine to drive two external displays for a total of three screens.
One of the most exciting things about today's new iMacs (and the thing that will probably result in me buying one) are the dual Thunderbolt ports on the 27-inch iMac. They're great in that they provide a lot of potential I/O transfer power, but more importantly because it allows the new iMac to output to two external monitors simultaneously, Apple confirmed to me this morning.
- Boot Camp Update: Apple has already pushed out a Boot Camp 3.2 software update for the new iMac, addressing issues with Japanese and Korean keyboards. A similar update was released for Apple's new MacBook Pros early last month.Boot Camp is Apple's utility for allowing users to natively run versions of Microsoft Windows on their Macs.
Update: Engadget has a hands-on review of the new 27-inch model and has tested hooking it up to two 30-inch Dell displays.
Update 2: Macworld clarifies that the Target Display Mode available on the new 27-inch iMac also requires that the source computer be Thunderbolt-equipped. Only the current MacBook Pro and of course other new iMacs currently meet this description, with other machines offering only Mini DisplayPort and not Thunderbolt unable to send video to the new iMac.
Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Neutral)
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109 months ago
Two high end screens from dual thunderbolt on a 27 inch iMac? Wow. That is bad ass.
109 months ago
So, with TB moving across the whole line, how long before we can buy a (Data | Display) splitter for TB so that people using the new systems can use external displays and the data connection at the same time without the PITA of daily chaining? Hope before I buy a new system :/
You'll need to wait for Ivy Bridge for USB3, that's when Intel is incorporating it into their chip sets. Did you really expect USB3 with this update? It's not like Apple has been incorporating non-Intel USB3 controllers in any other updated systems... We'll get it when Intel makes Apple get it, and not a moment before :-(
Still USB 2.0
Meh.
You'll need to wait for Ivy Bridge for USB3, that's when Intel is incorporating it into their chip sets. Did you really expect USB3 with this update? It's not like Apple has been incorporating non-Intel USB3 controllers in any other updated systems... We'll get it when Intel makes Apple get it, and not a moment before :-(
109 months ago
Does anything use Thunderbolt yet? Will anything ever?
I've heard about stuff from Pegasus (storage), Promise (storage), Matrox (video), LaCie (storage).Especially Thunderbolt-connected RAID storage quickly popped up.
And I have no trouble imagining why that would be interesting, haha.
109 months ago
So, with TB moving across the whole line, how long before we can buy a (Data | Display) splitter for TB so that people using the new systems can use external displays and the data connection at the same time without the PITA of daily chaining? Hope before I buy a new system :/
Personally I'm a huge fan of daisy chaining. Less devices, less cables, less clutter. You just attach each device to the next.
What is it you have an aversion to?
109 months ago
macpro dead in 2 years...my prediction:mad:
We were discussing this a few threads down the front page.
Doubt the MacPro will be dead, but the market for it will shrivel up very badly unless some universal need for extreme processing is manufactured. With current processing speeds and ThunderBolt accessories, an iMac can become a full pro machine for all sorts of jobs that don't need to work titanic piles of data.
This Pro I purchased in early 2007 is still excellent. It will last until 2014 or beyond, and by that point I will probably go with an iMac. Today's iMacs are already faster than this tower in most ways.
109 months ago
Dual ports should have been on the notebooks as well.
At least we can daisy chain.
108 months ago
My iMacs have 2 Firewire ports (a 27" and a 24") which I use for TM and a SD clone external. The new iMacs only have one FW port - with 4 USB connections. Seems like a slower way to have to back up, and I see no externals out there that run Thunderbolt.
Am I missing something? :confused:
On the 27" models you can look at it this way. They took away a FW800 port and gave you a Thunderbolt (TB) port. That is a net increase in bandwidth; not a backward slide. The expectation would be to use TB if have some large, time critical backup to do.
If the external drive is always connected then on the 21" model would daisy chain any external display off the back of the external drive.
Or as other poster pointed out, just daisy chain the FW. The two FW800 ports were not independent anyway so not particularly any slower to daisy chain.
Eventually, there probably will be a TB to FW adapter sold. In that case those would be two independent FW channels.
108 months ago
I think I covered enough :)
Dude.... the glass is half full because it's a very nice red and it needs room to breath. Don't worry there is plenty more in the bottle.
108 months ago
I think I covered enough :)
What you've covered is a mishmash of things that Apple did and tried to infer it was because of the iPhone. When in reality, not much except the bringing of some iOS features back into MacOS X (which I agree with even if I won't use them all) has anything to do with the iPhone.
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