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.

105401 imac 2011 mouse trackpad

- 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.

105402 imac 2011 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.

120454 imac 2011 dual external 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 (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iMac

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
disney

Disney+ Loses 700,000 Subscribers Following Price Increase

Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:34 pm PST by
Disney+ lost 700,000 subscribers worldwide in recent months, according to Disney's earnings results for the first quarter of 2025. Disney said it now has 124.6 million Disney+ subscribers, a decrease of 0.7 million compared to its subscriber numbers in the fourth quarter of 2024. The drop in subscribers comes after Disney+ prices increased in the fall. Disney+ with Ads went from $7.99 to...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses to Expand to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday February 5, 2025 6:27 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in...

Top Rated Comments

PeterQVenkman Avatar
180 months ago
Two high end screens from dual thunderbolt on a 27 inch iMac? Wow. That is bad ass.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lesser Evets Avatar
180 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.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
logandzwon Avatar
180 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?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seek3r Avatar
180 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 :/

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 :-(
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Northgrove Avatar
180 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.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattInOz Avatar
180 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.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)