October 13, 2011 at 09:54Review of the 27-inch monitor Apple Thunderbolt 2011
Unlike its predecessor Apple Cinema Display, Apple's new monitor has several new hardware features. It should be noted right away that the new monitor can only be connected to the Macs of the 2011 line (except for the last Mac Pro). The new Mac line has a new Thunderbolt connector, without which it is impossible to connect a monitor.
The appearance of the Apple Thunderbolt 2011 monitor has not changed compared to its predecessor. Apple here has not abandoned the glossy screen. The reverse side of the case is covered with brushed aluminum. The new functionality of the Thunderbolt monitor can be noticed when connected to the Mac: the monitor cable has only two connectors, Thunderbolt and MagSafe. On the back of the screen are additional connectors for Thunderbolt, USB 2.0, FireWire and 800 Gigabit-Ethernet. Thus, all Macs with integrated graphics chip (2011) are able to connect two additional monitors. In total, the new technology makes it possible to connect up to six peripheral devices.
In practice, the Thunderbolt port achieves the same input / output speed for peripheral devices as when connecting them directly to the Mac. For example, the data transfer rate from peripherals with an Ethernet port reaches 90 megabytes per second. The new Thunderbolt technology also allows you to run an alternative operating system, if available, for example, on an external hard drive or on an array of hard drives. For verification, we used an array of hard drives Promise Pegasus R6.
Intel has begun developing a new data input-output technology, code-named Light Peak. Apple was the first to introduce technology into finished products called Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt port could theoretically transmit 10 gigabits of information per second. It is twenty times faster than USB 2.0 and twice as fast as USB 3.0. Thunderbolt technology uses PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) protocol, which makes it possible to connect other peripheral devices with USB (2.0 / 3.0), Firewire (400/800), Fiber Channel or Ethernet ports with the corresponding adapter. At the moment, Thunderbolt I / O technology allows you to connect a chain of six peripheral devices using the same technology to one Mac. Sources: Intel, Apple
All other technical specifications of the new monitor remained the same as that of LED Cinema Display. The built-in speaker system with subwoofer gives quite tolerable surround sound. The ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness when it becomes darker in the room. This function can optionally be disabled in the system settings. The integrated camera is now called Facetime HD instead of iSight. According to the name, the new camera has the best resolution and automatic connection to Facetime video chat. If the monitor is connected to the Mac with a built-in camera, the user will be able to choose which camera to communicate with. One of the drawbacks that the new Thunderbolt monitor inherited from the Apple lineup monitors is the lack of height adjustment and the possibility of vertical format.
Image quality and color depth
Thanks to IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology, the image quality on the Thunderbolt monitor is of high enough quality, even at sharp angles. The resolution of the monitor is 2560 pixels horizontally and 1440 vertically, the aspect ratio of the screen is 16: 9. In our test lab, the new Thunderbolt monitor showed the same specifications as its predecessor, the 27 ”LED Cinema Display. The color palette meets fairly high demands, together with excellent image sharpness this gives a crystal-clear picture. As for brightness, the maximum Thunderbolt monitor readings in the test lab are 345 candelas per m2 (declared by Apple in the technical specifications of 375 cd / m2), contrast ratio 1139: 1 (declared by Apple in the specifications of 1000: 1). The uniformity of the brightness distribution is in the region of 11 cd / m2,
Power Consumption The
new monitor consumes significantly more power than its predecessor. At full brightness and without a MacBook connected, the LED Cinema Display consumed 88 watts, and the Thunderbolt monitor consumed more than 100 watts under the same conditions. The Thunderbolt converter uses additional energy, which allows you to connect peripherals with different connectors to the monitor.
Apple's Thunderbolt Monitor is positioned as a monitor slightly above mid-range. Only some specialized monitors with hardware calibration options are more expensive. The ability to connect peripherals to the Thunderbolt monitor with FireWire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet connectors is especially useful for Macbook Air owners, who only have Thunderbolt and USB 2.0 connectors.
Similar monitors: Apple Cinema LED Display, Eizo Flexscan SX 3031W, NEC Multisync LCD 3090WQXi
Source: Macwelt, screenshots
The appearance of the Apple Thunderbolt 2011 monitor has not changed compared to its predecessor. Apple here has not abandoned the glossy screen. The reverse side of the case is covered with brushed aluminum. The new functionality of the Thunderbolt monitor can be noticed when connected to the Mac: the monitor cable has only two connectors, Thunderbolt and MagSafe. On the back of the screen are additional connectors for Thunderbolt, USB 2.0, FireWire and 800 Gigabit-Ethernet. Thus, all Macs with integrated graphics chip (2011) are able to connect two additional monitors. In total, the new technology makes it possible to connect up to six peripheral devices.
In practice, the Thunderbolt port achieves the same input / output speed for peripheral devices as when connecting them directly to the Mac. For example, the data transfer rate from peripherals with an Ethernet port reaches 90 megabytes per second. The new Thunderbolt technology also allows you to run an alternative operating system, if available, for example, on an external hard drive or on an array of hard drives. For verification, we used an array of hard drives Promise Pegasus R6.
For reference - Thunderbolt technology
Intel has begun developing a new data input-output technology, code-named Light Peak. Apple was the first to introduce technology into finished products called Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt port could theoretically transmit 10 gigabits of information per second. It is twenty times faster than USB 2.0 and twice as fast as USB 3.0. Thunderbolt technology uses PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) protocol, which makes it possible to connect other peripheral devices with USB (2.0 / 3.0), Firewire (400/800), Fiber Channel or Ethernet ports with the corresponding adapter. At the moment, Thunderbolt I / O technology allows you to connect a chain of six peripheral devices using the same technology to one Mac. Sources: Intel, Apple
Thunderbolt Monitor Technical Features
All other technical specifications of the new monitor remained the same as that of LED Cinema Display. The built-in speaker system with subwoofer gives quite tolerable surround sound. The ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness when it becomes darker in the room. This function can optionally be disabled in the system settings. The integrated camera is now called Facetime HD instead of iSight. According to the name, the new camera has the best resolution and automatic connection to Facetime video chat. If the monitor is connected to the Mac with a built-in camera, the user will be able to choose which camera to communicate with. One of the drawbacks that the new Thunderbolt monitor inherited from the Apple lineup monitors is the lack of height adjustment and the possibility of vertical format.
Image quality and color depth
Thanks to IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology, the image quality on the Thunderbolt monitor is of high enough quality, even at sharp angles. The resolution of the monitor is 2560 pixels horizontally and 1440 vertically, the aspect ratio of the screen is 16: 9. In our test lab, the new Thunderbolt monitor showed the same specifications as its predecessor, the 27 ”LED Cinema Display. The color palette meets fairly high demands, together with excellent image sharpness this gives a crystal-clear picture. As for brightness, the maximum Thunderbolt monitor readings in the test lab are 345 candelas per m2 (declared by Apple in the technical specifications of 375 cd / m2), contrast ratio 1139: 1 (declared by Apple in the specifications of 1000: 1). The uniformity of the brightness distribution is in the region of 11 cd / m2,
Power Consumption The
new monitor consumes significantly more power than its predecessor. At full brightness and without a MacBook connected, the LED Cinema Display consumed 88 watts, and the Thunderbolt monitor consumed more than 100 watts under the same conditions. The Thunderbolt converter uses additional energy, which allows you to connect peripherals with different connectors to the monitor.
Apple's Thunderbolt Monitor is positioned as a monitor slightly above mid-range. Only some specialized monitors with hardware calibration options are more expensive. The ability to connect peripherals to the Thunderbolt monitor with FireWire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet connectors is especially useful for Macbook Air owners, who only have Thunderbolt and USB 2.0 connectors.
Similar monitors: Apple Cinema LED Display, Eizo Flexscan SX 3031W, NEC Multisync LCD 3090WQXi
Source: Macwelt, screenshots