Apple Thunderbolt Display 27" (2011)
The world's first Thunderbolt monitor, per Apple's announcement: a one-cable dock for the MacBook, introduced by press release in 2011.
Model reconstruction, not a photograph.
Specs
| Panel | 27" LED-backlit IPS, 2560×1440, 16:9, 375 cd/m², 178° |
| Connectivity | Thunderbolt and MagSafe; three USB 2.0, FireWire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet |
| Extras | 720p FaceTime HD camera, 2.1 speakers |
Launch
Apple announced it on July 20, 2011 by press release, without a keynote, the same day as the new Mac minis with OS X Lion preinstalled, per MacRumors' report, which notes its images had leaked on Apple's own website the week before. Per the release, it cost $999 and would be available "within the next 60 days".
Marketing
The release presented it as "the world's first display with Thunderbolt I/O technology" and, in Phil Schiller's words, "the ultimate docking station for your Mac notebook": one cable for the screen, FaceTime HD camera, 2.1 audio, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800 and USB, with MagSafe to charge the notebook and a Thunderbolt port to daisy chain up to five additional devices. The release describes two bi-directional channels at up to 10Gbps each.
Flaws and fixes
Per Wikipedia, it was incompatible with Mini DisplayPort despite the identical physical connector, and Thunderbolt 3 Macs used it through an adapter while losing MagSafe charging. Apple discontinued it on June 23, 2016 with a statement announcing its exit from the standalone display market; from 2016 to 2019 it endorsed the LG UltraFine, and successors arrived with the Pro Display XDR (2019) and the Studio Display (2022).