14 DAY TRIAL // Customers who are still confused regarding the Macintosh models that can handle a Thunderbolt Display now have a handy support document from Apple that outlines the specific models made to work with the new hardware, plus some additional info on what software is required.
Titled “Macs that can be used with the Thunderbolt Display”, the document in question bluntly outlines which Mac computers are compatible with the newly-shipped 27-inch Thunderbolt Display from Apple.
“Find out which Mac computers you can use with your Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch),” reads the document. “Use only Thunderbolt-capable Mac computers with Apple Thunderbolt Displays,” Apple adds.
The following computers are compatible, Apple says: MacBook Air (Mid 2011); MacBook Pro (Early 2011); Mac mini Server (Mid 2011); Mac mini (Mid 2011); iMac (Mid 2011).
For those who are unsure which computer model they have, Apple offers instructions on how to find out.
Customers are to access ‘About this Mac’ from the Apple () menu, then click More Info, and they should see their model information appear next to the computer's icon.
Users should note that these steps (and the description offered by Apple regarding what each window should say or display) apply only to OS X 10.7 Lion. The procedure, however, is pretty much the same on OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Finally, support document HT4941 includes a link to a separate knowledge base article that talks broadly about the software and firmware updates that are necessary to get up and running with an Apple Thunderbolt Display and Thunderbolt-capable Macs.
For example, Thunderbolt Software Update (Snow Leopard), released earlier this month, provides support for the Display and bug fixes for Thunderbolt device compatibility.
A simple “Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update”, rolled out on the same day, is actually the second such update from Cupertino since the release of the hardware. The firmware “improves the stability of the Apple Thunderbolt Display,” Apple said.