14 DAY TRIAL // There a few particularities surrounding the newly shipped Thunderbolt Displays from Apple that early adopters may want to take note of, according to Apple.
Although it was probably best for Apple to post these aspects before customers actually bought the hardware, Support document HT4885 explains that there are a number of connection limitations for Thunderbolt Macs.
A table posted by Apple indicates how many Thunderbolt displays can be connected to Thunderbolt-capable Mac computers, followed by explanations regarding the expected behavior.
For example, MacBook Air (Mid 2011) supports only one Thunderbolt Display.
Systems including MacBook Pro (Early 2011), iMac (Mid 2011), and Mac mini (Mid 2011) also have their limitations when customers attempt to connect them to a 27-inch Thunderbolt Display.
“Connecting a second Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch) to a 13-inch MacBook Pro will make the screen on the MacBook Pro turn black. This is expected behavior,” Apple states.
For iMacs with two Thunderbolt ports, a total of two Thunderbolt displays are supported, no matter which Thunderbolt port each display is connected to.
Finally, certain Mac minis can support a HDMI compatible device on their HDMI port when using two Thunderbolt displays, but only those equipped with AMD graphics.
If connected to the Thunderbolt port on an Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch), Mini DisplayPort displays will not light up.
Apple also informs customers that Thunderbolt storage devices work best by connecting the Thunderbolt display to the computer's Thunderbolt port first.
Additional Info is also provided on using the Apple Thunderbolt Display as a USB hub via another Support document (TS3997).
There, Apple explains that customers using Windows and a USB keyboard may run into a problem which concerns pressing the F8 key. Here’s Apple’s wording on this:
“You may notice that when using Windows and a USB keyboard that is connected to a Mac via the USB port on an Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch), the F8 key is not recognized by Windows when you attempt to accept the Terms and Conditions agreement or start up into Windows Safe Mode.”
The resolution is basically just a workaround that has users connecting their USB keyboard directly to the computer’s USB port. This, according to the Cupertino company, will restore the use of the F8 key.