Today's Apple event offered a lot of things that we expected: a Retina-display iPad Mini, new MacBook Pros, and pricing and release-time information for the overhauled Mac Pro. It also offered a few unexpected surprises: free Mavericks, the iPad Air, and decent prices on those new MacBooks and Mac Pros.
But there was one odd thing missing. No, not the iWatch or the iTV. Those things may never exist. I'm talking about something a little more mundane: Updated Thunderbolt displays that support the Mac Pro's 4K-video output.
The slick new Mac Pro was touted as an ultra-high-resolution video-editing monster, and if the machine's specs are any indication, it will be. The Pro has six Thunderbolt 2 ports and an HDMI 1.4 port around the back, each of which is capable of pushing 3840 x 2160 video out to a 4K monitor. There are also four USB 3.0 ports capable of outputting higher-than-high-def video to a 4K display if you use a DisplayLink adapter.
But at this point, Apple hasn't even hinted at a 4K monitor, and the company's even using a picture of Sharp's 4K beast, the PN-K321 on its site. Apple's last Thunderbolt display announcements were way back in 2011. The last non-Thunderbolt Cinema Displays were released in 2010.
In other words, they're overdue for an update. And a 4K display to go along with the Mac Pro's 4K-friendliness sounds like a perfect reason to do that.
Still, the lack of an Apple-branded 4K monitor isn't necessarily a dealbreaker. There are other options out there like Asus's 32-inch PQ321Q or previously mentioned 32-inch Sharp PN-K321, both of which you can connect to a Mac Pro via DisplayPort or HDMI. You could even run video from the Mac Pro to a 4K TV the same way. And while having 4K video-editing may be a selling point for Apple's most-powerful (and coolest-looking) computer to date, but we're still really short on ways to actually capture 4K video, let alone edit it.
The fact is 4K TV sets aren't exactly commonplace in homes just yet, but computers and streaming video are poised to to change that reality. More and more films are being shot in 4K, and more and more films will be distributed that way in the future. Once people are able to see 4K content on in-home screens, they may see the difference and be more likely to buy an ultra-high-definition set. Think of a computer screen as a 4K gateway drug.
Of course, in order to see the difference with 4K, you'll either need a huge screen or to be sitting really close to it. At 27-to-30 inches, Apple's biggest displays aren't that huge, but you'll certainly be sitting close to them -- as close as you'd sit to any computer monitor. You'll see the 4K difference.
There's a little time till December, so it's possible Apple will announce a higher-resolution display later this year to coincide with the Mac Pro's availability. After all, the company had a not-quite-announcement of a 4K-friendly version of Final Cut Pro during Tuesday's event (and at the bottom of this page).
But there was no similar half-mention of a new Thunderbolt or 4K display. So until further notice, fire up that Asus or that Sharp monitor.
