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Heard it´s coming with a new keyboard as well..
emoji-sticker-keyboard.jpg
Looks like the "L" key will get heavy use in corresponding with Apple.
 
Do we know this for a fact? We know that the adaptor can be used to connect TB3 devices to TB2 ports, but I didn't see anything written about it supporting the USB 3.1 protocol. Although the physical connector is the same, it seems slightly unclear (and unlikely, in my view) if you can plug a non-TB USB-C device into this and have it operate at all, much less at USB 3.1 speeds.

USB protocol works through TB universally. Theoretically you should get the transfer rate but you won't get some specific 3.1 features such as the 100W max power delivery.
 
For nMP owners, Apple now sells a TB3 to TB2 adapter. It brings the new port to older systems. That should mean nMP gets full speed access to USB 3.1 devices and half speed access to TB3 devices (if they are capable of using all that speed anyway).

It means the Akitio Node should be able to connect to the nMP (and other pre-2016 Macs with TB).

Sierra is required for the adapter to work.

Oh my, that looks perfect. I had never seen this before. So this thing could work out of the box with a Mac running Sierra? The price is better than others I've seen, it's TB3... can I cram an nVidia 1080 in there? DO you think I could use multiple external GPUs?

I'd be happy with an iMac or quad core Mac Pro if this thing could work. At least I'd get a 5k display with the iMac! Come on, Kaby lake. Get here soon!
 
USB protocol works through TB universally. Theoretically you should get the transfer rate but you won't get some specific 3.1 features such as the 100W max power delivery.

Yes, it's part of the TB3 superset spec of USB-C, but what I'm saying is that was not part of the TB2 spec and, therefore, not built into the nMP. The adaptor itself would have to convert USB traffic, which is what a non-TB, USB-C, USB 3.1 device is sending, into a TB/TB2 packetized stream of data. That seems like a lot of heavy lifting for a $49 dongle. In the absence of evidence of support, what I suspect is happening (and what the product page suggests), is that the actual Thunderbolt traffic (PCIe and DP) is just converted to TB2/TB protocols.

EDIT: And after a bit of digging, confirmation from Apple that you cannot use this adaptor to connect non-TB USB-C devices: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207266. Didn't think so. I imagine a TB1/2 to USB 3.1 gen 2 adaptor will show up at some point, but this is not it.
 
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Yes, it's part of the TB3 superset spec of USB-C, but what I'm saying is that was not part of the TB2 spec and, therefore, not built into the nMP. The adaptor itself would have to convert USB traffic, which is what a non-TB, USB-C, USB 3.1 device is sending, into a TB/TB2 packetized stream of data. That seems like a lot of heavy lifting for a $49 dongle. In the absence of evidence of support, what I suspect is happening (and what the product page suggests), is that the actual Thunderbolt traffic (PCIe and DP) is just converted to TB2/TB protocols.

EDIT: And after a bit of digging, confirmation from Apple that you cannot use this adaptor to connect non-TB USB-C devices: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207266. Didn't think so. I imagine a TB1/2 to USB 3.1 gen 2 adaptor will show up at some point, but this is not it.

Very strange considering you can connect a 3.1 device to an older gen USB port, even if it runs at a slower speed.

Edit:

Apple says the adapter doesn't work on old machines with 'USB-C devices, displays, and adapters that don't have Thunderbolt'

But if those USB-C devices are Thunderbolt 3 devices then they will work with older gen Macs.

To get USB 3.1 devices to work then those will have to be connected to the USB 3.0 ports. But I am going go to test all scenarios.
 
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Very strange considering you can connect a 3.1 device to an older gen USB port, even if it runs at a slower speed. Did Apple neuter?

But in that scenario you have USB at both ends, and interoperability is built in to the USB protocol. In this scenario you would have USB at one end and TB1/2 at the other. Based on my understanding, there isn't a USB controller in the TB3 controller. USB 3 data is just being routed through it from an onboard controller, and I'm not even certain this is happening. The USB data may bypass the TB controller and be connected directly to the port or to some sort of auto negotiating chip. Much like the DP data doesn't originate in the TB controller; it's simply being fed DP data.
 
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I wouldn't mind an i7 with upgradable ram too ... much more than a xeon imac.
I like the nMP, I like the idea of it being portable like the mini.
But I like the towers more, they covered a lot more ground.
I will probably use the towers until they die. Even if it is just for back up storage ... they are so cheap now,
in comparison. The 2008 model is cheaper than a small Nas or raid.
 
Personally, I'd love to see Apple going the Steve Ballmer route.

If I remember right, Steve Ballmer LEFT MICROSOFT and made way for new leadership in the form of Satya Nadella.
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Great idea, here is the address for Apple so you can drop your own truth bomb:

Apple
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 996–1010

Write to them. If enough people do this, maybe they will listen. :)

PS: I'm doing exactly this with a letter of my own. At the moment, it is approaching 3,000 words long, and it isn't finished yet.

Make sure to put a few emoji stickers on the envelop. It'll get expedited straight to top management!
 
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I wouldn't mind an i7 with upgradable ram too ... much more than a xeon imac.
I like the nMP, I like the idea of it being portable like the mini.
But I like the towers more, they covered a lot more ground.
I will probably use the towers until they die. Even if it is just for back up storage ... they are so cheap now,
in comparison. The 2008 model is cheaper than a small Nas or raid.

Downside with no Xeons is no ECC RAM. On GPUs it's a nice thing to have, but for serious work I do consider that something of an essential.

Of course if I were running Apple I don't see the issue with running a tube SKU with an i7, but I imagine that would erode their margins, and it does leave the mini in a weird position too (which to be fair it has always been in since the 2x2 product matrix was created.)
 
Will the new TB3 - TB2 adapter allow one to use the upcoming 27" LG Ultrafine monitor on a 2013 nMP? That would cool.
 
It's the end of the month. So unless there's a new Mac Pro on the Apple website later today, MacWorld UK needs to reconsider their "source close to Apple".

The impression I had was that MacWorld's UK website has had a version of that webpage up for 14-16 months. Every three or four months, they would "update it" and change the anticipated time of arrival. It's pure clickbait--I'm not sure this "source close to Apple" actually exists. Is that the impression other folks had as well?
 
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The impression I had was that MacWorld's UK website has had a version of that webpage up for 14-16 months. Every three or four months, they would "update it" and change the anticipated time of arrival. It's pure clickbait--I'm not sure this "source close to Apple" actually exists. Is that the impression other folks had as well?

You're absolutely right. The exact same page now says March 2017.
 
Will the new TB3 - TB2 adapter allow one to use the upcoming 27" LG Ultrafine monitor on a 2013 nMP? That would cool.

Very likely not. Certainly not for a full 5K display. There is not enough bandwidth in TBv2 to do 5K over a single cable. The monitor has one and only one input so single cable is your only option. If single cable doesn't work I don't see Apple putting alot of effort into directing that it be made to "kind of, approximately" work.


I don't think most folks are boing to be very happy using the TBv3 -> TBv2 adapter 'backwards' even in contexts where the bandwidth is less of a factor. When the "talk much slower" request goes down the TB3 chain, it probably will be at least as slow as the request if not slower.
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For nMP owners, Apple now sells a TB3 to TB2 adapter. It brings the new port to older systems. That should mean nMP gets full speed access to USB 3.1 devices and half speed access to TB3 devices (if they are capable of using all that speed anyway).

No. Not even close. This adapter takes Thunderbolt signal input on both sides and pragmatically just downshifts the speed of the TBv3 data down to TBv2 speeds. That is it. It does nothing about the alliterative ( from USB Type C terminology) or legacy DisplayPort. It is pure Thunderbolt data to Thunderbolt data.

There is no TBv2 or TBv3 controller in there. The adapter doesn't count toward your daisy chain device limit. It is just a very straight forward single switcher. There is some USB 2.0 capability because the Type-C alternative mode "handshake" has some data swapping in over the USB 2.0 lines but there nothing USB 3.0 present there at all.
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USB protocol works through TB universally.

No. Your mental model of how this fundamentally works is deeply flawed. There is no USB format data being trafficked on the high speed data lines when in Thunderbolt alternative mode. None.

USB 2.0 data travels on a separate set of lanes. In the TB alternative mode that is only administrative overhead of which mode the socket is in.

High speed USB 3.0 (and up) and legacy USB 2.0 data travel on different wires/channels.

In Full speed DisplayPort and Thunderbolt Alternative modes all the USB 3.0 data transmission is suppressed. All 4 channels hare dedicated to those other data protocols.

A remote USB 3.1 controller can encode USB data into PCI-e format which a TBv3 controller can then encoding into Thunderbolt data and traffic that back to the host system. What is traveling on the wire is TB, not USB.

USB Alternative mode is generally a way of turning off high speed USB data protocol flow. You can shut the spigot partially off split x4 into x2 (USB) and x2 (something else) or all the way off. TB is all the way off.

There is no USB 3.0 controller in this adapter. There is no full fledged TB controller in there either. No USB controller mens no "for free" USB 3.1 connections.
 
Very likely not. Certainly not for a full 5K display. There is not enough bandwidth in TBv2 to do 5K over a single cable. The monitor has one and only one input so single cable is your only option. If single cable doesn't work I don't see Apple putting alot of effort into directing that it be made to "kind of, approximately" work.


I don't think most folks are boing to be very happy using the TBv3 -> TBv2 adapter 'backwards' even in contexts where the bandwidth is less of a factor. When the "talk much slower" request goes down the TB3 chain, it probably will be at least as slow as the request if not slower.
[doublepost=1480536789][/doublepost]

No. Not even close. This adapter takes Thunderbolt signal input on both sides and pragmatically just downshifts the speed of the TBv3 data down to TBv2 speeds. That is it. It does nothing about the alliterative ( from USB Type C terminology) or legacy DisplayPort. It is pure Thunderbolt data to Thunderbolt data.

There is no TBv2 or TBv3 controller in there. The adapter doesn't count toward your daisy chain device limit. It is just a very straight forward single switcher. There is some USB 2.0 capability because the Type-C alternative mode "handshake" has some data swapping in over the USB 2.0 lines but there nothing USB 3.0 present there at all.
[doublepost=1480537483][/doublepost]

No. Your mental model of how this fundamentally works is deeply flawed. There is no USB format data being trafficked on the high speed data lines when in Thunderbolt alternative mode. None.

USB 2.0 data travels on a separate set of lanes. In the TB alternative mode that is only administrative overhead of which mode the socket is in.

High speed USB 3.0 (and up) and legacy USB 2.0 data travel on different wires/channels.

In Full speed DisplayPort and Thunderbolt Alternative modes all the USB 3.0 data transmission is suppressed. All 4 channels hare dedicated to those other data protocols.

A remote USB 3.1 controller can encode USB data into PCI-e format which a TBv3 controller can then encoding into Thunderbolt data and traffic that back to the host system. What is traveling on the wire is TB, not USB.

USB Alternative mode is generally a way of turning off high speed USB data protocol flow. You can shut the spigot partially off split x4 into x2 (USB) and x2 (something else) or all the way off. TB is all the way off.

There is no USB 3.0 controller in this adapter. There is no full fledged TB controller in there either. No USB controller mens no "for free" USB 3.1 connections.
You're 500 years late. I was already corrected with two short sentences.
 
For nMP owners, Apple now sells a TB3 to TB2 adapter. It brings the new port to older systems. That should mean nMP gets full speed access to USB 3.1 devices and half speed access to TB3 devices (if they are capable of using all that speed anyway).

It means the Akitio Node should be able to connect to the nMP (and other pre-2016 Macs with TB).

Sierra is required for the adapter to work.

I tried hooking up an AKiTiO Thunder3 (which uses the same TB3 and PCIe board as the Node) to my 2015 MBA using the TB3<-->TB2 adapter. It does not work.

Many others with the TB3 MBP have found Unsupported message when connecting TB3 enclosures directly. This is a software limitation Apple put in place in macOS. Same hardware setup work great in Windows.

There's a workaround which involves hex editing to make macOS talk to Thunderbolt 3 enclosure.

Akitio-Thunder3-unsupported.png

1480449062-XConnect.png

TB3-TB2.png
 
I tried hooking up an AKiTiO Thunder3 (which uses the same TB3 and PCIe board as the Node) to my 2015 MBA using the TB3<-->TB2 adapter. It does not work.

Many others with the TB3 MBP have found Unsupported message when connecting TB3 enclosures directly. This is a software limitation Apple put in place in macOS. Same hardware setup work great in Windows.

There's a workaround which involves hex editing to make macOS talk to Thunderbolt 3 enclosure.

View attachment 675503
View attachment 675504
View attachment 675505

How do you know it's an intentional software block? Apple stated that they don't support some of thr first gen TB3 chipsets found in some peripherals.
 
It's the end of the month. So unless there's a new Mac Pro on the Apple website later today, MacWorld UK needs to reconsider their "source close to Apple".

*sad trumpet sound*

I wonder when we'll get more "insider information"

Oh they're waiting for skylake kabylake!
 
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It's the end of the month. So unless there's a new Mac Pro on the Apple website later today, MacWorld UK needs to reconsider their "source close to Apple".
relax mango.. still a few hours left.. apple.com will be down shortly


(or do you think since it's macworldUK, they're on that est+5 time so it's already december over there?)
 
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