Re: Does This Kill The Mac Pro?

[John-Michael Seng-Wheeler] "You're thinking about this the wrong way...

The monitor that you happen to be using has nothing to do with my argument.
My theory also has nothing to do with how you could configure your computer after you buy it.

Here's my thought, put as simply as I can.

Apple will not release a Thunderbolt equipped computer that doesn't supply display data through the Thunderbolt connection in it's stock configuration. There's two ways they can do that, one is a Custom GPU and the other is a built in GPU. And if they have to custom build it anyway, I think they're very likely to built it unto the computer."

I am thinking about it the wrong way? Then help me understand what you are saying.

It seems to me that you are saying all data has to pass through thunderbolt, bar none. You seem to be saying data can't go out regular PCIe, and display can't go out to a dedicated DVI or Displayport. Basically you seem to be saying that Thunderbolt is the data traffic cop in a MacPro. Am I misinterpreting what you are saying?

What I don't understand from your arguments is why all data/display has to go through the Thunderbolt port? Why can't it do both? The MacBookPro does this with data already. it DOESNT do this with display data as it would be foolish to run a displayport and a thunderbolt port, when they are really the same, or just similar enough. You get a Thunderbolt to DVI adapter, and bingo, DVI. With non PCIe slot computers, this makes a lot of sense.

But with faster PCIe slot computers, it doesn't. You don't have to use the thunderbolt port if you don't have a thunderbolt device. If you do have a thunderbolt device you attach it, but my fibre card will still run @ 16x or 8x via fibre channel. The only time the data will passthrough @ 4x is if there's thunderbolt storage on the other end of a thunderbolt cable. In order to get to the fibre storage, I don't HAVE to go out the thunderbolt cable. Same with display data. In order to get a signal to my DVI monitor, i don't HAVE to use the thunderbolt port. I can use the GPU. Now, if I had a thunderbolt monitor, I could use the Thunderbolt port.

Am I not explaining this clearly enough?

[John-Michael Seng-Wheeler] "The monitor that you happen to be using has nothing to do with my argument. "

I think the gear that is used is completely relevant to this discussion.