MacBook Air EFI update preps for Thunderbolt Displays
updated 05:10 pm EDT, Mon September 12, 2011
MacBook Air EFI firmware 2.1 helps Thunderbolt
Apple late Monday posted MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.1 (3.99MB). The fix supports beliefs the Thunderbolt Display is shipping and fixes compatibility issues between the current-generation Air and the new display as well as performance when it's used for Thunderbolt Target Disk Mode. Lion Recovery should also be more reliable.
Officially, Apple hasn't said when the 27-inch display reaches stores or customers, but it's poised to arrive later this week in Apple Stores and possibly resellers. Customers who ordered when the Thunderbolt Display was new had already been given estimates that the LCD would ship this week.
The combination of the two screens is a unique challenge for Apple, since it represents both Apple's first ultraportable Mac with the 10Gbps port and a significant expansion of what Apple's desktop display can do. Thunderbolt gives enough headroom to drive gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, and USB ports through a single cable.
