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What you need to know about Thunderbolt 2

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Thunderbolt 2 made its debut when Apple released the latest version of its MacBook Pro last October, but it’s become more prominent with the relase of the new Mac Pro (http://www.macworld.com/article/2082515/mac-pro-late-2013-review-apples-new-mac-pro-really-is-for-pros.html). How different is Thunderbolt 2 from its predecessor? Here’s what you need to know.
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<h2>What is Thunderbolt?</h2>
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<a href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/mac-pro-2013-11-ports-100220787-large.jpg" class="zoom"><img src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/12/mac-pro-2013-11-ports-100220787-medium.jpg" height="201" width="300" alt="mac pro 2013 11 ports"/>[/url]   <figcaption>
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On the back of the Mac Pro are six Thunderbolt 2 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, independent Gigabit-ethernet ports, an HDMI-video port, and audio jacks.
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Thunderbolt is an interconnect technology developed by Intel in cooperation with Apple. Thunderbolt combines PCI Express and DisplayPort into a single connection, allowing for a combination of up to six peripherals, like storage devices and monitors, to be daisy-chained together. You can also connect USB and FireWire peripherals via Thunderbolt, as long as you have the proper adapter. Those connections won’t run any faster just because they’re on a Thunderbolt connection.
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We covered much of Thunderbolt’s background in our FAQ on Thunderbolt (http://www.macworld.com/article/1158145/thunderbolt_what_you_need_to_know.html). If you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into Thunderbolt at an introductory level, you should read that FAQ. I’m focusing on Thunderbolt 2 here.
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