
At WWDC 2012, as Apple announced the new retina display MacBook Pro, they also announced a new Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter (pictured above) along with a new Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter. This is because Apple is moving toward the world of Thunderbolt to remove larger, other ports from their computers that will cause difficulties with the new slim form factor of the aluminum computer cases.
Today, Mac users that have Thunderbolt ports on their computers can download a new update for the Thunderbolt software (version 1.2.1) that builds in support for Apple’s new Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter. It will allow users to connect an Ethernet wire to any Thunderbolt port (assuming they have the adapter) and use it as a wired connection as an alternative to Apple’s built in wireless networking.
The Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter is recommended only for the new retina display MacBook Pro, since all other up-to-date models of the MacBook Pro have Ethernet plug sockets already built right into the sides. However, it will work fine with any other Thunderbolt enabled Mac as well.
You must have Mac OS X Lion 10.7.4 or later to install the Thunderbolt 1.2.1 software update. It didn't appear in the Software Update box from the menu the last time we checked, but it should appear there soon. Until then, you can use the link above if you are impatient. It's a tiny update and should not take more more than a couple of minutes to install. You will need to restart your Mac after the update.
Sources: MacRumors
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