Use only one MiniĭisplayPort device in a Thunderbolt chain.
Mac or to a compatible Thunderbolt peripheral do not connect a MiniĭisplayPort display to a Thunderbolt display. If the Mini DisplayPort display is connected to a Thunderbolt peripheral, the display should be connected at the end of theĬonnect Mini DisplayPort displays directly to a Thunderbolt port on a Thunderbolt-capable Mac or to a compatible Thunderbolt peripheral. Connect MiniĭisplayPort displays directly to a Thunderbolt port on a Of an Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch) will not work. DisplaysĬonnected via Mini DisplayPort video adapter to the Thunderbolt port Thunderbolt port of an Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch). Mini DisplayPort displays will not light up if connected to the Thunderbolt storage devices into the display's relevant port. The Thunderbolt display directly into the Mac's port, then hooking For best performance Apple recommends hooking It's unclear why simply hooking the older monitors directly into the Work as normal by hooking them into another Thunderbolt peripheral. That Mini DisplayPort LCDs can be added to a Thunderbolt chain and Into the Thunderbolt port on the newer LCD. Mini DisplayPort displays won't light up if they're hooked directly
Should a Thunderbolt adapter come about that drives two displays, I'll update the answer, but nothing has been released (or even rumored) even though it's clearly something the protocol could support. You can then put the most important content on the Thunderbolt port and have the secondary display served over USB.
Initially they were slower, but the newer ones are getting much faster and the software much better. You may find an inexpensive USB to VGA solution to get around this limitation. The Apple mini-DisplayPort to VGA or HDMI adapter terminates the Thunderbolt chain where it is connected, so until Apple released new MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports (similar to the iMac that has two ports) then you will only get one video signal from the device through the Thunderbolt port.