Apple’s decision to remove the DVI port from the MacBook Pro in favor of Mini-DisplayPort, and to offer Mini-
DisplayPort as the only video connector for the new 24 inch Cinema Display, has raised compatibility concerns. While
the DisplayPort signal is an open industry standard, it is currently unclear whether the connector used by Apple is part
of the standard or proprietary. Even if it is an open standard, Apple as of yet seems to be the only vendor for adapter
cables. This has a number of implications:
The previous MacBook Pro shipped with a built-in Dual-Link DVI port, and a DVI-I to VGA adapter cable, allowing
users to drive 30" displays without having to purchase additional cables. Buyers of the new MacBook Pro who want to
do the same will need to purchase two adapters from Apple totalling $128, one for Dual-Link DVI, and one for VGA
(which is no longer included free of charge). This assumes that Apple’s DVI adapter is DVI-D only as was the case
with the Mini-DVI to DVI adapter.
A connection to HDMI requires the use of both a Mini DisplayPort to DVI adaptor and a DVI to HDMI adaptor and
would be limited to the DVI specification.
The Dual-Link DVI adapter requires power via a USB cable, making it less convenient to use.
Whether any adapters to Mini DisplayPort will be offered for the still unrelased Cinema Display, so that PCs and older
Macs can be connected to it, remains to be seen.
For now it is not possible to connect displays with a normal-size
DisplayPort connector to one of the new MacBooks,as Apple does not offer
a Mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter, and using DVI as an intermediate would limit the
maximum resolution.
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