Need a Definitive Solution connecting two 24" LEDs to Mac Pro!
I've been looking to replace my G5 (2-23" Cinema Dispalys) with a new Mac Pro 8-core with 2-24" LED Displays, but cannot get a straight answer on what the correct configuration should be.
*Do I need two video cards or just the stock model that ships with the computer?*
If two, then that seems extremely redundant, careless, overly excessive, and wasteful to require a second PCI slot in order to power two of these LED monitors. This is not the high flying, innovative engineering solution I've come to expect from Apple.
Why is this a big deal for Apple to figure out? I've search dozens of threads on the web and it appears many people are suffering from this same problem. The cards they offer with the new Mac Pros are powerful enough to power two monitors, yet Apple's recommendation on their Online Store instructs buyers to buy two cards, so ***? This isn't a case of profit grabbing since the second card is only $150 extra. My gripe with this recommendation is that it forfeits one of the three remaining PCI slots, and I'd like to use that for something else, like a RAID card. I also read rumblings about running FCP from two cards. Apparently, FCP does not support this 2-card scenario. Apple, why is this an issue at all? You control all these products, right? The Mac Pros are engineered for high-end videographers, right? Videographers typically like to use more than one monitor, right? You no longer sell the smaller Cinema Displays, just the 30" & 24" LEDs, right? 2-30" displays is brutal to use in FCP, so that leaves the best option the 24" LEDs, right? So why must I buy a second card I don't want to run two LEDs, only to have it break when using FCP? Do you really want me to go buy that DELL or Samsung monitor? I didn't think so either. So again I ask, what is the "right" solution that satisfies these basic requirements?
Oh, and another thing, why, oh why, is the cable for the 24" LEDs sooooooo short? Ever try putting your computer on the ground? Try it, you can't really do it can you? Some of us like the iMac experience with our more powerful, high-end Mac Pros. You did invent the iMac, right?
I'd appreciate it if someone can give me a straight answer on this. But more importantly, I wish Apple could just make their high-end gear work as nicely as their lower-end consumer products (e.g., iPod, iPhone iMac).
*Do I need two video cards or just the stock model that ships with the computer?*
If two, then that seems extremely redundant, careless, overly excessive, and wasteful to require a second PCI slot in order to power two of these LED monitors. This is not the high flying, innovative engineering solution I've come to expect from Apple.
Why is this a big deal for Apple to figure out? I've search dozens of threads on the web and it appears many people are suffering from this same problem. The cards they offer with the new Mac Pros are powerful enough to power two monitors, yet Apple's recommendation on their Online Store instructs buyers to buy two cards, so ***? This isn't a case of profit grabbing since the second card is only $150 extra. My gripe with this recommendation is that it forfeits one of the three remaining PCI slots, and I'd like to use that for something else, like a RAID card. I also read rumblings about running FCP from two cards. Apparently, FCP does not support this 2-card scenario. Apple, why is this an issue at all? You control all these products, right? The Mac Pros are engineered for high-end videographers, right? Videographers typically like to use more than one monitor, right? You no longer sell the smaller Cinema Displays, just the 30" & 24" LEDs, right? 2-30" displays is brutal to use in FCP, so that leaves the best option the 24" LEDs, right? So why must I buy a second card I don't want to run two LEDs, only to have it break when using FCP? Do you really want me to go buy that DELL or Samsung monitor? I didn't think so either. So again I ask, what is the "right" solution that satisfies these basic requirements?
Oh, and another thing, why, oh why, is the cable for the 24" LEDs sooooooo short? Ever try putting your computer on the ground? Try it, you can't really do it can you? Some of us like the iMac experience with our more powerful, high-end Mac Pros. You did invent the iMac, right?
I'd appreciate it if someone can give me a straight answer on this. But more importantly, I wish Apple could just make their high-end gear work as nicely as their lower-end consumer products (e.g., iPod, iPhone iMac).
Mac Pro 8-Core, Mac OS X (10.5.7), 24" LED Displays, Mini Displayport
