Q: iMac 27" like monitor for Pc

Good to know. Thanks for the report.

So as long as your Windows PC has a DisplayPort, you can convert it to Mini DisplayPort and it will drive the iMac in +target display mode+.

I did the same and was able to use my new 27" iMac's screen with a PC.

I used the same cable from circuitassembly (DP to mini-DP).

The graphics card used in the PC is a Nvidia Quadro FX 380 LP.

With Windows XP Pro installed on the PC and the Nvidia drivers I am able to use the Imac as a PC screen.

I would like to do the same with Ubuntu 9.10, but not being enough a Linux specialist, I didn't manage to configure it correctly. Did anybody try to do that or could a Linux specialist help me with this ?

Wow!!! After reading these posts, I thought I would give it a try. I had a a min-dp to a dp cable that I purchased from circuitassembly.com. Same one as noted above.

I plugged in my Dell E6400 laptop and it worked!!!! WoooooWhoooo!!! Now I have the ultimate Mac! Command F2 to toggle back and forth worked great.

Graphics card on the E6400 is Nvidia Quadro NVS

Hello,

Just a quick question...

When you put the pc, macbook etc attached to Imac27 and transferred the control to them, what happens with keyboard and mouse?

What I'm thinking is buying the new Imac27 with Icore 7 and then use this as an external display of my macbook 13" (with display port), but want to use keyboard and mouse as well..

How did you do this?

thanks guys...

The keyboard and mouse remain dedicated to the iMac, which is still operating normally.

If the keyboard and mouse are wired, there are USB switch devices, used to share USB peripherals with more than one computer. It would be like a "KVM" without the "V" part.

For wireless, I don't think it would be possible in any convenient way. At least I can't think of a way, short of re-pairing the mouse and keyboard back and forth, and that probably would not work because you would need to somehow give the Cmd-F2 command to give the iMac its screen back.

Thanks mate for the answer.

This is a great idea and solution to those of us who were looking with trepidation towards dividing up the drive of their new iMacs so they can run windows 7. I need to get a notebook computer anyway. I presume I need to look for one with a really good graphics card and a "displayport" output that would except one end of the cable. The cable looks like a HDMI. Or am I missing something. Any thoughts?

Looks like this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort

I suppose it looks a bit like HDMI, but it is not the same.

A Mini DisplayPort is smaller (very small)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_DisplayPort

KW.. any thoughts on what graphics card I should install in my yet to be purchased notebook/laptop computer? Other than the full size "Display port" out connection. Dumb question: Is the graphics card in the laptop running the 27" display in this mode or the card in the iMac i5...or somehow both? Thanks.

I don't have direct experience. However, what I have read seems to indicate that the main requirement is for the output to be DisplayPort, either regular DisplayPort or Mini DisplayPort. You should confirm that one of the output resolutions supported is 2560x1440, because that is the native resolution of the 27-inch iMac display. DisplayPort itself can certainly reach that resolution, so the main uncertainty is for the graphics hardware behind the DisplayPort, and its Windows driver.

For your second question, when used this way, the 27-inch iMac is acting as a display. The computing part of the iMac is still running and computing (so you can have it doing work such as encoding a video), but it is not controlling the display. The external device is controlling the display. You toggle back and forth by hitting Command-F2 on the (iMac's) keyboard.

Thanks for your info. I would be completely lost trying to understand all this without yours and the others on this board's advice. My iMac i5 comes with the ATI Radeon HD 4859 card. If I have this same card (or a very similar ATI card w/ a full size Display port) installed in the laptop, wouldn't that solve the compatibility and driver issue? Thanks again for your help.

I think that would indicate the graphics hardware can support 2560x1440. The Windows driver is not the same as the driver for Mac OS X. However, forward, backward, and sideways compatibility is an overriding design consideration on the Windows side, so it will probably work. Again, I do not have direct experience...

Hopefully, it will not be too difficult to find some spec sheet or sales rep that can tell you if 2560x1440 is a supported resolution. In target display mode, the iMac is just a 2560x1440 display that connects by DisplayPort. I don't think there is any special compatibility issues, because it happens to be an iMac.

Never thought I'd have anything to add to the world of Mac or PC knowledge but this is great! Thanks for the info on the cable described. I purchased it and at first, could not get it to work. I tried the normal PC (FnF7 toggle), there was a moment of hope and then my Laptop (IBM Thinkpad 500 from Lenovo) gave a DOS looking Dialogue box that asked me to decide how to use the new Monitor. After choosing, And attempting to connect, It gave a NEW Dialogue box that read something like. Settings are not correct... Can not connect. I kicked the dirt and tried and tried, nothing.

I almost returned the cable.

I then went back to the Mac store to ask, was it possible had I used the cable correctly. There I was told... It's a PC it won't work on the 27 because it's a Mac.

Again I almost returned the Cable.

But before I did... I read about the Toggle mode in this string! Ok... something new.

Bottom line, It works! and works great.

IF you hit Fn F7 and your laptop returns the Dos looking Set of choices... Use the mouse and Select *Fn F7settings*... below the normal choices. There you will have a new dialogue box open that will have 2 or 3 radial buttons on the left, SELECT the bottom radial and hit OK.

Now your looking at your Laptop PC, normal screen. With the cable connected to your 27, hit FnF7 again! Nice.... Now at acts like you'd expect it to when you hook a normal PC laptop to a projector.

Will change the way I work from home! Hope this helps someone else.

Well I've finally got my notebook computer hooked up to the 27" iMac using a 6' displayport to mini-displayport cable I purchased for circuitassembly.com. The graphics card in the laptop is a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 1GB that is supposed to get to the same resolution as the 4850 card in the iMac (2560 x 1440). Currently the max on the Dell laptop is showing 1920 x 1080. Any idea on how I can get the resolution output up to 2560 x 1440 which the 4670 is capable of?