Using iMac display as a standalone monitor

http://www.apple.com/feedback

But I think very few people want to only view photos and videos on the screen and not import them into the computer for storage and manipulation which is of course possible on both Macs and the iPad. So a direct input to the screen for cameras and camcorders is probably not something Apple is likely to implement. But you can suggest it.

It's available on Late 2009 and Mid 2010 27" iMacs only. The iMac has to be on and running Mac OS X. It works will all Macs with a Mini DisplayPort connector that support 2560x1440 resolution (maybe all Macs with that port support this resolution, not sure), as well as some PC graphics cards.

Yes, that would be nice. It is one of my main irritations with Apple that they do not use standard plugs for their equipment. Apparently (?) it's a matter of policy that they use proprietary standards for everything... It makes their machines much less practical in my estimation.

The use of a standard DisplayPort connector would be of no help in this circumstance, since to the best of my knowledge there are no cameras that have DisplayPort as outputs. And if there were, they'd most likely use the same mini-DisplayPort connectors used on the iMac, which BTW is part of the DisplayPort 1.2 standard so is by no means proprietary to Apple.

BTW, "proprietary" and "standard" are by definition mutually exclusive terms.

Regards.

Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

Dave-

Thanks for all your useful advice.

Do you know if a new 27" iMac in Target Display mode can export the iMac's keyboard or mouse signals through its USB ports so the iMac keyboard or mouse can be used to control the external PC that is displayed on the iMac?

Maybe more important (assuming that the answer at this point is no), do you have an educated guess as to whether this is a hardware issue or a software/firmware issue? I would very much like to use a 27" iMac as the monitor for my office PC, but I have delayed purchasing the iMac both ℹ because of the challenge of identifying and installing a compatible Mini-Display-Port video card and (ii) because I don't want to have to use two sets of mice and keyboards, at least not indefinitely. I could live with two mice and keyboards for now, but it would be very frustrating to be unable to upgrade my iMac when Apple does address this issue. Thus my question as to whether this a software/firmware issue, i.e. one that could be addressed through a software/firmware upgrade once Apple gets around to it. If that were the case then I would deal with the video card issue and buy the iMac, but otherwise I am on hold for now.

Thanks again for all your posts.

-JAFDC

Have you looked into a KVM switch? Plug the keyboard and mouse to the KVM, and plug the KVM to both computers. A button on the KVM letting you switch from one computer to another.

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

Yes, it's called target mode display and it works very well.
I have my Mac Mini connected to the 27" via mini display port and toggle back and forth using cmd-F2.