I need help understanding which adapter is needed to connect a MacMini to my Apple monitor. The monitor has the lighting connector. My new MacBook works great with a lighting 2 to 3 adapter. I’m sharing pics and looking for suggestions. Thanks 🙏
Mac OS X Server
Your Apple "Monitor" [sic] is an iMac, and a full fledged computer like the Mac Mini is, except much newer. Now thankfully it does have Thunderbolt 2, which means you might be able to use Target Display Mode. But you need another thunderbolt capable Mac Mini for this. The way you can tell the difference that this is an iMac, is that it has an ethernet port. No Apple monitor had built-in ethernet.
Unfortunately the Mac Mini you have is also too old to be used as a boot system for the iMac, and the iMac is too new to be used as a boot system for the Mac Mini in Target Disk Mode having one Mac treat the other as an external hard disk. But it can be used for data transfer over Firewire to Thunderbolt adapters and the proper thunderbolt 2 cable. The Mac Mini will have to boot with the T key, and link to the iMac directly via those adapters once it is booted. It will be helpful to have a DVI capable monitor to see that the Mac Mini has successfully booted into Target Disk Mode before hooking the cables to the iMac.
Your best bet is getting a DVI capable monitor and USB keyboard and mouse to boot the Mac Mini, if its hard disk is still healthy, or you have a backup on a Firewire Hard Disk of its content, and networking the two machines via ethernet to transfer the data.
That Mac Mini is too old to boot via USB any hard drive, or any version of Mac OS X newer than 10.5.8. That iMac is probably capable of Mac OS 10.8 up to 10.15.
it's not a monitor it's an imac computer
this image should show where it's power button is localted
I stand corrected...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Cinema_Display#Cinema_HD_Display
Looks like you either have
Usually you'd find one of these indicators on the back or the the underside of the foot of the display.
You'll need a special dual link DVI connector. Which I assume you have because of the cables.
indicates only the M9177LL/A A1081 is supported by the Mac Mini G4. If you have the other two monitors you'll need a Mac with dual link DVI support such as a G4 or G5 tower desktop with the appropriate graphics card.
The Macbook you have can interact with the iMac via Target disk mode, although since you haven't stated how new the Macbook is you may be faced with these limitations:
November 11th, 2020 and older MacBooks back to late 2012 can boot 10.15.7 like the iMac.
November 12th, 2020 and later MacBooks can't boot 10.15 at all.
iMacs running earler than 10.13 may not be able to see Macs running 10.13 or later that are booted with the T key and 2012 iMacs can't run Mac OS 11.0 or later.
That’s strange because the Monitor will only power up when my MacBook is connected and on. The device doesn’t have a power button of its own. It also will only mirror my MacBook. I did purchase a DVI to thunderbolt 2 adapter and it does nothing in the way of a presentation on the screen of the monitor. I have ran the Mac mini on an aftermarket dvi to dvi monitor and it operates fine. This is an option for me, I just would like to utilize it on my apple screen. I believe my goal will be for music storage and play back with a DAC unit. I’m still researching that.
That's a first. Wonder if you got some demo model. Look on the front or underside for a simple on/off button that has a 1 in the middle of a zero. I have never seen an iMac with a switch anywhere but the back of the computer.
I will look. That would be nice because the image is superb and the price was even better. I’ll update with what I find. Thanks.
This is the back of the device. Where is the power button?
No switches anywhere of any sort. I bought it at a living estate sale that the person had a MacBook attached to it. I have a new MacBook that I use with it. Just wanted to hook a Max Mini I bought from another estate sale. Not a big deal.
Connecting Mac Mini to Apple Monitor.
