thunderbolt monitor, what is obsolete on it

Cranahan wrote:

I am having an issue connecting my wife’s iPad Air (Gen 5) to the Display. It states “Thunderbolt Accessories are not supported on this iPad.” Any advice?

I'm afraid your iPad Air isn't compatible with the 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display, or with any other Thunderbolt accessory, for that matter. You'll need to use a different adapter (USB-C to whatever) and a different monitor.

As per Apple's Technical Specifications, the iPad Air (5th generation) has a USB-C port with support for

• Charging
• DisplayPort
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)

Notably absent is any mention of Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is an optional feature, and this iPad doesn't have it. The Apple TB3-to-2 adapter and the 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display both require Thunderbolt input, and won't work without it.

Interestingly enough, the 27" Apple 5K Studio Display is compatible with the iPad Air (5th generation). This is a display that normally requires Thunderbolt input, so I'm not sure exactly what is going on here. (But I'd bet that one or both devices are doing something "special" when they detect the presence of the other.)

You cannot use the Thunderbolt Display with a computer that has only DVI output. There is no adapter to convert DVI on the computer side to Thunderbolt (of any flavor) on the monitor side.

Furthermore, I believe most DisplayPort or USB-C (DisplayPort) to DVI adapters are designed to convert to DVI, not from DVI. You couldn’t use those adapters in reverse to hook up USB-C or DisplayPort monitors, either.

janburg wrote:

Thank you for a thoughtful review - I have purchased the Apple adapter and am using the mini now, yay. I really didn't want to have to toss a very useful display that still works fine.

Random question, what would happen if I connect my old laptop to the display the same time as the mini - would I get double images on the screen? Would the system blow up? Just curious ;-) I plan to only use one at a time.

I don't recommend trying it to find out.

You can connect the Thunderbolt display to your new Mac mini using the Apple Thunderbolt adapter.

Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter - Apple

"In addition, it can be used to connect Thunderbolt-enabled displays — such as the Apple Thunderbolt Display and LG Thunderbolt 2 displays — to any of the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) / USB 4 ports on your Mac."

You should be able to connect the two using the Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter. If the hard-wired cable on the Thunderbolt Display has gone bad, you may be able to compensate for that by running a replacement TB 1/2 cable from the Apple adapter to the Thunderbolt DIsplay's daisy-chaining port.

Don't use a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter cable. The connectors would physically fit the Mini and monitor – but the cable wouldn't provide the TB signal the monitor requires. (Likewise, if this is actually a Apple 27-inch LED Cinema Display that expects Mini DisplayPort input, don't use the Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter.)

That Thunderbolt Display has

• A resolution of 2560x1440 pixels
• (3) USB 2.0 ports
• (1) FireWire 800 port
• (1) Gigabit Ethernet port
• Thunderbolt 1 and MagSafe connections

The Thunderbolt 1 and MagSafe connections are obsolete – though you can work around this issue by (1) using an Apple TB3-to-2 adapter, and (2) not using the monitor to power or charge a laptop. Since you bought a Mac mini, you don't have any use for the charging power from the Thunderbolt Display, anyway.

The USB 2.0 ports are good for connecting keyboards, mice, even printers. They are not optimal for external drives and so you may want to connect those more directly to your Mini.

The FireWire port is a nice thing to have, if you've got old drives from which you need to recover data, old MiniDV or Digital 8 camcorders, or specialized audio gear for which people used to prefer FireWire to USB. If you do not have any of these things, you can ignore it.

This works great for connecting my iPad Pro to the Thunderbolt Display.

I am having an issue connecting my wife’s iPad Air (Gen 5) to the Display. It states “Thunderbolt Accessories are not supported on this iPad.” Any advice?

knowing this is an old thread at this point BUT it never hurts to ask...

I have one of these displays and would LOVE to use it ( ultimately) with a switch ...having the option to use my mini and G5 ( cheese grater ) with it along with my M1 MBP ... would anyone have a tip on connecting the dvi output to the display ...I have tried a dvi to usb-c with a " video supported" usb-c coupler BUT the monitor doesn't wake up to see the g5... thanks for looking & not laughing ....

-p

Thank you for you time & insight !