Solution: Don't use Apple's Adapter!
Hey guys, thanks for bringing this issue up! I owe this forum sharing my findings on this and the solution which I reached after a lot of headache: buying different adapter types from different Apple stores, taking my laptop to the Apple genius bar, and trying adapter that is not endorsed by Apple -- i.e., Apple doesn't carry their product.
Setup: latest MacBook Pro 17" connected to the high-end Dell U2410 via Apple's Mini-DP/Thunderbolt to DVI-D adapter.
Symptom: similar to what others described with other Dell monitors (and other latest gen. MacBooks) where the MacBook with Apple's Mini-DP to DVI-D adapter just CANNOT properly put the monitor into sleep mode. The monitor kept on cycling between sleep mode, and then waking up, trying to detect the resolution, thinking there is a signal on the line. Naturally, I worried this might damage the monitor that I invested a lot in.
Solution:
A smaller company out of Fremont, CA got it right where Apple (and possibly several of its approved partners) got it wrong.
Use: Accell Mini DisplayPort to DVI-D Active Single-Link Adapter
Specifications page (for your reference): http://www.accellcables.com/products/DisplayPort/DP/mdp_dvi_sl_active.html
This works well, and has been tested over months successfully.
You can get it at a bunch of stores like Fry's, Amazon, NewEgg, etc.
Note: I went for the ACTIVE adapter here deliberately, and I suggest you do the same, unless you want to try the passive option for yourself.
Possible Explanation:
Given how prevalent this problem is, there seems to be a significant compatibility problem in this combination of the new thunderbolt MacBooks, Apple MiniDP to DVI-D adapters (even similar adapters they carry in their stores from their partners), and a 3rd party monitor like Dell. After trying several adapters from Apple stores, I decided to try out non-Apple endorsed adapters based on my knowledge of the required specifications for the interface.
Apple released a couple of software and firmware updates related to Thunderbolt, yet none of them seemed to fix the issue. So, this could be a compatibility issue at the HW level, i.e., somebody screwed up at the design level, and that might have gotten propagated as a reference design to partners who copied blindly, or may be they are sharing a chip that has a bug. Or, it could be, in a best case scenario, a firmware issue that Apple just isn't paying enough attention to because they don't see it happen with their Apple monitors and DVI-D is a bit old.
A passive adapter is one that does a simple passive rearrangement of the wires to fit another interface. In contrast, an active adapter has actual electronic circuitry and possibly firmware of its own (all depending on design, obviously) so that it terminates the input interface (Mini-DP in this case), understands the signals and protocol, and generates a whole new set of signals and protocol messages on the other side. This was the reason why I opted for an active adapter, because I knew that should the compatibility problem be due to something coming out of the MacBook's port, then I may have a better chance of compatibility with an active adapter, if the adapter is capable of understanding Apple's signal/message, and generating the proper output on the other side. I didn't have the time (or patience) to try out a passive adapter, after all the frustrating iterations I had before. Also, it seems from the literature that Apple's own adapter is active, see the FAQ answer at:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3382#9
Hope this solution or similar works for you!
Please update us on this thread if other solutions work for you, like a passive adapter or a different brand.
Cheers!
