Connect Thunderbolt Display to Mini DisplayPort?

It's a highly frustrating, but sadly not inconsistant decision from Apple. They are in the business of flogging Mac hardware and iOS upgrade paths, rather than looking after those who want to upgrade their peripherals.

I tested my 2010 MacBook Pro with minidisplay port connected to a Thunderbolt cinema display at the local apple store. The computer did not detect the display and it just didn't work. So unfortunately, although a Thunderbolt computer will run the standard LED monitor, the reverse does not work.

I don't understand technically why this is the case or needed to be the case, but there you have it. '

Apple have continued to market the LED display in part because the Mac Pro is still not a Thunderbolt machine and as long as they are continuing to sell that version, they need the standard mini-display port-driven monitor.

This all comes down to one thing - Money (or should I clarify and say REVENUE for Apple)

I have the TB 27 display and Mac Mini server with TB port, that works all fine, as it does with my new MBP 17 with TB. I then wanted to upgrade the screen running off my old MacPro 4,2 but all tests and posts prove this is a no go, and no upgrage will be available for the MP till TB is standard in these - likely mid-late 2012.

Reason - Apple still have too many LED 27's in stock and 2011 MP's to sell and want to force us to buy that old tech before they make new tech available. Prats! Exactly what happedned with Mac Mini, they had the tech and stock built and waiting, just wouldnt release it till they sold out of old stuff.

If anyone in apple is reading this, It would be great to connect mac book pro 2010 to TB display (even for only video functionality). This way when we upgrade our 2010 mac to a thunderbolt model, we will be able to still use our TB display. There are some things that doesn´t make sence, why previous cinema display is the same price than TB display? I think if you can put this compatibility throug a 3rd party, TB technology can gain a lot of market. I was going to buy a tb display, on apple store they said it was compatible, and then I read it was not, so I do not what to do, wait to see if that´s posible with a future converter or to buy an ips display from another manufacturer.

adriáncm wrote:

... or to buy an ips display from another manufacturer.

...Such as Dell's Ultrasharp U2711. It's a comparable (if not cheaper) price to Apple's 27" LED Cinema Display, gets very good reviews, is non-glare/matte and comes with ports that are more versatile than a minidisplay port. No speakers, no camera and no fancy cabling, but I'd say those all play second fiddle since we're talking about an external display.

Just my 2 cents.

Is there any solution available now?

At the moment I own 2 i7 MBPs from Late 2010, sadly with MDP. I was about to buy the new TB display, but found out that is not supported for MDP MBP. I definitely don't want to buy "old" MDP technology - not sure about how long Apple is going to support it in future. But can't buy a TB display without buying two new MBPs. Apple, are you serious?

Likewise, I went to the Apple Store with my 2010 MBP to test a 27 inch Thunderbolt Display. SInce it does not work I am simply going to buy from another manufacturer. Apple is losing customers here. Very dissapointing.

Sorry if I missed it, but did anyone confirm that they upgraded their OS to Lion (or mountain lion now) and it actually allowed them to use a displayport mac on a thunderbolt display?

"Upgrade your OS" sounds more like lazy tech support than an actual solution to the problem. Whether it worked or not I'd just like to read what someone's experience with it was.

I just bought a Thunderbolt display. I have a Thunderbold Mac. I do have other computers(old ones), but I primarily use my TB Mac. I went back and forth for so long and stressed out but just ordered the TB display.

No solutions but more questions:

Does anybody knows why it would be so difficult to make a (powered) converter that can generate a valid video input for the thunderbolt display?

I would guess there is a market for such an item, but since it has not appeared yet there must be some serious technical issues?

I have our first and only Thunderbolt monitor sitting on a desk in the corner of the office now for a year. It is not plugged into anything ...that is because we did not have a machine that would output Thunderbolt - even still. After that rather frustrating purchase which not only did not work with our non-Thunderbolt laptops (plugging it into a 2010 MBP blew the MBP motherboard - which Apple replaced under warranty), we went out and purchased 28 Dell monitors. They work fine, & are less expensive. Our conclusion was and is that Thunderbolt technology is still a bit immature (early version) and we do not intend to be a test site, so we decided to put off ALL Mac purcahses for another year (or two?) until this I/O format matures.

Let's see -

You bought a monitor and didn't have anything to drive it...

You plugged it into a computer that didn't have the output to drive it...

You put off "ALL Mac" purchases even though all Apple computers work with virtually any monitor. Thunderbolt -> VGA, DVI, HDMI, etc.

This says nothing about the maturity of the technology and more about your poor purchasing choices and lack of knowledge about technology.

I own the thunderbolt drive and agree - at times it's frustrating that I can't plug my PC in and use it directly (I just RDP in), but your comment makes zero sense.

His comment makes fine sense. You're just being obtuse.

You imply that people in early 2012 should have anticipated these compatibility problems. That's patently ridiculous. The use of a standard interface port (mini-DV) confused many people: we're used to checking that our ports and cables match and having that be enough. ****, we're used to being able to buy an adapter in the cases when we don't have the right ports/cables.

The existence of hundreds of threads like this is all the proof you really need that - whether willful

or not - Apple's marketing was incredibly confusing on this issue.

And if someone is making purchasing decisions for a company, can't afford to make mistakes, and has clear evidence that a company tends toward closed technologies, confusing marketing and an unapologetic love for all things proprietary, then it makes perfect sense to decide to put purchases from a company like that on hold.

****, it more than makes sense, it's the responsible thing to do.

I was told by a sales person this would work. I then took my HP laptop with display port to the Apple retailer to verify if it would work with the Apple Thunderbolt Display. It does not work.

I'm surprised that Apple doesn't make a Thunderbolt KVM switch that would take inputs from VGA/DVI/HDMI/Display Port. I have a MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt that works with the Thunderbolt Display but I'm not buying separate displays for my computers. This is very disapointing to me. I was all ready to purchase the beautiful Apple Thunderbolt Display, now I'm getting something else that will work with both of my computers.

I too was disappointed to learn this - I wish I would have bought the led display. I ended up buying a thunderbolt hub anyway to drive a second monitor and could have used the monitor in many more ways.