Connect Thunderbolt Display to Mini DisplayPort?

This is crazy !. Is there no one who cn verify that if you simply plug one of the old MBP into the new TB display that the thing works ? I am headed to the mac store with my Old 2008 MBP to find out.

Thunderbold ports are divided into 2 pipelines, one for data and the other for video. Going from the quote it should work with the video pipeline with no issues, but with no support for any of the external inputs (FW800, USB, Ethernet port).

Hi jbjoret,

Me and a few others have some problems when connecting the new Mac Mini (Thuderbolt port) to a LED 24" display (miniDisplay).

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3198411?answerId=15804656022#15804656022

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2765552?answerId=15805738022#15805738022

We have black flickering, i.e. the screen goes balck for a fraction of a second every so often, In my case I had my screen totally messed up, (see photos). We have tried Lion re-install, PRAM reset, etc ....

Do you have any issues with your configuration?

Thanks,

Charles

I would just a word of caution. My 24 LED Display (miniDsiplay port) is supposed to work perfectly with my new MAC Mini when connected to its Thunderbolt port. Apple clearly advertise that thunderbolt is backward compatible with miniDisplay.

Well, in my case, and the case of thousands equiped with either MAcbook Pro/Mac Mini with Thunderport, and an 24 LED Display with miniDisplay, it does not! We are all experiencing Black flickering, and other weird graphics issues.

See : https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3198411?answerId=15884484022#15884484022

No. The Thunderbolt display requires to be plugged into an Actual Thunderbolt port (on your computer/device).

You are unable to get just partial functionality by plugging it into a mDP (on a non-TB computer).

How about an adapter?

Like Jan, I would like to use the display just as a display not as a hub or docking station (until I stay with my current MacBook Pro and don't buy a new one).

Is there an adapter to plug into a mDP to connect the Thunderbolt Display?

Best regards.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface)

"... Thunderbolt controllers fold data from existing DisplayPort systems with data from the PCI Express port into a single cable..."

... However, Thunderbolt is bi-directional, which often requires sophisticated reflection and cross-talk suppression techniques, such as used in 10 Gigabit Ethernet. ..."

So as it currently stands, the technology is not compatible for the Thunderbolt display to successfully communicate (bi-directional information transfer) thru the older mDP port (with is purely a video 'output').

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Thunderbolt_Display

"... This display is only officially compatible with Macs that have the Mini DisplayPort connector or the Thunderbolt connector. A third-party converter must be used in order to use this display with older Macs. ... "

I guess, never say never... as by definition, they mention a 3rd party device would need to be used. But as it looks, there is nothing on the market to do this.

I have a 2010 Mac Pro with a ATi 5870 and I currently have the first gen 27-inch LED Cinema Display and i'm in the market to buy a second 27-inch, I always wonder if the thunderbolt cinema display will work with my 2010 Mac Pro and by reading some of the comments here I might not have to buy the 2011 Mac Pro GPU Upgrade kit but might upgrade my GPU just in case

Likely because no one actually has one yet and the only information there is to go on are Apple's support documents, however scant. As you say, best to check at an Apple store, though my local one didn't have a single demo model the last time I checked.

The correct answer above says that the display "should" work simply as a display without the extra ports. Has anyone confirmed this yet in the real world? I see another poster was going to take a laptop in to try it. I too would be willing to forego the extra ports for the time being, looking forward a year or two to another upgrade to replace my current 2010 i7 MacBook Pro. Rick

Did not yet get to the Apple Store - but called and the person I spoke to told me that the Thunderbolt display will indeed work with a MBP with Mini Display Port connected it - but that only the "display" pipe will be active. This would make sense as - why in the world would Apple bring to market a display thta was not backward compatible with a large portion of the installed base. The new Thunderbolt display will only work (for now at least until confirmed otherwise) with Macs. Now slice that even further ans say it will only work with new TB equipped Macs. That's a small number. Most folks with legacy Macs will buy in as when they updgrade / refresh, they will have the display alresdy equipped. So I think the answer appears to be "yes - it will work with older Mini Display port".

lumiere wrote:

Did not yet get to the Apple Store - but called and the person I spoke to told me that the Thunderbolt display will indeed work with a MBP with Mini Display Port connected it - but that only the "display" pipe will be active. This would make sense as - why in the world would Apple bring to market a display thta was not backward compatible with a large portion of the installed base. The new Thunderbolt display will only work (for now at least until confirmed otherwise) with Macs. Now slice that even further ans say it will only work with new TB equipped Macs. That's a small number. Most folks with legacy Macs will buy in as when they updgrade / refresh, they will have the display alresdy equipped. So I think the answer appears to be "yes - it will work with older Mini Display port".

I surely hope so, however I still believe this is not a possibility otherwise I should be able to get my iMac 27" thunderbolt working with a former MacBook Air mini displayport under the same logic. By the way, I called the Apple store asking if they had a thunderbolt display available and the apple guy said quote "yes, we got some items in and I believe we did a store refresh a few days ago". I think explicitly indicated when I went last week they had cinema displays and to double check, after being on hold for about 2 minutes he returned confirming no thunderbolt displays on the floor yet.

I too want to get one of these nice displays for my current MacBook Pro (late 2008), instead of the non-TB model, as I will assume that I will eventually upgrade my Mac, at which point the TB would be more useful.

Previously I beleive (as recently as Feb) there was an update that required USB to be connected.

As the new display doesn't have the USB input (used previously by audio and firmware updates), then maybe you cannot apply firmware updates from non-TB enabled Macs

So currently I am assuming until (told otherwise) that

a) the display will work

b) none of the extra connection on the back of the display will work, apart from the magsafe connector

c) you will probably not be able to apply firmware updates via USB port on rear of display