Can i connect the new Thunderbolt Display to a MacPro 2010 Mid Mini-displayport?

I would be intrested in knowing this also. I have the mid 2009 model with a Radeon HD 4870 graphics card.

I'm waitting for answer too...reseller has lack of display for a long time.but i don't wheater i must have to buy the older display?

Everything I have read indicates it should be fine... but I would feel better getting some verification in here from those that know more.

I called Apple today and asked this question. The sales person told me that the Thunderbolt display only works with Thunderbolt equipped Macs. I specifically asked if my mid 2009 model MBP would work and they said no. I'm hoping the display is new and the sales person didn't know what they were talking about. I'm not going to buy a non-Thunderbolt display, but don't plan on buying a new MBP for 2 years.

I have a 2010 2.93GHz 12-Core Mac Pro with the current 27-inch LED but I would like to buy a second display a thunderbolt 27-inch LED because of the facetime HD camera that it comes with but I think I might have to upgrade my GPU when Apple updates the Mac Pro with GPU equip thunderbolt so that I can just buy the GPU upgrade kit instead of buying a hole new computer or at least provide adaptors, Does anyone knows if Apple going to discontinue the current 27-inch when the thunderbolt 27-inch becomes available because if that happens and if you do need a thunderbolt equip Mac then customers with a older Mac can't use the new thunderbolt 27-inch and I don't think that Apple will leave people hanging or will they?

But I think that the best way to go is to upgrade your Mac Pro graphic card with Thunderbolt equip GPU but I do hope that Thunderbolt will work on Mini Display Port Mac's, I wish someone will give us answers but I guess we won't know until somebody trys it.

Hmm, think I'll wait for them to start shipping and see the results of someone try this for real before I hand over any cash. Let's hope it works though!.

I don´t see it clear at all. What about the Ethernet por included in the Thunderbolt display?

Too many "whatif".....

The Ethernet port definitely won't be available unless you have thunderbolt-equipped mac. Thunderbolt basically runs two protocols - DisplayPort and PCI express. That first one should mean that a thunderbolt equipped display can still understand a simple DisplayPort signal coming from an older Mac (at least that's what I understood).

The PCI express part of the protocol is what enables all the other bits in the display - it's a generic protocol that is normally used for adding expansion cards that support a wide range of technologies. You can thick of this display as containing a load of PCI express cards at the end of a cable that support things like FireWire, Ethernet, iSight etc.

However, based on the info so far, it might be that a thunderbolt-enabled mac can drive a displayport display but not the other way round. That would really limit the upgrade possibilities.

James

I just did an online chat with an Apple rep, who said definitively that the TB display would NOT work with a 2010 vintage MBP. I followed up to clarify that I understood that the various new features such as firewire ports and such would not work, and that I just wanted the display to work properly. [I'm in the same boat as others, not wanting to buy an obsolete display, even though I can't use the new features now). She said definitively that it will NOT work.

So, Apple is giving out contradictory information. A skeptic might think they want to exhaust their inventory of MDP - level cinema displays before reporting that the new ones work fine...

If anyone has tried them to confirm, I would like to know. I will stop by the local Apple store tomorrow and do a little test...

You would think a more experienced Apple poster would have weighed in on this by now....

I mean.. I posted my reply over a month ago and I am THIS close to going with a 3rd party alternative.... which just grates my nerve since I'm a purist and would like my system to be all Apple.

/taps toes impatiently....

To continue the theme of contradictory information, I called into the flagship Apple Store in Regent Street, London yesterday evening.

I explained the dilemma and the sales assistant went off to ask the "technicians" whether it would work as a display for the older Macs (and in my case, I need it to work for a DisplayPort based PC). He was fairly sure it would work before he asked them and they confirmed it should work. I still wasn't convinced so he suggested we try it (I had my MacBook with me) but after searching, even this large store still doesn't even have a display model.

My dilemma was now whether to get the older Cinema Display which I knew would work and was in stock, or wait. The risk was that they sell all the ACDs, don't make any more, and I'm left with no solution.

In the end, I did purchase the older ACD, knowing I've got 14 days to return it if the Thunderbolt Display does turn up in this time and against my expectations works with non-thunderbolt kit. It is a lovely display, and worked better than I expected with a Windows PC - I didn't install any drivers or other software and video, audio, the USB hub and even the iSight camera all worked fine (which is worth bearing in mind - the FaceTime camera definitely won't work over displayport).

So, still no definitive answer but if I do get one I'll let you know.

James

The general problem still seems not solved yet, as far as I understand the issue:

a TB-Plug-in (as in new MBPs and on the back of the TB-Cinema Display) will hold a MinniDisplay cable but not the other way round.

So you can plug an old MBP into the thunderbolt display with a minni display cable hooking into the thunderbolt plug in on the back of the display. You will have the "original" TB-cable not used and you will neither be able to use the USB and ethernet connections on the back of the Display nor the in built camera and microphone.

So in my opinion what an "old" (all MBPs without a TB-Port) MBP - user like me would need, is an adapter dividing the TB-cable from the new TB-Display into three cables: one minni-display cable, one USB-cable and one ethernet adapter to connect to the MBP and fully use the functionality of the new display.

Because even if the TB-cable from the display WOULD plug in the mini display port, it will not connect the full HD camera and microphone (the reason why I would like to buy the TB-Display and don't want to go back on to the old Cinema Display).

One will see, wether this kind of adapter will be sold, otherwise I don't see any other chance to use these features.

I got the it yesterday & it can't work on MacPro 2010 & MacBook Air 11" 2010. It only works on my MacBook Air 11" 2011 & MacBook Pro 13" 2011. Have I cleared all doubts?

Sounds like a good (but disappointing) answer to me.

I gave up waiting in the end, and bought a DisplayPort Cinema Display. At least that way I can also use the USB-based peripherals such as the camera and USB hub with my older equipment - there's no way they would have worked with the Thunderbolt display, even if the display had worked.

I can always get a thunderbolt hub later to add all the other bells, whistes and "single cable solution" you'd normally get with the TB display:

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/13/belkin-shows-off-upcoming-thunderbolt-expres s-dock/

James