Hi
Can i connect a MacBook Pro with Retina display to a mid 2010 imac 27" ? in ANY way? to use as a second screen... HDMI to mini display.. ive a feeling i know the answer but its worth asking.....
thanks!
Hmm, seems like this should work:
OS X Yosemite: Use another Mac as a display
http://blog.macsales.com/10899-target-display-mode-and-thunderbolt
Hmm indeed..apple were a bit vague on this one, theoretically it should work but reality can be very different, what I'm looking for is a absolute yes and this is the adaptor required etc.., if no then It doesn't matter..what I don't want is a maybe ..
its it's the difference between getting a retina imac or a macbook working with the screen, I'm fine with either but having the 2010 iMacs screen unused is frustrating somewhat..
the thunderbolt is completely out but a hdmi to mini display feels workable , including audio..but I'm unconvinced it actually works and getting a answer is a nightmare.
OK, in the first place we're peer to peer here and all volunteers w/ no connection to Apple.
So from my perspective the vagueness was:
"MacBook Pro with Retina display"
So without knowing the exact year and size, it's difficult to know what outputs your machine will have and which will be compatible.
From:
Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Apple Support
"6. Can I use an Apple Thunderbolt Display and an iMac in Target Display Mode to act as two additional displays for my Thunderbolt-equipped Mac?
Yes. If your Thunderbolt-equipped Mac supports two Thunderbolt displays this is possible. Your Thunderbolt-equipped Mac will need to be connected to your Apple Thunderbolt display and the iMac will need to be connected to the Thunderbolt port of the Apple Thunderbolt display. Not all iMacs support Target Display Mode. See Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information. Once connected, place the iMac into Target Display Mode to enable it as the second external display."
So which MacBook Pro do you have?
Your iMac is one that will support "Target Display Mode":
Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Apple Support
"
iMac (27-inch Mid 2010) | Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort | Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt |
"
" having the 2010 iMacs screen unused"
So is the vagueness due to the fact that you don't actually have a rMBP yet?
If not when you go to purchase one, haul your iMac into the store and make them show you that it will work before you buy.
I actually know the feeling. I'm using 3 Apple Cinema Displays (ADC) 1999 - 2003 on my wife's i5 Mini, my early 2011 MBP and a G4 MDD Mac Tower! The first two require the power adapter which still sells for $60 on eBay!
Ha I was being funny about the vagueness, I get the distinct impression apple would prefer me to purchase a new tbolt screen that use the imac, even if they are being nice about it, they also do not supply the cable that would make this possible.
anyway I've come to the conclusion that my model of imac (mid 2010 27") will in fact run video and audio via a Mini DisplayPort cable connection to the MacBook Pro (the current model on sale right now ,forgive me I don't recall model number) using the thunderbolt connection on the MacBook, I've also seen other reviews and articles confirming this...but it's not till you actually look yourself your completely 100% confident! (Been there many times), I am of corse still open to being completely wrong but I'm pretty sure.... I'm in no rush so any new info would be welcome.
the imac is still a great machine with a georgeous screen that should be used, all this and I'll go and get me the retina iMac! ..but it becomes a challenge to find out and discover if it's possible
"apple would prefer me to purchase a new tbolt screen that use the imac,"
Uhh yup, that's why there net worth is over $700 Billion. Well that and a few other things.
" imac (mid 2010 27")"
So here's something else you might consider:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Mercury_6G/
Since that iMac is still a very viable machine you could drop an SSD in there.
Check out the benchmarks:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Reviews/Framework.cfm?page=/Benchmarks/CS6BenchmarkPag e-iMac.html
Not sure if you have the i5 or i7 but note the change in boot times from mid 40 seconds to 18 seconds.
I've put SSDs in 6 of my older machines and the difference is significant. In fact I was working on a 2010 MacBook w/ a conventional drive and saw the spinning beach ball. I realized I hadn't seen that on any of my machines in 5 months!
On my early 2011 MBP 13" Photoshop CS 6 starts in 3.4 seconds and Word 2011 in 2 seconds flat.
Times on browsers are comparable.
Taking that 27.5" apart is no easy task however!
ha..what im doing is checking out my choices and linking the macbook up in this way is just one, currently budget isn't an issue so i think its logical i consider it. I think i'm in the realm of thinking what i have is fine..till i use a more modern machine!
As for the SSD..already done it, true to say the imac isn't the most upgrade friendly but i just replaced the dvd drive, i could never go back to mechanical.
Actually the fact i'm even thinking this is testament to apple - there is no way a pc would have held up this well, i remember having three pcs in the time i've had the imac so apart from the initial pain of purchase i think its good value for money.
Ha, "their" my teenagers would certainly point that out.
"true to say the imac isn't the most upgrade friendly"
Well it's just taking that front glass and the LCD off. The earlier ones had the hidden latches and the special tool to release it. "Took quite a technique to remove it. I just did one where someone had just broken the latch and glued it back.
"i just replaced the dvd drive, i could never go back to mechanical."
That's for sure. As soon as I put my first SSD in this early 2011 MBP 13" I realized that there was a reason why all the Airs could get buy with just 2 or 4 GB RAM.
"currently budget isn't an issue"
That must be nice.
"this is testament to apple - there is no way a pc would have held up this well,"
Yes, I'm still using a 20" and 2 22" ADC Apple Cinema Monitors on my workbench w/ a 2002 Power Mac MDD G4, a 2011 Mini i5 and a 2006 iMac. There's a working SE and IIfx in the closet.
" initial pain of purchase"
Yup that IIfx originally cost $9,900 in 1990. I got it for half price!
There's a 27" iMac for sale here in the NW. I'm looking at it to replace the Core 2 Duo.
"imac is still a great machine with a georgeous screen"
Yup until last year I administered 88 PCs at a charter school. I found looking at those displays and jittery windows all day long really irritating. Of course I'd try to "2 finger scroll" and use "Gestures" to move to a new desktop until I remembered "Oh right, PC, crap."
Good luck and thanks for the checkmark.
Update -
I can confirm a mini display port to thunderbolt works on the imac, including audio..so job well done really. ( mid 2010 imac and macbook retina 15")
I use the computers for work and update every 4-5 years so budget isn't a issue because i think its worth the investment, what i don't want is a underpowered machine just to save a few coins.
The imac was a core i3 so a bit long in the tooth as you can imagine.
The front of the imac is secured with magnets, in my opinion the main difficult thing is confidence you think your going to crack the glass, also the fiddly connectors attached to the screen, I used a adaptor to attach the SSD to the DVD connector, also fingerprints and dust are something to be aware of!.
If you want a really touch job try fixing a 27" imac panel..and i mean the panel..opening it.. some tape of some kind had become detached and was showing through..its actually not 'too hard' but it was also a challenge (i dont go there with more modern displays!).
Any way..job done, not too much aggravation in the end and still beats using windows, thanks for the input and convo.
"The imac was a core i3 so a bit long in the tooth as you can imagine."
I think the i(X) models were pretty good. I have a Core2Duo here in my shop that I'm thinking of bumping the RAM and putting in an SSD because it made all my MBPs (2009 - 2011) sooo fast! When I'm working on computers I use it as a reference, search machine so the lag and spinning beachball is irritating.
"confidence you think your going to crack the glass,"
Yes and that glass is non tempered so if it shatters there will be a lot of very tiny sharp shards. SOP is to use 2 large suction cups at diagonals.
"also the fiddly connectors attached to the screen,"
Practically an Apple trademark. The iSight cables and the LVDS connector to the displays are very delicate. Dealing w/ the speaker connector under a MBP logic board can drive you nuts until you figure out how Apple does it.
"I used a adaptor to attach the SSD to the DVD connector,"
So did that speed up that machine? Whose SSD?
"fingerprints and dust are something to be aware of!."
Apple techs use lintless cotton gloves and a sticky roller to remove dust and debris before reassembly. A level 1 clean room would also help.😉
The school where I administered 88 computers got a large computer donation from a chip manufacturer in town. They had spent the previous 3 years in a level 1 clean room. Wow, were they clean! Crazy clean.
In response to your question about the SSD - It was a samsung 128gb..its in a fusion drive combination with the original 1 Tb HDD, the best answer i can give is i was going to update in may 2013 but held off till now..so i would say yes it makes a marked difference worth the trouble.
..i would also suggest everyone with a mechanical hdd should seriously think about updating to SSD..just in general.
Just one more suggestion to the cable connected to the imac via the macbook pro..The display may (and i say may..everyone is different etc..) appear very slightly blurry...to fix this you might like to turn off LCD font smoothing and enable forced RGB mode (google is your friend, its not hard and can be un-done)....i think apple might be being apple again in wanting you to use a brand new thunderbolt display rather than a old but still wonderful imac or other screen (im not made of money)...i think this is subjective but worth bringing up.
I think the era of doing all this might be coming to a sad end..in a few years all this tech will be as thin as paper and completely un-reparable/upgradable and not a cable in sight..good and bad i suppose.
"in a few years all this tech will be as thin as paper and completely un-reparable/upgradable and not a cable in sight"
I've been anticipating this since I saw the first modular components and LSI chips. However the modules can be drilled apart and chips can be replaced. Mac display glass can be unglued using heat and replaced w/ cheap parts from China (Where everything is made! On that note I found a LCD panel supplier in Texas that everyone there seemed to be from China.)
Every time something new comes out there will be someone who will take it apart on YouTube.
MacBook Pro with Retina display to imac
