Is this possible? I also have a 2011 MacBook Pro i7 that I'd like to connect to the iMac - I'm usually not confused this easily, but wow.
I should specify - that the iMac in question is only equipped with mini display port.
Thank you in advance everyone, I don't know why I can't just answer this myself - I'm just confused by the apple page.
You can use certain iMacs as displays for other Macs. But your iMac does not just "become" a display. You have to invoke Target Display Mode on your iMac:
Use your iMac as a display with Target Display Mode - Apple Support
As for using your MacBook Pro as an external display: ForgetAboutIt
You can use Screen Sharing, which uses software to accomplish that. It will work for most uses, but not Video Editing.
That is answered here:
Use your iMac as a display with Target Display Mode - Apple Support
Thank you both Grant B-A and IIIaass - I thought that's what I saw, but then I saw a document saying that a mini display port can't communicate with thunderbolt, maybe it was just data, but I was confused enough that I didn't buy an adaptor.
Thank you very much for your time and sorry about my ignorance on seeing the TGM article on my mac. I actually have an adaptor that I used to use to play Xbox on my iMac so I'm familiar with target display.
Have a good one m8's - CHEERS!
Mini DisplayPort is a subset of ThunderBolt.
Adapters pick up a subset of the ThunderBolt signals, and those can be used to drive a Mini DisplayPort Display directly, or can be converted to Full-size DisplayPort (just a signal swap, co conversion) or to another "legacy" display with an adapter.
But you cannot turn Mini DisplayPort back into ThunderBolt. Signals are missing and it does not work.
Confusion on display - Connecting a thunderbolt Late 2013 MacPro to 27" iMac C2D 10,1
