The hell of Apple video connectors

http://www.jgc.org/blog/2009/10/hell-of-apple-video-connectors.html

by jgrahamc • 17 years ago

29 35 17 years ago

jacquesm4• 17 years ago

Just the other day I came across some kind of article that included a bit on a wireless computer to monitor link, let me go dig and see if I can find it.

edit: found it:

http://gigaom.com/2008/02/27/too-many-signals-delivering-wir...

It's a 2008 article, you'd expect some movement since then.

edit2: more info:

http://www.wirelesshd.org/

stcredzero• 17 years ago

I wonder why IR didn't catch on? Maybe the available hardware was too anemic at the time? But there have been gigabit IR links in R&D labs. As screens get larger, the bandwidth requirements get larger. Maybe that combined with the negotiation overhead between devices at unknown distances did it in. (Line of sight is also a problem for some applications. But for my monitor setup, it would work fine.)

jacquesm4• 17 years ago

I think a big issue with IR is interference. Think bright sunlight and such.

brk• 17 years ago

You're doing it wrong...

There are a few options, but they are all along the lines of this: http://www.amazon.com/Addlogix-MA-WL-DVGA-Wireless-Projector...

bhousel• 17 years ago

Hehe.. Get ready to throw Light Peak into the mix next year, if this engadget story is correct: http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/26/exclusive-apple-dictated-...

Though I think in the end it would be a big win, replacing USB/Firewire/Display a common fiber-based cable with massive bandwidth.

vaporstun• 17 years ago

While this is certainly valid, it's depressing that most non-Apple laptops still only ship with VGA so most meeting rooms are stuck with an inferior, non-digital connector.

This wouldn't help the issue with having 4 different video connectors, but to Apple's credit, they are standardizing on Mini Displayport. The first run of the Macbook Air was the only one to have the micro DVI (because no other video connector existed that was small enough for their needs and they just needed to minify an existing standard, hence Micro-DVI) and it has now been replaced by Mini Displayport on all current models. Additionally, the Macbook, the only laptop they offer without Mini Displayport will likely be updated soon adding it thus bringing every portable computer they offer to the same standard. Any transition period is tough, it's just sad that while Apple has moved from VGA to DVI to Mini Displayport, most non-Apple laptops (see Dell, HP, Lenovo) still ship with VGA or the awful S-Video.

Move into the 21st century already. Laptop makers (Both Apple and non-Apple) need to pick a digital standard.

robin_reala• 17 years ago

Even their desktop computers have now standardised on mini displayport. All currently shipping iMacs, Mac Minis and Mac Pros have mini displayport.

lamnk• 17 years ago

The problem is that most old projectors ship with VGA. Imagine you bring a shine laptop with HDMI/DisplayPort in the conference room, only to know that the old projector there drives VGA / S-Video only ... I think that's why business laptops still sport VGA when consumer lines have long ditched analog and adopted digital standards.

thwarted• 17 years ago

This wouldn't help the issue with having 4 different video connectors, but to Apple's credit, they are standardizing on Mini Displayport.

Part of this issue exists because Apple keeps "standardizing" on new (display) technologies. This is good, because it helps drive the industry forward, otherwise we'd still be stuck with VGA, but it's not really standardizing when the next product cycle, like every 18 to 24 months, there is a new standard they adopt across all products.

gruseom• 17 years ago

Slight tangent, but:

we don't buy Apple monitors or RAM because of the excessive price

I've been thinking of adding RAM to my MBP. Excessive price is bad. What should I do?

ovi256• 17 years ago

Buy the RAM from a third-party vendor like Newegg or whatever, not from Apple. Often you can get the exact same RAM, but for a much lower price. Just be careful to get compatible RAM.

Sidenote : I was just checking out iMacs, which are pretty cool. Upgrading from 4GB to 8GB costs 900$ at the apple store. That's expensive. That RAM better be great.

Zev• 17 years ago

iMacs use laptop ram. Getting 8GB DDR3 ram for laptops is expensive, even from newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE.... $900 from Apple isn't nearly as bad of a markup as you might imagine.

side note: I wouldn't buy the G.SKILL ram. Anecdote, but I've had bad experiences with it. Plus, ~half the cost of the closest item makes me suspicious of its quality.

commiebob• 17 years ago

http://www.crucial.com/ is probably a good place to start, select your system from the drop downs and it will give you the exact type of memory you need - and for a decent price. There might be cheaper options if you hunt around, just get the dimm size from crucial and google around to compare prices.

iohnuiob2• 17 years ago

Buy from crucial, when you factor in their free shipping they are cheaper than most half decent brands. You might find some super-bargain RAM cheaper if you don't care about whats stored in it.

Crucial also have excellent service for returns or if the stuff doesn't fit.

lpgauth• 17 years ago

I usually buy from these guys: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/.

mike463• 17 years ago

actually, you should start your search with:

http://www.ramseeker.com/

uuilly• 17 years ago

I'm forced to use this beast: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB571Z/A

To run a 30 in secondary display off my 17 MBP. It's flakey and I have to make my machine never sleep when it's plugged in. The other day I got a KVM switch to do windows builds and it runs through it. Fortunately I don't have a terrible case of "Fuzz of Death:" http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1837465...

But it does happen every now and again. Total PITA esp considering that their old display ports worked just fine.

chrisbolt• 17 years ago

If your 30" display supports DisplayPort, you will soon be able to get a Mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable (http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102...). Why it's taken this long, I do not know.

mbrubeck• 17 years ago

I'm hoping someone will build a projector with an embedded computer and a USB port built in. Just plug in a flash drive or SD card and display a PDF file as a presentation. No messing with laptops or cables or display settings.

If it had a well-designed, simple interface (remote control with only five or six buttons) and a high "just works" factor, it could be the Flip video camera of projectors.

hernan7• 17 years ago

Maybe Bluetooth instead of/ in addition to USB?

jacquesm4• 17 years ago

One thing would push this like nothing else, mobile phones with enough computing power in them to drive a sizeable display through something like bluetooth (but faster).

iohnuiob2• 17 years ago

It's been tried but what do you support?

It has to do powerpoint, with the ability to do the latest version's transition effects a flash movies. People have to be able to just turn up and not need to have converted their presentation in advance

tptacek3• 17 years ago

In fairness, the MBPs and MB's now both use the MDP connectors.

iloveyouocean2• 17 years ago

MBPs use MDP, MBs use MiniDVI

tptacek3• 17 years ago

The old MB's are MDVI. The new MB's are MDP.

chrischen• 17 years ago

He's missing the Apple Display Connector.

kylec• 17 years ago

And Mini VGA for iBooks and old iMacs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-VGA

The hell of Apple video connectors

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