Archived Thread

NFT: Computer question

Milton : 9/2/2015 3:41 am

I have a five year old Mac Pro with an Apple Monitor, but the monitor goes completely black every now and then. If I turn it on and off or unplug and replug the monitor's cables it will sometimes return, but not always right away. Sometimes I have to do it over and over again before the monitor springs back to life.

I don't have the money right now to buy a new monitor, so I'm thinking of hooking up my old Dell PC monitor (circa 2008 or so) to my Mac Pro. This requires the use of a "mini displayport to VGA" adapter.

My question is: given that the current model of Mac Pro uses the "thunderbolt" port and my Mac Pro has the prior version, will an adapter that is compatible with thunderbolt work on my 5-year old Mac Pro?

p.s.-- Any ideas on why my monitor is behaving like that? I'll unplug and replug the power cord and cables several times with no luck and then all of sudden one of the times it will work and the image on the monitor will re-appear.

Milton

NewBlue : 9/2/2015 3:48 am : link

I just went from a 22' to a 25' monitor.....Best Buy $150.00 (ASUS)

RE: Milton

Milton : 9/2/2015 4:16 am : link

In comment 12448250 NewBlue said:

Quote:

I just went from a 22' to a 25' monitor.....Best Buy $150.00 (ASUS)

Down the road (when my money situation improves) I'll buy a new monitor with all the bells and whistles, but right now I'm looking to solve the problem by purchasing a $20 adapter. My old Dell monitor is 21 inches, which is good enough for my current purposes (screenwriting), so I'm hoping that all it takes is an adapter to get it to work on my Mac Pro.

Here are the specs for an adapter that sells at Staples for $18.79...

Quote:

PRODUCT DETAILS

Tripp Lite Adapter measuring 6" helps to connect a Mac or PC with a mini-DisplayPort output to a VGA monitor. Supports HD resolutions up to 1080p.

Tripp Lite Adapter measuring 6" features fully molded construction for durability. Simple plug and play design with integrated chip converts the digital mini Displayport signal to analog VGA. Supports video resolutions up to 1920 x 1200. Compatible with the Thunderbolt port on Mac computers.

Adapter is compatible with the thunderbolt port on mac computers
Easy-to-install 6" long cord
1 x mini DisplayPort male thunderbolt to 1 x HD-15 female VGA connector for reliable connection
Comes in white color for a new look
VGA cable offers flexibility
Offers guaranteed performance with the Thunderbolt port on Mac computers
Meets all requirements and standards of TAA, HDCP
Plug and play convenience that requires no drivers or software
Supports computer video resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 and HD resolutions up to 1080p

Bump

Milton : 9/2/2015 1:36 pm : link

Where are BBI's computer experts when you need one?

RE: Bump

Jim in Fairfax : 9/2/2015 1:51 pm : link

In comment 12448980 Milton said:

Quote:

Where are BBI's computer experts when you need one?

You should have asked for a Mac expert. Most computer experts are on the PC side.

That said, I don't know if that device will work or not. But why use that? Why not use an adapter that's specifically for Mini DisplayPort? Like this:
Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter - ( New Window )

Jim

Milton : 9/2/2015 2:26 pm : link

Thanks. I was looking to save $10. Also, I had been up all night and the Staples store which opens at 7am didn't have it in stock, but the Best Buy which opens at 10am did. But I fell asleep, so the store hours are no longer an issue.