Help with mini dual monitors

[argosy20]

Here's the situation, just purchased 2 Dell U2412 monitors. I want to be able to use them for both a PC with dual DVI connectors and the mini. My understanding is that the u2412 has a dvi and displayport connector. Wanted to use the monitor input selector to act as a switch between the 2 computers.

My original thought was to connect the pc via dvi and the mini through the displayports on the monitors. The TB/mini displayport to displayport is straight forward. It's getting the signal from the HDMI connector on the mini to the displayport on one of the monitors. Everything I see looks like its displayport -> HDMI and are not bidirectional.

The only solution I can see is to get 2 dvi -> displayport cables for the pc connections and convert the TB & hdmi from the mini to DVI. This just sounds counterintuitive. What am I missing here? Thanks for the help for a mac newb.

 

[jackrv]

Delete this response, I misread the OP's statement.

 

[Acorn]

you can buy an hdmi to dvi adapter and use that for the other monitor.

 

[saulinpa]

It is messy but you could use the HDMI to DVI-D connector and then get a DVI to DP adapter. http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8913 or http://www.atlona.com/Atlona-DVI-to-Mini-DisplayPort-Converter-p-17859.html

 

[Acorn]

Sauls method requires a adapter that cost over 100 dollars. it would be easier to do the following which requires cheap adapters only

monitor 1 - display port monitor to mac mini mini-display port adapter (display port to mini display port adapter )
monitor 1 - monitor dvi to windows dvi

monitor 2 - mac mini hdmi to dvi adapter to dvi monitor (hdmi to dvi adapter)
monitor 2 - monitor vga to windows vga (possibly use dvi to vga if windows has 2 dvi connection)

switch monitor one - display port mac or dvi windows
switch monitor two - mac mini uses dvi or vga windows