Mini Video-Out (Thunderbolt) question

[jamesryanbell]

If I want to use a Thunderbolt External drive *AND* use a NON-Thunderbolt 27" ACD with a new Mac Mini Server, what's the best way to do that?

(Really hoping to not hear "you can't")

 

[simsaladimbamba]

You connect the TB HDD to the Mac's TB port, then connect the ACD to the TB port of the HDD, as TB is compatible with MDP.

To learn more about Thunderbolt (TB) and its compatibility with Mini DisplayPort (MDP):

​

 

[jamesryanbell]

You connect the TB HDD to the Mac's TB port, then connect the ACD to the TB port of the HDD, as TB is compatible with MDP.

To learn more about Thunderbolt (TB) and its compatibility with Mini DisplayPort (MDP):

[url=http://images.apple.com/thunderbolt/images/title.png]Image[/URL]​

Great news! Thanks!

 

[dolphin842]

My understanding is that you *can't* chain vanilla Mini DisplayPort displays off of a Thunderbolt peripheral. You can hook up a MDP display directly to the Mac, but that 'turns off' the Thunderbolt functionality.

EDIT: Looks like this limitation is only present on Apple's Thunderbolt Display (ironically enough). Here's a clip from a TUAW article with some details:

one other caveat about the Thunderbolt display: older Mini DisplayPort displays won't light up if they're hooked directly into the Thunderbolt port on the newer LCD. Macworld's testing found that Mini DisplayPort LCDs can be added to a Thunderbolt chain and work as normal by hooking them into another Thunderbolt peripheral. It's unclear why simply hooking the older monitors directly into the newer ones doesn't work. For best performance Apple recommends hooking the Thunderbolt display directly into the Mac's port, then hooking Thunderbolt storage devices into the display's relevant port.

So if all you're adding is a TB peripheral, you should be good.

 

[whocares]

Does this mean I can plug my dell monitor directly into the Thunderbolt port (using the MDP->DVI adaptor) and enjoy the native resolution of 2048x1152 that the HDMI port does not support?

Also, will I later be able to add a Thunderbolt peripheral and plug the same monitor in to that?

Cheers,
D.

 

[dolphin842]

Yeah that should work. Just be sure to double-check that whatever peripheral you're looking at down the road will indeed allow for vanilla MDP passthrough.