mba with 24 apple monitor

Scottsdale loves his 24" + MBA.

Not sure about the MagSafe Airline adapter, though.

rockos said:

I did a search saw a couple threads but wanted to try and get an updated experience that people are having with their macbook airs with apples 24" monitor.

Since the mba uses a different style magsafe adapter and plugs how does this work with your 24" display.

also any problems plugging in or seeing any where on the wires. Would like peoples overal thoughts of using this combo.

again i am really getting the bug to buy a new laptop. I think the mba will work for me just fine compared toa 13" mbp. I am just waiting to see what changes are made due to macrumors buyers guide saying WAIT been 260 days since last update.

Last question do any of you use the magsafe airline adaptor or something along the lines of the kengston adaptor to plug into an airplane...i believe you can use the kengston also in a vehicle is this correct.

thanks again.

rockos

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The Cinema Display adaptor actually follows the design of the MBA adapter as opposed to the MBP's.

The only annoying bit is that the mini display port and the USB are on the other side from the a/c adapter so the cables will not look as clean as an MBP setup where the cables all plug into the left side of the computer.

I can't comment on the airline adapter. I will say however, that the setup is a pleasure to use. The only problem is the random "black screen" syndrome, where the display turns off for a split second. From what I understand, this problem is not restricted to the MBA but affects all the Mac portables. Just FYI before you plop down $2,000+

The only real problem with the 24" LED ACD is it has really short cables. It says the 24" LED ACD is specifically for the Mac notebooks. So the problem with the short cables is that the cables have a splitter far about half way up the cable. That allows the power plug to go to the left side of the MBA and other two to the right side of the MBA. It forces the MBA to be just to the side of the ACD, which is an acceptable use anyways.

I absolutely LOVE my 24" LED ACD. It really makes the MBA into an instant desktop. I am stunned that this lightweight and super thin MBA can drive such a display. But in reality, the MBA will even drive a 30" ACD!

I have Apple's standard airline adaptor. The airline adaptor works fine in bigger planes with connections. The Apple kit has two different connectors. Sometimes I have to fly Southwest, and they don't have the connection, but those are usually three hour or shorter flights where the MBA does fine. I fly to New York City every other month, a six hour flight, and every bigger airline I have taken has the plug in for the adaptor. Sorry, I didn't really understand your Kensington question or product info advice wanted.

Let me give you my overall impression of the MBA and 24" LED ACD. If Apple didn't have this exact LED ACD for sale, I don't know that I would be happy with an MBA. I really like to have more display real estate when working at my desk, and I must keep only one computer. I cannot stand having files in multiple computers and tracking when I do and don't have an app available. The MBA's native display is sorta disappointing with only 1280x800 resolution (I would pay an extra $300 for a 1440x900 HD display.

I absolutely am amazed by the MBA, the 24" LED ACD, the Airport Extreme Base Station with a connected drive for media files, and finally a Mobile Me account. The whole setup just works perfectly together! Whether you need remote access to your files, ultimate portability, beautiful large display when at your desk, or even just OS X in a wonderful environment, the MBA with this setup is a dream! I highly recommend the whole setup. Furthermore, I would recommend you buy a few extra power cables/bricks. I keep one at my side table in bedroom, one at the couch, and the original in my bag, and the ACD works when at my desk. Having power everywhere really eliminates battery hassles.

I wouldn't buy an MBA right now. An update could be coming soon. Also, I bought three extra 24" LED ACDs refurbished from Apple after I was so happy with the original new 24" LED ACD I purchased. I bought one to replace my stolen original and bought one for my kids and one for my desk in a client's office. These refurbished units looked and seemed like brand new. Not only that, they only cost $599 from Apple.com. It is one heck of a bargain in my opinion. I think I paid $899 for my NEW LED ACD. Just think, one can buy three 24" LED ACDs refurbished for about same price as ONE brand new 30" ACD. It's a bargain! I am stunned by my ACD every time I sit down at it!

Good luck with whatever you choose to buy!

I have yet to see a nicer monitor then the ACD. I love mine and my buyers remorse went right out the window as soon as I turned it on. Its AMAZING.

rockos said:

here is the kengston dc adaptor

http://store.apple.com/us/product/TW696LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDEwMQ&mco=MTA4NDE5MDk

has anyone used this adaptor. looks like it works not only in airlines but also vehicle.

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Looks nice. It seems pricey to me. I think I paid around $29 for the Apple airline adaptor. A standard car power convertor costs maybe $20.

Although the Apple adaptor appears as it would fit in a car charger, it says it is not for use in an automobile charger and is air only. So, this Kensington adaptor looks like a decent charger to get both air and auto charging. What I prefer in my car is a typical converter that allows plugging in the actual MBA charger just as would in a house... I don't know if it's necessary, but I always like putting a surge protector in between as an extra layer of safety.

I have always liked Kensington products. Usually made well, but sometimes overpriced.

Good luck with it.

works great!

right out of the box, made all the difference in the world in being able to keep my MBA as only computer at home. External DVD/CD drive for MBA plugs into monitor and life works!!!

conradmaya said:

right out of the box, made all the difference in the world in being able to keep my MBA as only computer at home. External DVD/CD drive for MBA plugs into monitor and life works!!!

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- The MBA Superdrive works when plugged in to the ACD? Or is it a different drive?

Also, how does the MBA fan/temp behave when hooked up to the ACD?

agaskew said:

- The MBA Superdrive works when plugged in to the ACD? Or is it a different drive?

Also, how does the MBA fan/temp behave when hooked up to the ACD?

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Yes the MBA SuperDrive works when plugged into the 24" ACD USB Hub.

I have noticed fans going only when driving HD videos on the display. At the same time, they only can be noticed when looking at the rpms or when muting a video's sound. I would say the MBA drives the 24" LED ACD exceptionally well!

Thank you for confirming that, now I'm even more tempted

+1

Admittedly it isn't my primary machine, but often I do plug the MBA into one of my LED displays. Lovely, lovely setup for sure.

Scottsdale said:

The only real problem with the 24" LED ACD is it has really short cables. It says the 24" LED ACD is specifically for the Mac notebooks. So the problem with the short cables is that the cables have a splitter far about half way up the cable. That allows the power plug to go to the left side of the MBA and other two to the right side of the MBA. It forces the MBA to be just to the side of the ACD, which is an acceptable use anyways.

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Thanks Scottsdale! Your posting is always informative!

I am also thinking of 24” LED ACD. But I wanna hide MBA on TOP (not inside) of the drawer. The drawer will be located just below the desk. Like in the followings picture.

The drawer:
http://www.vikingtrader.com/images/BDI_SEQUEL_BROCHURE.jpg

The desk:
http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/603174.html

I think I need at least 1 meter cable. Is the cable that comes with 24” ACD long enough for me to do that?

hohohong said:

Thanks Scottsdale! Your posting is always informative!

I am also thinking of 24” LED ACD. But I wanna hide MBA on TOP (not inside) of the drawer. The drawer will be located just below the desk. Like in the followings picture.

The drawer:
http://www.vikingtrader.com/images/BDI_SEQUEL_BROCHURE.jpg

The desk:
http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/603174.html

I think I need at least 1 meter cable. Is the cable that comes with 24” ACD long enough for me to do that?

Click to expand...

I doubt it to be honest. Maybe check and see if there is an extension cable yet. I once thought a third party cable supplier could easily make a cable that extended the Mini Display Port, USB, and Power cables. The power cable might pose a real challenge though.

The problem is also that you cannot count on the full length of the cable, because the last foot is separated and space is wasted going to the different sides of the MBA.

One thing you might be able to do is just use the MBA's power cable and extend the to the full length of the cable adding up to another foot versus using the power cable within the three cables from the ACD.

Could even find separate Mini Display Port and USB extenders... and you would be fine. I know Mac Pro users get pretty frustrated, so I would think there must be some solutions out there.

Apple really needs to update its 30" display and needs to provide a better cable solution for the 24" LED ACD. I know Apple is selling the 24" LED ACD as for Mac notebooks but there are Mac Pro, Mac mini, and iMac users buying them because the 30" is outdated and costly. Apple really needs a few new monitors to be relevant and compete well.