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gomtu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
25
0
Florida
I'm planning to buy a new Mac Mini but I have a VGA monitor with no DVI or HDMI inputs, just VGA, and when I look on the Apple store site they want $59 for an adapter! Well golly that sure does seem like a lot when I check on Google for them, and they can be had for $7.99!

Has anyone had experience with this? Is there some reason only the adapter Apple has on it' page will work? Is there some kind of trick gizmo in it that the others lack? I would not be at all surprised.
 

gomtu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
25
0
Florida
Well I did look at the first one, for $29, but I got a pop-up from them saying the Apple Store doesn't carry that one anymore. I'll check out the others. There has to be a solution. I saw one on Amazon for way cheaper that one reviewer said worked fine with his Mini.
 
Nov 28, 2010
22,670
30
located
Well I did look at the first one, for $29, but I got a pop-up from them saying the Apple Store doesn't carry that one anymore. I'll check out the others. There has to be a solution. I saw one on Amazon for way cheaper that one reviewer said worked fine with his Mini.

Is the Thunderbolt to VGA adapter from Monoprice still too expensive or do you want to use the HDMI output of your Mac?
 

poloponies

Suspended
May 3, 2010
2,661
1,366
While I've purchased my share of 3rd party adapters that i've been satisfied with, I also have several that were dead on arrival. The quality control on these varies greatly.
 

gomtu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
25
0
Florida
Is the Thunderbolt to VGA adapter from Monoprice still too expensive or do you want to use the HDMI output of your Mac?

Not to seem like a noob here, but I hadn't known you could get Thunderbolt to VGA. Which would be the better option in your estimation?
 
Nov 28, 2010
22,670
30
located
Not to seem like a noob here, but I hadn't known you could get Thunderbolt to VGA. Which would be the better option in your estimation?

Monoprice calls it that way, it is just a Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter like Apple sells, but for 13 USD instead of 29 USD.

To learn more about Thunderbolt (TB) and its compatibility with Mini DisplayPort (MDP):
And because Thunderbolt is based on DisplayPort technology, the video standard for high-resolution displays, any Mini DisplayPort display plugs right into the Thunderbolt port. To connect a DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA display, just use an existing adapter.
 

gomtu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
25
0
Florida
While I've purchased my share of 3rd party adapters that i've been satisfied with, I also have several that were dead on arrival. The quality control on these varies greatly.

If I may benefit from your experience, which ones should I avoid?
 
Nov 28, 2010
22,670
30
located

kohlson

macrumors 68020
Apr 23, 2010
2,425
736
+1 for monoprice. I have laptops and Mac Pro at home. I have a DVI and VGA versions in my work bag, and they are borrowed 1-3 times per week to drive projectors. Never a problem with the cable.
 

gomtu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2012
25
0
Florida
+1 for monoprice. I have laptops and Mac Pro at home. I have a DVI and VGA versions in my work bag, and they are borrowed 1-3 times per week to drive projectors. Never a problem with the cable.

Well then, thank you for that! Monoprice is the one I will go with :)
 

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
28,241
12,388
One word of caution with the MiniDisplayPort-to-VGA connecting cables from MonoPrice.com:

I'm using one to connect a 2012 Mini to a Dell 1905FP monitor.

The adapter works, BUT, the threads at "the monitor end" of the connecting cable are wrong -- they don't match the threads on the monitor.

Changing them out looks problematical as well -- I couldn't pull them out of the adapter.

YMMV -- the threads on the monitor _you_ have may actually be the same ones on the MonoPrice adapter...
 

paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
One word of caution with the MiniDisplayPort-to-VGA connecting cables from MonoPrice.com:

I'm using one to connect a 2012 Mini to a Dell 1905FP monitor.

The adapter works, BUT, the threads at "the monitor end" of the connecting cable are wrong -- they don't match the threads on the monitor.

Changing them out looks problematical as well -- I couldn't pull them out of the adapter.

YMMV -- the threads on the monitor _you_ have may actually be the same ones on the MonoPrice adapter...

Please explain.... That doesn't sound right at all. Are you saying the D-sub (VGA) connector pins do not line up with the d-sub port on your monitor? Or are you saying the pins are in the wrong order so the image is displaying incorrectly? Are you sure you aren't confusing D-sub (vga) with DVI?

Something doesn't seem right here.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/r83546/EN/about.htm#Specifications
 

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
28,241
12,388
"Please explain.... That doesn't sound right at all. Are you saying the D-sub (VGA) connector pins do not line up with the d-sub port on your monitor? Or are you saying the pins are in the wrong order so the image is displaying incorrectly? Are you sure you aren't confusing D-sub (vga) with DVI? "

I explained things exactly as they are.

The connector is fine.

The THREADS on the screws intended to secure the cable to the connector seem to be different. The little screws will not thread properly into the receptacles on the monitor connection port.

It would be easy enough to just pull them out and replace with screws from another connector (or from a hardware store) that would fit properly. But they won't come out (at least not without the modest amount of force I tried -- I didn't think it prudent to try excessive force to remove them).
 
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