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Buy 27" Cinema Display for new Mac Pro, or just keep 27" iMac as a monitor

MovieCutter

MovieCutter

macrumors 68040
Original poster
May 3, 2005
3,342
2
Washington, DC
What would you do. I just picked up a new Mac Pro because I plan on pushing beyond what my 27" iMac is going to be able to handle, but now I'm stuck in a pickle.

Option #1) Sell 27" iMac for $1300-1500 and buy $1000 27" Cinema Display for Mac Pro

Option #2) Keep 27" iMac and use IT as a display for the Mac Pro, giving me a back up computer if need be.

I guess if I knew if the iMac can be used while still being used as a display that would help, so I could set it to render or encode then use the Mac Pro for work. Does anyone know if that's possible? Or does the iMac go to "sleep" when being used as just a display?
 
If you choose to keep the iMac as a monitor, you can absolutely do what you suggested. It stays on and active as a computer when in Target Display Mode. See here for Apple's description:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924

It's certainly going to draw more power than using just a display as there's no way to put the "computer" part of the iMac asleep while using it as a monitor.
 
dissolve said:
If you choose to keep the iMac as a monitor, you can absolutely do what you suggested. It stays on and active as a computer when in Target Display Mode.
Click to expand...
That's cool!!! Use the iMac as your Time Machine drive AND your display! :eek:

-Aaron-

Edit: I read that as "target DISK mode". I wonder if that would work too...
 
aarond12 said:
That's cool!!! Use the iMac as your Time Machine drive AND your display! :eek:

-Aaron-

Edit: I read that as "target DISK mode". I wonder if that would work too...
Click to expand...

That would probably work. Connect the two over MDP and Firewire and boot the iMac in target disk mode. You'd need to partition the internal iMac drive because you can't overwrite OS X or else it wouldn't boot and allow to use its display. The only hiccup that might occur is that Time Machine won't run on a machine's internal drive...but maybe it will on ANOTHER Mac's internal drive.
 
Do all 27" iMacs work as an external monitor? Apple sells a 27" C2D Refurb iMac for $1269 so essentially is it a Cinema display + $269 for the computer? Im in the market for a new monitor so this suddenly sounds real cool.
 
urkel said:
Do all 27" iMacs work as an external monitor? Apple sells a 27" C2D Refurb iMac for $1269 so essentially is it a Cinema display + $269 for the computer? Im in the market for a new monitor so this suddenly sounds real cool.
Click to expand...

Yes, they all do. You're point is exactly why the iMacs have been very competitively priced since the debut of the 27" model.
 
dissolve said:
Yes, they all do. You're point is exactly why the iMacs have been very competitively priced since the debut of the 27" model.
Click to expand...

What about the smaller models? Is the Target Video Mode a 27" exclusive feature or does the 21" have it?
 
I think using the iMac 27inch as a display is a terrific idea. And depending on your workload you may want to save your mac pro only for heavy lifting.

If your just spending a session checking your email and browsing the web well the iMac plain consumes less power.

On the other hand if your not using the iMac as a computer at all it will cost less in the long run to replace it with a display.
 
Option 2 if you want a spare machine, Option 1 if you really want it to look stunning over just very good :p (As a reference, I have a 2010 Mac Pro with the 27" Cinema and I think it would look worse with the iMac as a monitor.. just my opinion).
 
chrismacguy said:
Option 2 if you want a spare machine, Option 1 if you really want it to look stunning over just very good :p (As a reference, I have a 2010 Mac Pro with the 27" Cinema and I think it would look worse with the iMac as a monitor.. just my opinion).
Click to expand...

Well the plan is to use both the iMac AND a 27" Cinema Display as monitors at this point actually.
 
You can of course try it with the iMac, and change your mind later. you can sell the iMac in 1 or 2 months into the future in the same way that you can today...
 
if I were you i'll sell the iMac and buy an ACD.
1)with a cinema display, you'll add iSight, mic and 3 USB to your MP. you can't access to imac's mic, cam & peripherals while using it as monitor. I don't know if you can use imac's speakers as well-I highly doubt that macpro's miniDP could carry audio signals.
2) managing two computers is always a painful experience. two way synching isn't easy and smooth at all.
3) in order to use the iMac as monitor you'll have to wait it to boot. ACD is instantly on.
4) least but very important, power consumption. A full computer use a lot more power than a display. It's an important thing to consider, especially for the fact that you already have a Mac pro, that is an hungry beast.
 
I would use the imac. For a couple hundred bucks you are getting a computer that you can have as a backup computer. However remembering your selling history in the Market Place (see who got the ban hammer again?), you may have a couple other ones as well. Would be nice to have a backup if the Mac Pro goes south and is out for a week or so.

I would just leave it as it is. Unless it is a pain to use it as a monitor, ie having to switch inputs when booting up vs. just hitting power on a ACD.
 
I have a 2007 iMac 24. Is there any way to use this as an external monitor with my new 27 inch iMAc? My 24 inch cinema display just died, so I would loive to save some cash and use the old iMac as my second screen.

Any thoughts on how I can do this?
 
dissolve said:
If you choose to keep the iMac as a monitor, you can absolutely do what you suggested. It stays on and active as a computer when in Target Display Mode. See here for Apple's description:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3924

It's certainly going to draw more power than using just a display as there's no way to put the "computer" part of the iMac asleep while using it as a monitor.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know that
 
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