displayport nonsense - Apple recommends VGA (or DVI) output only?

[askywalker]

I just got off the phone with an Apple store rep who called me back (since my question was technical).

I was asking the same question as a previous post - about what cable I needed to get Displayport out of my newly ordered MBP and into my monitor.

Their response - buy the VGA dongle. Four times we went in circles - but my monitor is a brand new monitor with displayport support - and the Mac has displayport. Isn't there a way to connect it. We went in circles - with DVI or VGA dongles being the only thing that Apple supported... hmm...

Of course - the monitor will support VGA, DVI, HDMI and Displayport - so I don't want to be obtuse about it, but I do want the connection to be the best it can be, so I assumed staying with displayport would be best. The monitor shipped with a cable, but I would need a 'mini-displayport' cable. I have ordered what I hope will be one from Amazon already - but it seems crazy that Apple seems to have no clue.

Recommending VGA dongles into my brand new monitor seems sad....

 

[m85476585]

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10246&cs_id=1024606&p_id=6007&seq=1&format=2

DVI and DP should give you exactly the same results. VGA would be lower quality.

 

[plasticphyte]

As you already know, you simply need a mini display port (looks like a shrunken Firewire 400 port) to display port adaptor or cable. So yeah, why the Apple support person said you needed the VGA adaptor is a joke.

 

[askywalker]

As you already know, you simply need a mini display port (looks like a shrunken Firewire 400 port) to display port adaptor or cable. So yeah, why the Apple support person said you needed the VGA adaptor is a joke.

Yes. Not a lot of genius in my dealings with Apple on this MBP purchase.

The thing that I find the most bizarre is why they would choose to use mini displayport, and then seemingly not support it by offering cables and adapters that take advantage of it. They don't even seem to sell a mini-displayport to HDMI cable.

Anyway - I hope that the cable I ordered from Amazon Japan works. I would have preferred to have just included the cables in my MBP order, and wish that I was in the USA to be able to get monoprice cables...

I suppose I will need to order the VGA dongle anyway - since there is always the chance that I will bump into a projector that only has VGA.

 

[m85476585]

Just hope you don't find a TV with only S-Video or composite video, since then you would need a converter box not just a simple adapter!

 

[Selenica]

I highly recommend monoprice.com. I've been using HDMI & component cables from them for all of my devices for a couple years now haven't had any problems. They also have CL2 rated cables if you plan to do any in-wall cabling.

Retail store and brand-name cables are ridiculously overpriced. The monoprice HDMI cable that cost me about $4 is even of better build quality than another HDMI cable I bought at a local store for $45 (it was all they offered )

They carry a variety of mini display port cables & adapters; Mini Displayport to HDMI cables, Mini Displayport to DVI cables, Mini Displayport to VGA cables, Mini Displayport to DVI adapter, Mini Displayport to HDMI adapter, Mini Displayport to VGA adapter & Mini Displayport to Displayport adapter (this one would work with the DP to DP cable you have now)

They're all viable solutions though.

 

[dsprimal]

monoprice.com is an amazing site, ive had family members go through them a couple times.