iMac as External Display for MBA?

[maehara]

Looking to buy a new 22" iMac once the refreshed models are released. Not impatient at all, no...

A nice-to-have feature would be the ability to use the iMac as an external display for my MacBook Air (Rev. C, with Display Port), but I've seen mixed reports around the 'net as to whether a Thunderbolt-equipped iMac can do this for machines that only have ye olde DisplayPort output. Any esteemed MacRumors users who've tried this set-up could confirm either way..?

 

[Bobby.e]

Only the 27' has target display mode.

 

[theSeb]

Only the 27' has target display mode.

From the Apple Support Site:

"iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011) and iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011) support Target Display Mode via Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable (2 m) when the source is another Thunderbolt-equipped computer."

----------

Looking to buy a new 22" iMac once the refreshed models are released. Not impatient at all, no...

A nice-to-have feature would be the ability to use the iMac as an external display for my MacBook Air (Rev. C, with Display Port), but I've seen mixed reports around the 'net as to whether a Thunderbolt-equipped iMac can do this for machines that only have ye olde DisplayPort output. Any esteemed MacRumors users who've tried this set-up could confirm either way..?

Target display mode for the 2011 iMac models and onwards only works when the source is another computer with Thunderbolt. A computer with only display port will not work.

 

[Bobby.e]

From the Apple Support Site:

"iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011) and iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011) support Target Display Mode via Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable (2 m) when the source is another Thunderbolt-equipped computer."

----------



Target display mode for the 2011 iMac models and onwards only works when the source is another computer with Thunderbolt. A computer with only display port will not work.

That must be new. The old iMac's only the 27' worked

 

[maehara]

Target display mode for the 2011 iMac models and onwards only works when the source is another computer with Thunderbolt. A computer with only display port will not work.

Unfortunate. Not a deal-breaker, though.

Thanks for the replies...

 

[Ulf1103]

So you can use a 21.5" iMac as an external display (using Target Display mode).
Is there a way to reverce the precess?

I mean, can you use a MacBook Pro/Air as an external diplay for the iMac?
I mean, that makes more sense since the iMac probably has a better cpu and gpu...