New Apple Display Idea

[LimeLite]

Some people have been speculating that the new displays from Apple would have FireWire ports on them. Now, this was quickly killed as a possibility from people who determined that to do that, the ADC would have to be redesigned, which would not make a whole lot of sense. So it came a common thought that FireWire would not be coming to the display. But then last night it hit me...

Why don't they build a FireWire hub into the displays? When you buy a DVI -> ADC connector, to use the USB ports behind the display, you have to plug a USB cable into an active USB port (usually one of the ones on the back of the computer. Why couldn't the same be done for FireWire? The display cable could split off in the ADC and a FireWire cable, and if you wanted to use the displays FireWire ports, all you'd have to do is plug in the FireWire cable to one of the ports on the back.

Will they do this? Probably not, but it's one way to solve the problem without making a whole new display connector.

 

[MacsRgr8]

There is more demand for more than 2 USB ports, than FireWire ports.
Getting somekind of USB hub is quite a necessity, at the moment. A FireWire hub maybe in the near future....

 

[LimeLite]

The display alread is a USB hub. It's just a matter of adding more ports. If you have one, go take a look in System Profiler, it's listed as a hub. I think the demand for FireWire ports other than just the back of the computer is real. Especially with FireWire peripherals coming out other than hard drives, for example the iSight.

 

[MacsRgr8]

True, especially regarding the iSight. For that reason alone, its a good idea to have a FireWire port on the display. You can safely assume that the iSight would (should) be (very) close to the display..... hmmmm...... yep. Good one!

 

[jelloshotsrule]

the isight cable is pretty short. i don't think i could even come close to having it reach my computer (under my desk) from my monitor (on my desk)...

i plugged it into a fiwi harddrive, and while it worked alright (was worried the power draw might not let it work), at some point the drive mysteriously unmounted itself... had to turn it off and on to get it back.. not cool

so, i can see your point
though i can't really fully understand your implementation.

 

[LimeLite]

Ok, this is the DVI -> ADC convertor. See how at the end plugged into the PowerBook it splits off into two cables? One is connecting to the display connector, the other is going into a USB port, so that the ports on the back of the display can be used.

Now, imagine that without a box, just one cable coming from the display...the ADC already provides a connection to the USB ports on the back of the display, but at the end of the cable, it could split off so that one part connects to the ADC port, and another to an open FireWire port, which provides a connection to, say, 2 FireWire ports on the back of the display itself.

 

[LimeLite]

Ok, here's a very basic mockup. I didn't even use photoshop, I used GraphicConverter, so bear with me here, but this will give you a basic idea of what I'm talking about. If anyone wants to make a photoshop representation, I's appreciate it.

 

[cc bcc]

I thought of that same solution LimeLite. But adding ADC to laptops doesn't make sense, because the battery cannot supply enough power to run the display. It would work for desktops though, and for laptops with a DVI->ADC adaptor.
I've never understood ADC. Why make something that nobody else uses? I thought Apple was about open standards. They could have easily gotten rid of the desktopclutter if the used a industy-standard DVI connector, with the power and USB wires through the same cable, splitting of to AC, DVI and USB connectors at the computer side.

 

[LimeLite]

well, yeah, I only used a laptop because it was the only picture I could find for the ADC adaptor, so it was just for reference. The idea is based on being used on a desktop. I think the reason Apple made the ADC, other than to make it propriety, is because they made it able to carry the USB signals. I don't think any other video adapter can do that.