Video: We Turned an iPad Pro Into a Mac Mini Display With the Luna Display Adapter

[elfxmilhouse]

My theory as to what Luna Display is doing is emulating a display in order to get GPU acceleration working.
I've been doing this on my Mac mini server for several years now and you can really tell the difference in performance when using VNC or other screen sharing apps.

https://www.amazon.com/CompuLab-fit...2752841&sr=8-4&keywords=hdmi+display+emulator

I'm guessing the luna dongle is just a display emulator and their software specifically pipes that display output to their viewing server and to the client on the ipad. The fact that both the iPad and the Mac need to be on the same network is evidence that they are using some sort of remote display over IP. They say so much on their website that their protocol offers lower latency and that its less than half of what others are capable of. If so, kudos to them. It would be nice if you can just buy the software and use any display emulator or even a real display to get the same results. However they are probably making a good margin on the dongle and it is acting as a sort of a hardware license key. It probably has a specific EDID that the luna software looks for in order to function.

How is this different than the Duet iOS app?

I'm wondering the exact same thing.

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This is from Luna's website. Points out some differences. Keeping in mind this is Luna's info not a independent party

https://lunadisplay.com/pages/luna-display-vs-duet-display

Looks the answer is here https://lunadisplay.com/pages/luna-display-vs-duet-display

Duet is meh... It's slow, not a hardware solution and has a fixed resolution meaning black bars on most iPads whereas Luna supports the full native resolution as the Mac thinks its a real display.

This is the same thing as vnc! Don't be tricked into paying for it.

Or how is this different to Splashtop or any VNC app?

 

[unobtainium]

What about Screens? Has anyone used that? I’m interested in remotely connecting to my MBP at home when out and about with the iPad.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Watching FCPX on an iPad looks delicious. I’d buy FCPX in a heartbeat if it was iOS compatible

 

[cmwade77]

What about Screens? Has anyone used that? I’m interested in remotely connecting to my MBP at home when out and about with the iPad.

Teamviewer works the best in my experience.

 

[cppguy]

How is this different than the Duet iOS app?

It's just a competing solution. Luna Display is from the company that created AstroPad. It's more than screen mirroring, it turns your Mac into a drawing pad, like a Cintiq. It allows you to draw and paint from the couch. Since the iPad pencil doesn't have the concept of hover, you can simulate it with a three-finger touch gesture. While AstroPad only has screen mirroring, Luna Display allows you to have a second monitor with a drawing pad. AstroPad alone is limiting, because it can only mirror a small part of your full screen. Luna Display adds a new screen, which is, by definition, a full screen.

Apple should allow this natively, without having to go to third party yearly subscription and a specialized hardware dongle.

 

[patent10021]

If I flex the iPad in the middle then I could get a wrap around effect. Like those nice curved displays.

 

[cppguy]

I see this as an awesome option to use the iPad as a secondary display for a MacBook, but that's about it.

No, it's a lot more than that, it turns your Mac into an artist pad. Not necessarily better than a Cintiq, but if you already own an iPad, it's relatively inexpensive.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

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This is from Luna's website. Points out some differences. Keeping in mind this is Luna's info not a independent party

https://lunadisplay.com/pages/luna-display-vs-duet-display

It seems curious to me that it has to run over your home wifi... I'd think it could act as its own router and send the signal straight to your iPad. The reason you'd choose not to do that is to avoid having to build hardware, but since they chose to make hardware, seems like they may as well embrace that...

or alternatively, make it just plug into both your Mac and your iPad...

 

[ignatius345]

I could see this being useful if you have a Mini you want to use "headless" as a server of some kind and then need an occasional display to administer it and happen to have an iPad around already.

Of course, unless I'm mistaken you could also use Screen Sharing to get to a headless Mini, if you have another Mac around.

 

[Infinite Vortex]

Wait… macOS on an 11" display… run from a unit that's over-priced and thermal throttles… plus that $79 adapter… SWEEEEEET!! Just what I was waiting for to replace my iMac 5K.

 

[dotnet]

MacOS on an iPad looks pretty gorgeous.
Now, Apple, give me a native experience with a trackpad and keyboard and I'm buying this iPad PRO.

They just did. They gave you mouse/keypad, full finder/filesystem, external storage capability and everything else the hand-waving iPad Pro critics were missing so sorely. All you have to do is buy that dongle, called Mac mini...

 

[B4U]

This is what Apple meant when they say the iPad can replace a computer.

 

[jazz1]

Last week, the team behind the Luna Display adapter that's designed to turn the iPad into a second display for any Mac published an article outlining how the adapter was used to morph a current iPad Pro into a display for Apple's newest Mac mini.

The Mac mini ships sans display, which means if you have an iPad, it can be used as the Mac mini's sole display. We thought the idea was interesting, so we decided to try it out in our latest YouTube video.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.​

The Luna Display is a little adapter that plugs into the USB-C port on your Mac (for older Macs, there's a Mini DisplayPort version). So to use the iPad Pro as a Mac mini display, you need to plug the adapter into the Mac mini and then download the appropriate software.

There's Luna software for both the iPad and the Mac, which you'll need to download to get this setup working. For setup, you're going to need a separate external display for the Mac mini so you can get the software installed, but once it's set up, the iPad Pro can be used as the only display.

Because the iPad and the adapter in the Mac mini work via WiFi, you'll need a strong connection for seamless performance and a zero lag experience.

Once the iPad Pro is set up as the Mac mini's display, it's a neat example of what it's like to use a touchscreen with a Mac machine. You can display full Mac apps on the iPad Pro, from Photoshop to Final Cut Pro.

What's neat is that you can control apps on your Mac mini through the iPad using the Luna Display app and then swipe out of it to access all of your standard apps. Switching between the two is flawless.

The iPad Pro is, of course, a super expensive display for the Mac mini so this is only useful if you happen to have both of these devices. Buying an iPad Pro just to use as a Mac mini display probably isn't a good idea since you can get a bigger display at a cheaper price.

You can also use the Luna Display with other Macs to turn the iPad into a secondary display. If you want your own Luna Display, it's available for $79.

What do you think of the iPad Pro as a touch display for Mac mini? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Video: We Turned an iPad Pro Into a Mac Mini Display With the Luna Display Adapter

Will this work with my Apple Watch 3rd generation? Just kidding of course. It is interesting, I'm just not sure how I would personally get the benefit of it using my iMac. Hey, I'm glad people are innovating Apple products. So if the use fits your workflow, go for it!

 

[gnasher729]

It seems curious to me that it has to run over your home wifi... I'd think it could act as its own router and send the signal straight to your iPad. The reason you'd choose not to do that is to avoid having to build hardware, but since they chose to make hardware, seems like they may as well embrace that...

You can always create an ad hoc network just with your Mac and your iPad, so you don't have to go through any router, or go through a hotel's slow WiFi network for example.

 

[citysnaps]

Looks like it would be a nice occasional user interface to a headless Mac Mini. For setup, troubleshooting, looking at logs, etc.

I do question the responsiveness. It would suck up a huge amount of Wireless bandwidth for a fluid experience.

 

[Srinivasankh]

How is this different than the Duet iOS app?

Duet has support for Windows as well recently, if you have Windows. This will make your iPad as second display for your Windows 10.

 

[SBlue1]

This may be the solution for my problem of replacing my 2012 MacBook Pro with something that would match its power and storage. A new MacBook Air with similar storage 2100 Euros and MacBook Pro 2600 Euros.

Now a new Mac Mini with an external SSD and an iPad Pro as a screen would cost me around 2000 Euros. Plus I would have a iPad. Or go with the smallest storage MacBook Air and buy the smallest Mac Mini and add external storage and use it as a server for the MacBook for slightly less...

 

[JPSaltzman]

But you still need a keyboard and a mouse. So you just might as well save a few bucks and buy a MacBook Pro or Air.

 

[jlc1978]

How is this different than the Duet iOS app?

Duet is a software only app; Luna uses a dongle to trick OS X into think a disolay is attached. According to Luna that means their app can take advantage of underlying disolay technologies that Duet can't. I have both and prefer Luna as it is more responsive; but Duet is a fine alternative.. It connetes wirelessly or over USB.

Here's Luna's comparison:

https://lunadisplay.com/pages/luna-display-vs-duet-display
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Otherwise if u had a mac mini setup as a headless server at home this could be a nice way to quickly jump in and do some tweaks or manage files etc.

Why bother? On the Mac to iPad you can just remote access the Mini and use the device screen as the Mini's screen. Not exactly good for anything beyond file management or other simple tasks, but a lot cheaper solution if you have the hardware already.
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It seems curious to me that it has to run over your home wifi... I'd think it could act as its own router and send the signal straight to your iPad. The reason you'd choose not to do that is to avoid having to build hardware, but since they chose to make hardware, seems like they may as well embrace that...

Then you'd lose internet access unless you have a wired connection; this lets you use the iPad as a second monitor and still have internet access.

or alternatively, make it just plug into both your Mac and your iPad...

The do, via a usb - lightning cable.

 

[now i see it]

Pretty much completely refutes Apple's continual argument/comment that Mac OS on a touch screen (iPad) is a poor user experience. Yeah right. It looks like it's a great experience (and they know it... but want to sell you a laptop too).

I honestly think that at this point,  doesn't know what to do with the iPad. It's obviously so shackled by iOS.

 

[jlc1978]

Apple should allow this natively, without having to go to third party yearly subscription and a specialized hardware dongle.

AstroPad Standard is $30 with no subscription, I use it and it's fine but I since I don't use a Wacom/Cintiq/etc. tablet I don't need the pro features.

 

[Tozovac]

It's just a competing solution

Apple should allow this natively, without having to go to third party yearly subscription and a specialized hardware dongle.

Oh that would be INNOVATIVE and convenient to the user! Two things not too Apple-like any more. Just like allowing the user to download, say, images/attachments from long text messages, or converting long text messages into PDFS, instead of leaving that option to 3rd party apps.

this will answer your question
https://lunadisplay.com/pages/luna-display-vs-duet-display

FWIW I would classify Duet in the useless/unusable category

Thanks. FWIW Duet has been utterly fantastic as a convenient 2nd screen when traveling with your iPad and MBA. Plus gives a "retina display" 2nd monitor to the MBA. Quite useful. To each his/her own.

 

[Mt44]

Does Luna work remotely or do the mini and iPad have to be on the same WiFi network?

 

[noraa]

How is this different than the Duet iOS app?

From a functionality stand point, they both to the same things. However, Luna is significantly faster than Duet and doesn't require the use of a cable. Whether or not it's worth the $80 or so for the Luna adapter depends on how often you use your iPad as an external display (or only display in the Mac mini case). If you're using the iPad regularly, I'd say it's worth it as the experience is just a lot smoother and more enjoyable than Duet. If you use it only occasionally, than it's probably worth just sticking with Duet.

 

[slashlos]

Ah, economics aside, do mouse / interactions affect the iPad cursor.

Now if you could use a mouse on an iPad Pro with its keyboard ... ?