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I want to buy a 30" monitor to go with my new MacBook pro, but the 30" monitor in the Apple store seems to use a dual link DVI connection (which requires a $100 adapter).

Are there any 30" monitors that use mini DisplayPort?

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If you find any that do you may find that you can't get over 1920x1200 resolution from the internal video card. A friend bought a specific Dell laptop that Dell support told him would be able to handle a 30" external via display port but it wouldn't. He ended up getting an external video card. – Zooks64 Apr 21 '10 at 23:07
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5 Answers

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No, currently Apple's 24 inch monitor is the only mini-displayport monitor. I haven't even found any monitors that have mini-display port connection, let alone be in the 30 inch size/resolution.

Everything I have seen so far alternatively uses the full size display port. Dell's 3008/3007 and hp's 30 inch monitors are great alternatives if you are looking to save a few dollars.

EDIT: Oo, I just found a mini-display port monitor. Not available in a 30inch though.

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"Everything I have seen so far alternatively uses the full size display port." -- is there a mini-Displayport -> full-Displayport adapter? (This sucks!) – Horace Loeb Aug 29 '09 at 16:03
Yes, Circuit Assembly sells a mini displayport to displayport cable. I'm using it to go from my Macbook to an HP display with a displayport connection. estore.circuitassembly.com/products/… – Mark Kanof Mar 3 '10 at 20:38
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up vote 1 down vote

(which requires a $100 adapter)

MonoPrice.com is selling sanely priced Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapters and Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapters for $9.75

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Neither of these support resolutions higher than 1920x1200 (why have a 30" monitor) – Horace Loeb Aug 30 '09 at 16:36
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up vote 1 down vote

The Dell 3008WFP supports displayport. http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=223-4890

Then all you'd need to pick up is a miniDisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter (These are pretty cheap).

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up vote 0 down vote

Just get a 30 inch with full DP plug, and buy one of those el-cheapo chinese miniDP-DP plugs on the internet. http://www.marktnet.nl/Mini-displayport-naar-displayport-adapter-4687692.htm

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up vote -1 down vote

Mini displayports can't run 30-inch monitor by themselves (not enough bandwidth, I guess?), which is why to run a 30-inch monitor off a macbook pro you need to buy Apple's ludicrously expensive mini displayport to dual-link DVI adapter, which also uses one of your USB ports. It costs $100 and I've heard that it doesn't work super well (distortion, flickering pixels, etc.), though I don't own one myself so I can't confirm that. Frankly, I'd just go for a 24".

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Incorrect - the reason you need to use the adapter is that the 30" monitor from Apple uses DVI and not MDP or DP. From Wikipedia: it supports dual link DVI on it's own just fine. – Chealion Aug 11 '10 at 23:02
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