What is Digg?Sponsored by Travelzoo
Take Advantage of Ridiculously Low Holiday Airfares view!
travelzoo.com - Flights $52 and up for Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year. But move on it now.
97 Comments
- eatrains, on 12/02/2008, -8/+55Please read the article. "Mini DisplayPort is an Apple-designed miniature version of the VESA-approved DisplayPort, which fully supports the protocol while offering a more compact connector. "
Mini DisplayPort didn't remove anything. It is the same as DisplayPort, just smaller. - vivvivtzz, on 12/02/2008, -3/+49God Bless you Mapple
- roxgod666, on 12/02/2008, -6/+48I'm a PC and i still have Firewire.
- SawButter, on 12/02/2008, -5/+34Give us the Firewire back !
- ClevelandBrown, on 12/02/2008, -2/+26FireWire 3200
- zachsandberg, on 12/02/2008, -3/+23I'm a $450 PC and I still have Firewire.
- HappyScrappy, on 12/02/2008, -1/+20I don't think they have any choice. DisplayPort is a VESA spec and VESA specs are free.
- inactive, on 12/02/2008, -4/+22This is a move in the right direction. I doubt it will catch on but Mini-Display Port is a pretty cool standard. All the positive aspects of DisplayPort in a space saving form factor. Just the kind of thing small notebooks need.
- jermm, on 12/02/2008, -1/+15Mini-Displayport to HDMI please.
- HappyScrappy, on 12/02/2008, -3/+16DisplayPort doesn't carry USB. It carries audio, but so does HDMI. Apple's DisplayPort implementation does not carry audio (but there's no restriction due to the connector, it might do so in a future version).
The only issue with Mini DisplayPort is it's only fractionally smaller. I don't see why Apple had to do this. - PathDaemon, on 12/02/2008, -4/+16So... Apple owns Mini DisplayPort? Why not just make it an open standard?
- frnzkfk, on 12/02/2008, -5/+15***** this *****. just use displayport; it is small enough. extra standards just means more dongles and hassle to get ***** to work together. different is fine if its substantially better, mini-displayport is most certainly not.
also ***** drm
(i know in this particular instance its not apples fault but still, they are a huge music distributor they could change the culture if they wanted to) - manitoba98xp, on 12/02/2008, -2/+11DisplayPort is a VESA spec, but the connector shape is Apple's design. That's basically what they're giving away.
- Kerrigore, on 12/02/2008, -2/+10They own the work they did to shrink it, which of course changes the connector type. Basically they just want to have a say in who gets to use it. They're not charging anything for it. That seems reasonable to me, since they did develop it, and it is quite impressive how much they managed to miniaturize it while keeping all the capabilities intact.
- macslut, on 12/02/2008, -0/+8The t key can be used on Macs with FireWire to start up the Mac in Target Disk Mode. This allows your Mac to connect on another computer as a FireWire drive. It's very useful for diagnosing and fixing problems, transferring large files or migrating from one system to another. It can only be done on FireWire, not USB. So SawButter's joke is that while some (most?) PCs have FireWire, they still can't do Target Disk Mode.
- TiMMY8765, on 12/02/2008, -1/+9displayport has an aux channel in the pin layout that is usually used to carry USB
- Jerk, on 12/02/2008, -1/+9Target disk mode, which has come in handy several times.
- Kerrigore, on 12/02/2008, -4/+12Why? It has all the capabilities of a "fill size port", including support for up to dual-link-DVI resolutions.
I wouldn't be surprised if we see full-sized DisplayPorts on Mac Pro's, but nowhere else. There's just no point. - zeebo, on 12/02/2008, -3/+10I really don't get why apple removed the audio portion of display port, or didn't expand on it in anyway. Especially considering Apple's typical focus on simplicity. They could have made the hookup to their new cinema displays that much simpler with a one cable hookup.
- Jerk, on 12/02/2008, -2/+9Your Macbook Pro must be different from mine. There is absolutely no room on the left side for anything. I have ports up to the Express 3/4 slot, and on the other side of that is the hard drive.
On the new Macbook Pros, the left side has even *less* room for ports. - Jeffler, on 12/02/2008, -0/+7My $450 PC has real deal firewire, watchoo talking bout bitch
- thejadedmonkey, on 12/02/2008, -10/+17I really wish Apple would use a fill size port, like the rest of the world!
- robbh66, on 12/02/2008, -2/+8Update: Strike my previous comment. According to the link I posted and Wikipedia, the pinout is identical. According to Wikipedia, the audio is carried over the mainlink channels. Wikipedia also states that USB can be carried over the Aux channels, but as they're only 1Mbit, it's not going to be that useful for that anyways...
Of course, Wikipedia is what also said that audio is not supported with mini DisplayPort... - SuperSunny, on 12/02/2008, -2/+8Honestly, Apple is forced to comply with what other companies require and want for their modern products to work to their full potential. It's the only reason DRM still keeps on going. Other companies need it so other companies have to comply to share the technology or else it just doesn't work.
- cran, on 12/02/2008, -4/+10Okay, and for the historically impaired, here's what this means to you and me:
Apple takes a new, unpopular technology and offers to let manufacturers use it for free. If it grows popular enough, Apple will begin charging high fees or shut out third-party manufacturers altogether. When all your stuff depends on it, you'll be screwed.
So, hurray Apple! - krschuerman, on 12/02/2008, -0/+6Now if only I could get a magsafe adapter for my targus universal without destroying a perfectly good power adapter.
- hobbitaussie, on 12/02/2008, -1/+7DisplayPort was introduced by VESA, not Apple. Dell had DisplayPort monitors 9 months ago. Apple is just making it popular like what they did with USB 10 years ago.
- KirbyMeister, on 12/02/2008, -5/+10Free licensing... for how long?
They'll pull the same crap they did with iPod accessories. - Zippo, on 12/02/2008, -0/+5Good... at least now Apple won't be the only seller of adapters.
- Kerrigore, on 12/02/2008, -3/+8You'd still have to buy an adapter to go to anything that isn't DisplayPort (read: virtually everything right now).
That's the whole point of this move by Apple: if other companies use the mini version on their displays and products, you won't need an adapter, just a cable. - noahcutter, on 12/02/2008, -0/+5YES! That would be amazing!
- aussieNickuss, on 12/02/2008, -3/+8"Why?"
So you don't have to buy a $35 adaptor. - BossKey, on 12/02/2008, -2/+7How about an example in the other direction? FireWire once had a royalty, but Apple eventually dropped it.
- manitoba98xp, on 12/02/2008, -1/+6Just like DVI or HDMI, you can of course implement non-HDCP devices without penalty – devices will simply refuse to send HDCP-protected content over it.
- fraul, on 12/02/2008, -3/+7DisplayPort is the new Firewire. Great technology introduced by Apple. Main audience won't adopt it, and after an elite of users adopt it and come to love it, Apple will drop support.
- Kerrigore, on 12/02/2008, -0/+4Yes, this needs to happen ASAP. It's frankly absurd that they didn't release one to begin with. Anyone connecting to an HDTV will want this, and it's insane to have to buy a MiniDisplayPort -> DVI, then a DVI -> HDMI converter, plus a cable, just to get your laptop outputting to your HDTV... or buy an AppleTV. I mean, that's the way it is now with mini-DVI, but there's really no reason not to output to HDMI and take advantage of the sound output (otherwise it's a pain in the ass to get 5.1 out of a MacBook/iMac).
- inactive, on 12/02/2008, -0/+3I really hope more things have the mini display port because it is ridiculous how many different adapters i have bought to hook my macbook up to a tv or projector.
- zachsandberg, on 12/02/2008, -0/+4mrBitch, yes, I have a 4 pin Firewire 400 connector on my Thinkpad. No, it doesn't provide power, you are correct, however it does conform to the iee1394 spec of daisy-chaining up to 63 devices. Thanks for playing!
- jhop, on 12/02/2008, -0/+3Presumably, Mini Display Port does not support video back TO the computer from the webcam (iSight). Therefore, USB would still be necessary...
- hobbitaussie, on 12/02/2008, -1/+5HDMI cannot drive a dual DVI display like DisplayPort can. That's enough reason.
- sirbeta, on 12/02/2008, -3/+7Until use starts to pick up, in which time they'll introduce some sort of elaborate pricing plan to use it. History repeats itself.
- DelMonte, on 12/02/2008, -0/+4Just like DVI and HDMI, mini displayport supports HDCP if that's what you mean.
- mrBitch, on 12/02/2008, -3/+7@Kerrigore, correct.
@PathDaemon RE: " So... Apple owns Mini DisplayPort? Why not just make it an open standard? "
By offering free licensing, Apple are allowing ANYONE to use & build components with this spec.
In effect, it IS an open standard. - biofreak12, on 12/02/2008, -1/+4I would demand for USB 3 right now, since it's the ultimate killer of FW standard as we know it, it destroys FW in speed :P
I still use my FW 800 on my last gen macbook pro and at work on 8 core mac pro, however, I like sata connection more on my PC, so much faster. :)
Apple are dumb, instead of providing their new useless standard, they should have used something established, like HDMI. just my 2 cents. - EverTheCynic, on 12/02/2008, -1/+4Psst. I'm a Mac. What am I supposed to be using my t key for again?
- EverTheCynic, on 12/02/2008, -0/+3Ah thanks. I always forget about that feature because I've never had to use it (thankfully I guess). I kept trying to figure out the connection between firewire and the t key and all I could come up with was maybe keyboard shortcuts in Final Cut. Too much editing on the brain.
- alerad, on 12/02/2008, -0/+3By Jobs hosting an Apple 'event'
- aussieNickuss, on 12/02/2008, -0/+2Didn't think about that fact.
- Culyt, on 12/02/2008, -1/+3@mrBitchmrBitch:
No its a proprietary standard that is free of charge.
Apple can stop giving away free licenses at any time, in fact its a great trap. If the product ever sees widespread usage (outside of Apple) they can stop issuing licenses and make everyone else pay them heaps. I would hope that the current implementation license is a permanent one that lets the manufactures make products for ever, but I highly doubt that.
Right now its free because its a new standard and right now its only Apple who are making minidisplayport products.
☢ - HappyScrappy, on 12/02/2008, -0/+2My understanding is the aux channel is used to carry the same signals as HDMI's aux channel, which is digital control signals (http://www.hometheatermag.com/hookmeup/208hook/). The stuff on Wikipedia says the DisplayPort channel goes 1mbit/sec tops, which is too slow for USB.
-
Show 51 - 100 of 101 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is