Macbook Pro w/ 30 inch Dell monitor issue SOLVED

Question

I was amazed at the huge problems Apple apparently had with the bizarre $99 adapter that enables 30 inch dual channel display for the new Mini Displayport machines, including the current Macbook Pros. The reports of problems here were terrible, and I frankly waited six months or more to buy my next machine because of these problems -- Apple should be more careful about products like this.
I'm happy to report that the Mini Displayport to Displayport cable from Monoprice works GREAT with my Dell 30 inch monitor (the current one, I can't find the number since it's hidden on the back but it's the current model they sell). Fully compatible in both Mac and Windows, video seems fine, and no issues that affect display quality. The only issue I have noticed is, when the monitor goes to sleep and I wake it up again on the Mac side, it displays strange lines. Any change in monitor color or resolution causes this to go away, so all I have to do is go to 16 bit color and back again. On top of everything, the cable is dirt cheap.
Here it is:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?cid=102&cp_id=10246&cs_id=1024606&pid=6007&seq=1&format=2

Answer 1

Peter Payne wrote:
feel free to comment with your own experiences.
Ok. But, what have you solved?
First off, the 'huge problems' that you mention pertain to the Apple mini-DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI adapter. There's nothing 'bizarre' about that adapter - it allows you to connect a display requiring a dual-link DVI (i.e. up to 2560x1600) to your MBP. Those issues were not really that common (judging frequency of problems by reading these forums is like judging human health by visiting an Emergency Room - you'd think most of the population was sick or injured). If you went by forum problem reports, you'd never buy any product.
More importantly, the _cable you linked above is an entirely different product_, a mini-DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable. It has nothing to do with DVI (note that Apple doesn't even make a mini-Dp to DP cable). If your display has a DisplayPort input (as the Dell 30" does) then it's fine. If your display has only DVI input (such as the Apple 30" Cinema Display), the cable you link is useless.
But, although I find it utterly unsurprising that a mini-DP to DP cable will allow one to connect a mini-DP port on a computer to a DP port on a display, good to know that in that instance, the dirt cheap cable from Monoprice does the job.