Using IMAC 27 (LATE 2009 ) as primary display for MAC PRO PRO 2013

I have been a user of IMAC & Macbook but not mac PRO.
I wish to upgrade to MAC PRO ( 2013 ). As i want to make the transition less costly i want to use my current IMAC 27in ( LATE 2009 ) as the one and only display.
First question . Is the above possible with MAC PRO ?
Second question related - When using the above option eg MAC PRO as main system and 27in IMAC as display. Will the hard drive and on the IMAC be possible to go in to sleep mode. I would be concious about power consumption and the life expentancy of the constant use of the HARD DRIVE on the IMAC.
I would like to be able to keep the hard drive on the IMAC off or at least in sleep mode.

Target Display Mode FAQ:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924?viewlocale=en_US

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Can I use 27' iMac(Later 2009) as a display for Mac Pro(future 2013)?

Can I use 27' iMac(Later 2009) as a display for Mac Pro(future 2013)?

See > http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11302
To be able to use the iMac as an external display, the Mac Pro should come with a Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt port, so think that it will include Mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt, although we don't know anything.
To connect the iMac to the Mac Pro, as your iMac has got a Mini DisplayPort, you have to use a Mini DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cable (Thunderbolt is compatible with Mini DisplayPort cables, but Mini DisplayPort isn't compatible with Thunderbolt cables). Then, just follow the steps of the page above to use the iMac as an external display

Using 27in iMac as display for Mac Pro (both latest models)

I'm in need of using my new 27in iMac (current 2012 model) as the display for my current 2012 Mac Pro. As you probably know, the mac pro has 1 DVI port, 2 mini display port, and some firewire ports. The iMac has 1 firewire port and 2 thunderbolt ports. Both units have USB 2.0 obviously. I found that the new iMac doesn't support target disk mode with non-thunderbolt machines so that won't work. I wonder if there is a way to use these other connections to enable my mac pro to display on the imac. Any suggestions?
(My latest wonder is if I can upgrade the video card in the mac pro with a card that has thunderbolt outputs?)

That is a subtle distinction, but I think you are right.
Use an iMac with Thunderbolt as a display
If you have an iMac with Thunderbolt, any other Mac with Thunderbolt can use it as a display. The iMac will play both the video and audio from the other Mac.
Connect the Thunderbolt cable to the Thunderbolt ports on each computer.
Make sure both Mac computers are turned on and awake.
Press Command (⌘)-F2 on the keyboard of the external display Mac.
If you want the external display Mac to play audio as well as video from the primary Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sound, and then click Output. Select the external display Mac from the list of devices.

Use the new iMac as a display for Mac Pro

The goal is a simple one; use the newest model iMac 27inch as a display for the newest model Mac Pro (desktop tower). The latest Mac Pro has DVI and DisplayPort out and the iMac obviously has thunderbolt, usb, and firewire. I've discovered that there isn't really a way to get thunderbolt on the Mac Pro unless someone knows something I don't. If it's the case that thunderbolt can't be added to the current Mac Pro (be it by a new video card, or otherwise), I'm wondering if I could use a DVI to USB adapter to display it on the iMac.
I guess the takeaway here is that I don't need a virtual solution. Primarily, I use screen sharing via gigabit ethernet to access it. However, when you need a physical hardware monitor (let's say when you restart your machine or need to boot outside of OS X), you can't use the virtual options. I need to be able to use it independantly, like a traditional monitor setup. Any thoughts?

No that will not work. The iMac will not accept video in on using USB, or anything except Thunderbolt.
Best of luck.

2 displays for Mac Pro. What do you recommend? What do I need?

I have an older Mac Pro (2007ish - Model Identifier: MacPro1,1) with a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card. I currently use an old Apple 22" Cinema Display (1 generation - clear plastic style). Anyway, I want to upgrade my display and switch to a dual monitor setup. So I'm looking for two displays in the 22-24" range. I have some questions about what & how.
First, will my graphics card support two displays? If not, what do I need instead?
Second, what displays do you all recommend? (I'm a graphic & web designer) My budget would be in the range of about $1000 per display.
Lastly, I was really hoping to hold out for the new Apple displays but Apple doesn't seem to be moving very fast in that arena. I've actually been waiting a long time for the upgrade and now the whole mini-display port thing has me wondering what to do.

I'd look at replacing the 7300GT, either ATI 4870 or.... ? before the 7300 bites the dust, and because Apple/ATI driver support for OpenGL and upcoming technology (the 7300GT w/ 256MB is also down bottom rung of ladder).
Legacy 7300 performance
http://www.barefeats.com/harper15.html
An idea of 2009 Mac Pro Core Image
http://www.barefeats.com/nehal06.html
Gaming chart tends to show how various cards stack up:
http://www.barefeats.com/nehal05.html
(read between the lines a bit)

How can i use 3(or more) hdmi monitors with the new Mac Pro(2013)?

I've been looking around, trying to find a solution to this problem.
I saw at one place that an active thunderbold -> DVI will work with the older mac pro model.
Will this work with the new one as well?
Will i be able to connect 3 screens if i use 2 passive thunderbold->hdmi and one
active thunderbold->dvi and then a dvi->hdmi?

If you need to buy Apple's $99 Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapters you may find you need to return and replace the adapter/s till you find one that works.
Recently, after my nMP arrived I bought two adapters. It took 3 trips to the Apple store to find a second one that worked properly. This also happened a few months ago when I was buying those adapters.
You should be aware that you'll also need the DVI cable that has the full set of pins, not the one with the row in the middle missing.
If you check on the Apple customer reviews in the online store you'lll find the issues and possible solutions to this situation.
Eventually I returned the second adapter when I found a way to get 2560 x 1600 through the HDMI port. I now have two 30" monitors that display 2560 x 1600.

Great displays for Mac Pro 8 core (2010)

Im using a Samsung one right now and its 1080p but even when i watch 1080p movies on the display the lines and colors are blocky and i cant fix this. So i was thinking maybe if i bought an older apple display like the Cinema display that this would be a better fit. Im not in video editing or anything I just want a good quality display to show the full potential of the computer.
Thanks for your time

Goodredroad,
The fact is that there is no such thing as a "retina" display.
You have an Apple Macbook Pro with a 2560x1600 display. Probably a 15" Macbook Pro with a 2560x1600 display.
If you calculate that display resolution (in PPI, or pixels per inch), a 2560x1600 15" display is 201.26ppi (with a 0.126mm dot pitch).
What this means is that you have over 200+ pixels per inch (PPI). Which is a nice/decent display, with very high pixel density. Many phones right now are over 300ppi (pixels per inch) with extremely low dot pitch numbers. They are extremely high resolution displays (with very high pixel density). This is what gives you the "clarity" and why a high-resolution display (in a very small screen size, with extremely high pixel density gives you such clarity).
Now you are complaining about "poor resolution" on your Samsung display (using an extremely old craptastic 3-4 year old Radeon 5000 series graphics card) which is laughable (at best).
The Samsung monitor that you mentioned is a 24" monitor (anytime you increase the size of the monitor, and use the same, or lower resolution, you are going to have FAR LESS pixels per inch). So yes, of course if you look at a display with 200+ pixels per inch, and then compare it to a display that gets nearly HALF of that resolution (pixels per inch) that large display is going to seem "grainy" or "poor resolution".
That 24" display should have at least 3840x2160p (4K2K) resolution, just to get 183ppi (and 0.1384mm dot pitch) which would still be lower resolution (lower pixel density) than your 15" display.
You would actually need a 5760x3240p 32" display (which is half-way between 4K2K and 8K4K), and that would give you a 206.52ppi (and 0.123mm dot pitch) resolution, which would be comparable to what you are seeing on your 15" 2560x1600 "retina" display.
Yes, small little touchscreen cell phones (and now small laptop displays) are using high resolution displays (with much greater pixel density) and it does give you a much clearer picture.
Large monitor displays have not caught up, and most large monitors (24" and larger) should be in the 8K4K (7680x4320p) display resolution range right now. Unfortunately, most are extremely low resolution (1920x1080p) which is more like a low-resolution TV (HDTV) display, and not really a high-resolution "retina" display (with a high pixel density).
If you stand back about 15 feet, from the 24" display, then yes it would look similar to your retina display (because you couldn't see the poor resolution up close), but since you are sitting in front of the 24" display, and are using a high-resolution (200+ppi monitor display as your reference display) it's extremely easy to see why your 24" display "looks like crap".
It has nothing to do with "1080p" because your retina display is not 1080p (it's actually 2560x1600p), so it's actually 1600p (on a small 15" screen) and you're trying to ask why a large 24" 1080p screen is much lower picture quality than a small 15" 1600p display?
Well the simple and correct answer is that your pixel density is much greater on a small 15" retina display (2560x1600p screen resolution on a 15" display gives you 201.26ppi and 0.1262mm dot pitch resolution).
The 24" Samsung (or any 1920x1080p display for that matter) is a lower-resolution display (it is only 1920x1080p) and it is also a much larger screen size (which means the pixels are spaced out much farther apart). So the large 24" Samsung (at 1920x1080p screen resolution on a 24" display gives you 91.79ppi and 0.2767mm dot pitch).
What that means is that your 24" Samsung monitor is HALF of the resolution (pixel density) as your 15" 2560x1600 display.
The pixels are spaced out twice as far, and the pixel density is HALF of what your high resolution 15" MacBook Pro is. So of course you are going to notice a very poor quality resolution (if you are comparing it to your retinan display on your Mac). It would almost be like comparing a 540p display (analog) to a 1080p (HDTV) display at the same size. You would notice a tremendous difference in picture quality and clarity.
So no, the two are not even close to being similar. You would need a 32" UHDTV with 8K4K (7680x4320) display resolution, and yes that would give you great picture clarity (with a high pixel density) and you would notice that it would look similar/identical to your 15" display in picture quality.
But comparing a 1920x1080p 24" Samsung against a 15" 2560x1600p display is laughable, if you are trying to compare the picture quality (PPI and dot pitch) between the two (which is what visual resolution to the naked eye is).
The closer the pixels are together, the "better" the picture looks. That is why Apple is calling it a "retina" display. There is nothing "retina" about it, it is simply just a higher screen resolution (2560x1600p) on a smaller display (15" display) thus giving you a much higher pixel density (and much higher dot pitch) and thus giving you a much higher visual quality/clarity (then what you are used to).
So yes, if you compare it to a large 24" 1920x1080p display, you'll always be dissatisfied with the larger display. If you want better picture quality, then get a Radeon HD 7970 graphics card (capable of 4K2K screen resolution) and then get a 4K2K monitor (such as a 30" 5120x3200p monitor) and you would have the exact same picture quality as on your 15" retina display.
3840x2400p at 22.5" Display would give you a similar pixel density (201.26ppi / 0.1262mm dot pitch) as your 15" 2560x1600p display.
So if you want the same quality resolution, on your desktop computer, then just buy a 22.5" display with 4K2K (3840x2160p display resolution) and that will give you the same exact picture clarity and quality (201.26ppi and 0.1262mm dot pitch) that your Apple Macbook Pro "retina" (2560x1600p) display has.
You'll also need a high-end graphics card (like a Radeon HD 7970) so that you can display the higher resolution (4K2K resolution).
> I have tried all of that and im still not getting a "1080p" quality. I have compared
> the quality of the videos on my mac pro and than watch the exact same video on
> my Macbook pro retina. The files are the same they were downloaded off the itune
> store at 1080p so i know thats not a variable. The monitor that im using is a Samsung
> Syncmaster SM 2494HM. On the test account i got the same results
The files you are watching are being watched on a much smaller display (with a much higher pixel density display) so of course you are going to notice a drastic difference in picture quality.
It would be similar to watching a 540p movie on a 92" television and complaining that a 32" 1080p television "looked better" than the 92" 540p television.
Same concept.

Display Arrangement with 3 Monitors - Change Application from primary display for Mac

Hey guys,
I have 3 monitors with 1 of them being a Wacom Intuos.
Is there anyway to make certain applications load primarily on a different monitor than the one with the menu bar?
For instance when I load Photoshop I want that whole program to load on the Wacom. I can drag the workspace to that montior but the top Menu stays attached to the primary monitor. Any way to change that?
Thanks

Thanks so much for the quick reply!
I just right clicked on the photoshop icon and I don't see a option for displays.
What am I missing?

How much will it cost to buy a new 15inch retina display for mac pro in Italy?

the old one was crashed..

That is because it might not only be the dispplay that is damaged. Apple will not repair a computer without Repairing everything that is worng with it. So even though YOU THINK it is just the screen the Apple Techs may find other parts that may have been damaged when the screen got damaged. They will replace all of those also even though you only want the screen replaced. They have to do that to protect themselves from someone with other damaged parts only having one thing repplaced then bring it back in claiming the other parts should of been fixed and weren't.
So you could be looking at a very expensive repair.
IMHO just another reason why NOT to buy into the Hype of the Retina display. At least not from Apple and there SEALED system.
May I ask if you are a Student why you chose to buy such an expensive and new untested hardware system in the first place.

Display for mac pro 3.1

how can I connect mac pro 3.1 to HD tv?

You can connect your Mac to HD TV with DVI to HDMI adaptor cable.

MacBook Pro 15" Late 2011 Problems with iMac 27" Late 2009 TDM

Hi,
I just got problems with my iMac 27" Late 2009 (Mini-DisplayPort) and my MacBook Pro 15" Late 2011 (Thunderbolt).
When I try to use my iMac as external monitor for my MacBook, there are massive glitches and graphical bugs on my second screen.
I bought a MDP-to-MDP wire from Belkin which works perfect on other computers.
I tried these things:
- Disconnected MagSafe from MacBook + unplugged all USB devices + switched graphics to discrete.
- Shut down all computers ... then booted MBP, iMac and triggered CMD+F2
- SMC, PRAM reset on both devices
The cable works, because:
17" MacBook Pro Late 2011 works perfectly on my iMac screen with my Belkin wire!
I connected my MacBook Pro 15" to a 27" Cinema Display and it works flawless.
After that I plugged it out and tested it again with my iMac screen -> suddenly it works.
Retriggering CMD+F2 or replugging breaks it again with massive bugs.
The MacBook Pro 17" is on 10.7.2, 15" is on 10.7.3, but I also tried to trigger dual screen in 10.7.0 setup with the same issue.
Maybe its a problem with the internal 6750M of my MacBook Pro 15"?
The 6770M of the 17" is working well.
Sample Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_pgc52syes
All updates/firmware updates of iMac and MacBook Pro are installed.
Any solutions?
Greets,
Kai

Since this is a user to user forum with no employees participation, your plea is a good a screaming into the wilderness. I suggest that you post your thoughts here:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/

How do i use my imac 21.5" 2011 as a display for my macbook pro late 2011, through thunderbolt cable ? I have tried and it doesnt seem to work, neither does target disk mode.

How do i use my imac 21.5" 2011 as a display for my macbook pro late 2011, through thunderbolt cable ? I have tried and it doesnt seem to work, neither does target disk mode.
Could it be a borked cable ? I just bought it new from the store today, i have updated both imac and macbook pro to latest thunderbolt firmware and updates. Both 10.7.3.
MacBook Pro:
Vendor Name:    Apple, Inc.
Device Name:    MacBook Pro
UID:    0x0001000A17016E60
Firmware Version:    22,1
Port:
Status:    No devices connected
Link Status:    7
Port Micro Firmware Version:    FFFF.FF.FF

You are correct, here is what Apple Says:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3775
I was able to find these instructions, however they referr to 2009-2011 27" iMacs. I think it's the same, if it's not then contact Apple directly for instructions. If either of the machines is less than 90 days old or covered by AppleCare then call AppleCare tomorrow for help, they should be able to easily answer this for you. You will find the number in your manual or you can use the AppleCare Contact Info link.
Your iMac should automatically recognize the presence of a digital video signal at the Mini DisplayPort and enter Target Display Mode.
If your iMac does not automatically enter Target Display Mode, press command + F2 to manually enter Target Display Mode.

Windows 7 on iMac 27" Late 2009, Magic Trackpad issue.

Hello,
I have successfully installed Windows 7 64 bit on my iMac 27" Late 2009 model using Boot Camp and my magic trackpad is not functioning the way it should be. The trackpad works however does not recognise secondary click. There is no option to activate this and the tap to click function is not available either. Also my magic mouse does not want to connect when in Windows mode. I downloaded all the drivers that Mac downloaded for me from Boot Camp Assistant however the trackpad is still not 100% functional. I am not expecting all the gestures to work however i would to have the secondary click and tap to click function to work.
Any suggestions? BTW i am running Lion OS X.
Regards
Abhishek

Hey Guys,
I was able to start boot manager. I had 4 options:
1. Macintosh HD
2. Recovery-10.8.2
3. Windows
4. EFI Boot
I choose option 3 (Windows). But i got the following message.
CDBOOT: Couldn't find BOOTMGR
Any idea?

Can iMac 27 late 2009 enter TDM connected to a Mac Pro late 2013?

I'm trying to get an iMac 27 late 2009 to enter target display mode when connected to a Mac Pro late 2013.
I tried with Apple's Thunderbolt cable and pressing Command + F2 on the iMac did nothing.
So I bought a Mini DisplayPort cable, and now Command + F2 makes the iMac's screen turn black for a second and then back.
After rebooting, before logging in, if I press Command + F2 it actually works for about 2 seconds and then back to the iMac's screen. After this, if I keep trying it just flashes black.
So, my question is, has anyone managed to connect this two devices?
Should I buy another cable? Format the iMac? Any suggestions?
Thanks for the help.
OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 on both machines.

Thanks for your help.
I don't know what more I can add to the initial post.
The second Mini DisplayPort cable that I tried is Belkin, I don't think there are better cables for this, since Apple is not selling it anymore.
I did mentioned that if I restart the iMac, before logging in with any user, pressing command + F2 or simply connecting the cable will actually work, it shows up as a second display on the Mac Pro, I can move the mouse pointer on the iMac. But after about 2 seconds the iMac exits Target Display Mode, and after this pressing Command + F2 will only turn iMac's monitor black for about a second and not entering TDM anymore.
I even checked the firmware versions and both are up to date according to this.

HT2844 iMac 27"(late 2009), Audio in/Optical digital audio out port, stopped recognizing my new Bose speaker system, previously working...

Hello,
My iMac 27"(late 2009), Audio in/Optical digital audio out port, stopped recognizing my new Bose speaker system, previously working through that port. I tested the speaker system through my iPhone, and it works fine. I hooked it up to the Headphone out/Optical digital audio in port, and it works through that port also. I did a computer restart, I also checked all wiring and did a system repair on the computer. I also restarted the computer in mode where I could use the system utility, and the computer still did not correct the matter, and it reported everything as being "ok". I wented into "sound", through system preferences, and the computer does not recognize anything I plug into the Audio in/Optical digital audio out port. When I plug the speaker sysytem into the headphone out/optical digital audio out port, it does recognize the Bose speaker system as being "headphones".
Reading through a lot of forums, I hear everything from compatibility, to the port being stuck, and on and on. Since the port was working before, and just quit working one day, I wonder if there is a capacitor or fuse or some type of similar thing is blown, and causing the port to be unfunctionable. Maybe the port went bad, but before this time, I had never used it, and the computer does not move around, and I never plug in and pull wiring out unless needing to, and that being rare.
Here is a link to Costco, where I bought the system, and the exact system I have, if this is any help: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku= A4092931&ST=pla&dgc=ST&cid=262075&lid=4742361&acd=1230980794501410
By the way, I am running OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5). I upgraded to Mavericks about a month ago, and expeirienced a number of issues, and had to take my iMac into Apple. Talking with the tech, I decided to wait for a while more before I upgraded to Mavericks. I try and keep the computer maintained.
If any of you have any ideas regadrding wear and tear, and fix I can do, etc., besides having to take my computer into Apple? Thank you, and potentially all of you, for your time and effort in helping me with this issue. Thank you kindly.
davE

Okay, davE, first, you have posted in the "Mac Pro" forum (not Macbook Pro), so we can't be super helpful
but we help you. First, hold down the Option key while clicking on the speaker icon at the top of your screen. This should show you all the inputs and outputs you have. you could check in "About this Mac" then "More info" to see whatever's recognized. Then, maybe, fire up Audio MIDI. your speaker system should show up there. something might have gotten set incorrectly. You can test it there. I guess you are using the good ol' analog cable for connection, and it works on your iPhone, so the cable isn't bad. You could try this. it 's an adapter which might solve your problem
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HBWYQ6/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
depending on which model of Bose speaker you have, you might try doing a product reset
turn off speakers...unplug power cord from outlet...wait 1 minute..plug cord into outlet..turn on speakers..
\\turning off automatic standby||
press and hold top of control pod for 6 seconds until you hear 2 tones that go from high to low
other than that ,I don't know
John B

Using IMAC 27 (LATE 2009 ) as primary display for MAC PRO PRO 2013

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