MacBook Pro (Latest Model) - Pre-Purchase Questions

Hello,

I am looking to finally get shot of my Dell XPS and come back to the stress-free Apple life!

I'm pretty much ready to pull the trigger on a MBP 15" Retina w/2.3GHz i7 (top standard spec version) however, I do two questions before I do.

1. I have a Dell U3014 monitor w/DisplayPort inputs, I assume a mini-Display Port cable will fit into the 'Thunderbolt' port to allow me to use this as the primary display and leave the notebook closed whilst I work? Or will I need any adapters from Apple?

2. Most concerning, there appears to be no Mic/Line-In port on the MBP anymore!?

I have a Sky+ HD box (TV set-top box) which I connect to my current SoundBlaster ZXR card to listen to the audio via Optical cable and the video is connected direct to the U3014 via HDMI.
How will I go about connecting the optical cable to the MBP whilst using the Headphone/Line Out jack?
EDIT: I can also make do with analogue-in rather than S/P-DIF if that is easier/cheaper.

Number 2 is the current deal breaker and I don't want to spend a fortune on accessories on something that really should come as standard.


The iMac is already ruled out due to the smaller (and glossy!) 27" display and I really do not need a Mac Pro again although it isn't much more than the MBP I'm looking at for the low end one...

Thank you all in advance!

Regards,
Marty

I can only answer the first question. I have the 2012 non-retina MBP, but same thing applies to the Thunderbolt port. You can use a standard mini-display port cable to drive a monitor, though obviously, you can't drive a Thunderbolt device with it.

Excellent, thanks RavingMac. Just hope there is an easy answer for no. 2!

I think I'll give my local Apple store a call tomorrow to see if they have one in-stock, can ask them when I'm there too. Just annoys me I need to pay for something and lose another port for a basic input!!

martyp said:

2. Most concerning, there appears to be no Mic/Line-In port on the MBP anymore!?

Click to expand...

There is an audio in/out port if that's what you're looking for. You can verify it here:

MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.3 15" Late 2013 (DG) Specs (Retina Late 2013 15", ME294LL/A, MacBookPro11,3, A1398, 2745) @ EveryMac.com

- Nick

Hi Nick,

Thanks for your reply.

The problem is I will be using the headphone/line-out jack to send audio to either my headphones or amp so can not use this port simultaneously with the line-in so really need a dedicated input port.

martyp said:

The problem is I will be using the headphone/line-out jack to send audio to either my headphones or amp so can not use this port simultaneously with the line-in so really need a dedicated input port.

Click to expand...

If I'm understanding this article correctly:

Late 2013 MacBook Pro review: audio - muada.com

I think that the microphone can be connected via the 2013 MBP's audio in/out port...and sound thru-put can be achieved via the 2013 MBP's HDMI port. So worst case scenario...you may need an adapter to connect your current setup via the HDMI port for sound.

- Nick

I think that you can also get audio via the 2013 MBP's two Thunderbolt ports (probably with an adaptor or special cable). I tried to find a good article that verify's this...but they were too "fuzzy" to be 100% sure. Definitely check with the Apple Store as you mentioned.

- Nick

Hi Nick,

Really appreciate your help on the audio input side, +rep!

I'll give the store a call tomorrow, if they have one in stock I'll go through, if not I'll purchase online but still ask for advise.

I will probably just add a USB DAC to my setup to get around this problem if audio input is a problem. I appreciate not many people used this port but as the MBP is a great audio tool I thought they'd keep hold of it...

Well, picked up the MBP from the Apple Store today, very nice!!

Just copied all my stuff over and disconnected the PC to put this baby in its new home. I do have a problem however, I have connected my U3014 to the thunderbolt port (using my DisplayPort to MiniDisplay Port cable) and the screen is not being recognised?

I have tried using DP v.1.1 and v.1.2 to no avail. Anyone able to help me out on this one as I thought it would just be plug-n-play?


Worked around the line-in problem by connecting the Sky+ box direct into my amp bypassing the Mac altogether.

EDIT: I am a fool, I connected the DP to the DP-Out connector swapped round and its all good!

Glad it's working . . .