Old Flat Panel Monitor with Modern Mac

[pigoo3]

There's a story on MacWorld.com about how the author is using an Apple flat panel monitor from 1998 (cheap on eBay & still useful) with a current model Apple computer. I had a bit of a laugh when a saw a photo in the article how the author had to adapt the monitors video cable to work with a modern Mac:

Here's the article if you would like to read it:

Why yes, that is an Apple Studio Display on my desk | Macworld

- Nick

 

[harryb2448]

Do you really think it would be worth having that mess Nick?

 

[pigoo3]

From a purely technical & financial standpoint I don't think that it's worth it.

- Those old flat panel monitors had super slow refresh rates (blurry motion/action).
- Even a cheap old monitor + shipping via eBay probably still isn't cheap if you can find something newer (used) locally.
- These things are probably around 15"…with a small resolution (not much screen real-estate).
- The price of the adapters (two in the photo)…if someone doesn't already have them…could exceed the price of the monitor. Or add at least $10-$20 (if not more) to the cost of the monitor.

And this all assumes that the old flat panel monitors built-in power supply isn't about to fail. Many times when in this situation…an irritating "buzzing or humming" sound is made (drives me crazy)!

The only strong reasons to use an OLD Apple monitor like this (IMO). Would be if someone was trying to keep everything "Apple" in their setup…or some sort of nostalgia goal.

If someone was looking for an external monitor (or 2nd external monitor). A good used newer 22" model would be a much better choice. If someone looks hard enough…it can be had for $50-$75.

- Nick

 

[harryb2448]

In my experience, the more adapters the more chance of failure.

 

[pm-r]

I actually had to use a very similar setup just a few years ago and ended up using SwitchResX with a G5 iMac whose display went kaput. It actually worked quite well, but a bit of extra clutter on my wife's desk for her to use that she didn't appreciate.

It's actually not much worse than some of the TB + adapters one is forced to use with some recent MBPros at a gaud awful price I might add.

 

[rubaiyat]

I still have a box of those adaptors back from the days when Apple used to switch connectors virtually every model.

Oh how I laughed at my PC friends with their VGA plugs, that just plugged and played.

 

[pm-r]

Thank God that the display manufacturers did use VGA connectors and sometimes we needed an adapter to get full use.

Otherwise we could have been stuck with only Apple's propriety connectors and what ever they came with on their displays, and I'm sure some will recall the horrendous crazy and expensive cables/adapters some did have to use with some of Apple's display inventions!!

 

[rubaiyat]

Thank you for also noticing!

I have been hammered on so many Mac forums for mentioning this.

There is a very special place these people that "never have the the problem" live: in d'Nile.

btw It hasn't stopped. I have to use miniDVI in my Thunderbolt ports and a weirdly similar but not the same one for my wife's older Macbook.

Thank goodness for the Chinese and eBay. Couple of weeks and there is a cheap fix in the post.