Comments on: Apple and the Mini DisplayPort

By: Ten Myths of Apple’s iPad: 6. It needs HDMI for HD video output — RoughlyDrafted Magazine

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:01:34 +0000

[...] Apple and the Mini DisplayPort [...]

By: Joel

Joel — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:38:18 +0000

TBH, as long you have bluetooth, and a fast enough network connection you don’t really need any USB ports or video out. I can see Apple laptops in five years time dropping all of these ports, much to the horror of USB3 aficionados… :D Add in a contactless power supply and you’d simplify the laptops design…!

By: The Mad Hatter

The Mad Hatter — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:42:41 +0000

I use wireless for networking, and a thumb drive for backup, beyond that I never hook up anything to any of our laptops. The whole idea of a laptop is being able to work anywhere, so here I am sitting on the couch with my dogs curled up against me, taking it easy.

So other than the USB port I don’t need anything else, and don’t care.

By: Scintillating Lights » Connector confusion

Scintillating Lights » Connector confusion — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:04:12 +0000

[...] Daniel from Roughly Drafted Magazine speaks out on the subject in detail. I can only hope he is incorrect in his findings. [...]

By: nat

nat — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:09:40 +0000

@ PXT,

You’ve repeated your alarmist message twice now, but it still makes very little sense just the same. DisplayPort “looks like it may become a long term ecosystem?” What? What does that even mean? The future of computers is in laptops, not desktop computers. Most people don’t even know their laptop can output to an external monitor and if they did, I’d wager that a majority wouldn’t see the point because they bought a laptop….to un-tether from the desk.

There are a couple full-size DisplayPort monitors from Dell and HP, a handful of computers with full-size DisplayPort ports from Lenovo. Meanwhile, by November, Apple will be shipping all of its laptops with Mini DisplayPort and a compatible, LED backlit display. By the end of the year or by early next year, they’ll likely have transitioned their entire desktop line to Mini DisplayPort.

So Apple’s ahead in many ways and Mini DisplayPort makes a lot more sense for laptops due to its reduced size and cost compared to HDMI and full-sized DisplayPort, the latter of which pretty well guarantees that competitor’s laptops won’t be able to compete as easily on overall size and will have to compromise on ports as well.

By: snafu

snafu — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:01:08 +0000

““what is the purpose of iBook’s video out for example?” to mirror the display of the laptop to make it easier to use the laptop. If you want more than that you should of bought a Powerbook…”

Actually, there is some small utility app around that enables dual monitor setups in iBooks (Apple disabled it for feature differentiation purposes).

By: Mike H

Mike H — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:41:17 +0000

Drat it! ;-) I wanted to be the first to suggest that!

If I need low-quality video output on the road, in particular the “hotel room” example mentioned, I just copy a dozen movies to my iPhone…and much more elegant when heading over to a friend for movie night! So fun to see the Windows crowd when they realize the movie they’re watching is on the phone! I concede that the lack of VGA for Keynote presentations on a projector IS pretty aggressive, as Daniel says. A MB Pro just to present a business proposal? Come on.

By: gus2000

gus2000 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:27:33 +0000

Need composite output on the go? Get an iPod Touch.

By: Jon T

Jon T — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:19:28 +0000

It doesn’t matter what I think PeterK, I just needed to tell you that I thought your first post here was rude and condescending. Calling the author ‘Danny Boy’ is the sort of insult we expect from the Anti-Apple-Taliban.

And to say this is irritating as hell:
“What I or my coworkers EVER needed was to connect the laptop to the tv or projector. It is a laptop, no external monitor is EVER needed.”

Stop and think about that for a second.

Try being a bit more respectful. It may make you heard more clearly.

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:04:31 +0000

“what is the purpose of iBook’s video out for example?” to mirror the display of the laptop to make it easier to use the laptop. If you want more than that you should of bought a Powerbook…