Will Apple flat screen monitors work on PC?

[badbilly27]

One of my co-workers just bought an old mac cube system. I'm a PC user through and trough, but was amazed at the quality of the flat screen monitor apple came out with. Design, resolution, desk presence just totally kicked the crap out of anything I've seen on PC's for a price of $249 for a refurbed 15" (I just saw it jumped to $439 damn).

Question: Can I buy that flat screen and use an adapter to make it work with my PC? Also, what would I need to get in order to make it work.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Derango]

I think the connector is different. I could be wrong though.

 

[Ben50]

I talked to an employee at the apple retail store in the mall of america about hooking up the cinema display to a PC. He said there is an adapter, but I think the adapter was $200. Definitely not worth it for your $250 monitor.

 

[applesseed]

You'll need a VGA-to-MAC adapter -- it's about $10... no less than $20.
You might want to look in this forum: Computing.Net

 

[cmdrdredd]

NO! The adapter is $150. Apple's displays use proprietary ADC connection technology. This connedtion powers the monitor sends the video and allows for the USB HUB in the Monitor to run.

the ADC <->DVI adapter has a power brick for the power, a DVI connector for your Video card, a USB wire to allow you to use the built in HUB in the monitor.

 

[BD231]

cmdrdredd is right, there was a cheap adapter for apples older monitors as I have actualy seen one in action, but that was on a much older apple monitor.

 

[kgraeme]

Here's the new adapter. It's the Dr. Bott DVIator.

 

[bgatot]

Don't you just hate anything proprietary?

 

[kgraeme]

<< Don't you just hate anything proprietary? >>



Well that's the really ironic thing about the ADC (Apple Display Connector). It's a standard DVI cable that has been tweaked to carry power and USB. It's a fantastic idea, and there were some standardized DVI specs that would even have done some of this. But yeah, Apple for some reason chose to keep it proprietary instead of offering it up as a standard.

Personally, I blame Jobs. Prior to his return, Apple was moving more and more to standards. They even were defining them with IEEE1394. But since Jobs' return, they have moved more and more proprietary again.

 

[LH]

<< Personally, I blame Jobs. Prior to his return, Apple was moving more and more to standards >>



Yes and before Jobs, they were going bankrupt. Even if he is a megolomaniac, hes done his job as CEO, even if it moves the company away from some standards.

As for adapters there are several different ones all in the $100-200 price range. 3DLabs has some bundled with their graphic cards.