DisplayPort

The new MacBook Pro with Retina display has many noteworthy features, from a unique 2,880x1,800-pixel screen to new Nvidia graphics to large SSD storage options. But, the most surprising may be the multiple video outputs -- something not seen on a MacBook before now.

The last several generations of MacBook have had either a mini-DisplayPort or combo Thunderbolt/DisplayPort jack. HDMI has been on our most-wished-for lists for years, so Apple finally adding HDMI (which is found on pretty every other current laptop) is a big move, especially when combined with a second Thunderbolt port.

The initial review of the Retina Pro … Read more

In one sense, Microsoft has succeeded already, by demonstrating that there is a third paradigm: a transformable tablet.

That alone strikes me as a very intentional rebuttal of the Apple argument that a laptop and tablet is a "forced" convergence. (Tim Cook).

And Steve Jobs knocked the idea before that, saying it was "ergonomically terrible" and "we've done tons of user testing on this, and it turns out it doesn't work."

Well, Microsoft showed us Monday that it could work. That's all I (and consumers) need to see. (I had been … Read more

Microsoft did not skimp on specs for its new tablets.

More than any single feature, the 3mm-thick Touch Cover (see photos below) stands out. Using pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, allowing faster touch typing than is possible with on-screen keyboards, Microsoft claims.

The Touch Cover attaches to the tablet with a built-in magnetic connector, "forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover," Microsoft said.

There is also an option for a slightly thicker 5 mm Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing experience. … Read more

One of Thunderbolt's features is that it contains both the PCI-express and DisplayPort protocols, which conveniently allows the mixing of both displays and other devices on the same daisy chain. In addition, because Thunderbolt contains DisplayPort, it should also be compatible with existing DisplayPort displays, such as Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display that was available before its Thunderbolt Display was released. Because of this a number of people who have been using Apple's DisplayPort-based Cinema Display have looked forward to using the monitor in a dual-display setup with Apple's new Thunderbolt Display, but unfortunately this will not … Read more

In 2008 when Apple released the mini-DisplayPort connection in its systems, the port at first seemed like a redundant technology with no implemented benefit over the mini- and micro-DVI offerings that Apple had in laptop systems. Nevertheless, as Apple started using DisplayPort in more systems, its extra features started being implemented, with one being the ability to use an iMac as an external monitor in Target Display mode.

To use Target Display mode, all you have to do is connect an iMac to another DisplayPort-enabled Mac and then press Command-F2 on the iMac's keyboard. After doing this, the second … Read more

Speed matters. It's why faster 4G data networks are gaining in popularity; it's why we buy new computers with better processors. This is the appeal of Thunderbolt, the Intel-developed high-speed data port that's popping up on new Macs in 2011. So far, it's in 2011 MacBook Pros and iMacs.

Thunderbolt is lightning-quick, as the name suggests. Transfer speeds are 10Gbps--twice as fast as USB 3.0--and it works both ways, into and out of your computer. HD video and data can be carried back and forth over the same tiny cable, with a connection port that'… Read more

Three years ago, I decided not to get an iMac. Now I'm rethinking that decision.

And it's not because CNET gave the iMac an Editor's Choice award, though that's helpful. What tipped the scales is an ability to use the machine as a lowly external monitor years from now. Let me explain.

For years now I've oscillated between a Mac and Windows existence. In the 1980s, it was Mac for me. After college, Windows moved in. Then at the newspaper where I used to work, we installed Macs. Then at CNET, it was Windows, until … Read more

A small but ongoing issue that some Mac users have experienced (1,2) is a problem where upon waking displays from sleep, the system will display a fuzzy snow output to the monitor. This seems to happen predominantly on Mac Pro systems, but has also happened on others such as Mac Mini and iMac systems, though on the iMacs it only happens if a secondary monitor is being used. This problem appears to be an issue with the use of display adapters, and specifically those for converting DisplayPort to DVI connections.

The issue is not related to any particular hardware, … Read more

In the last few years Apple has been releasing systems with an advanced Mini DisplayPort connection for monitors that allows for some advanced options such as using an iMac as an external display. This port has been adopted throughout Apple's line of Mac systems because it offers high-resolution video handling as well as other options like audio support for connecting to television systems.

In a recent knowledgebase article on the DisplayPort connection, Apple describes how to identify whether or not your system has a DisplayPort connection, noting the port's geometry as well as the symbols used to identify … Read more