Moving at the Speed of Creativity by Wesley Fryer

Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter incompatible with Tandberg DVI Cable

Last minute computer cable issues can be stressful. About a month ago I upgraded my 2008 MacBook Pro, and until today I hadn’t videoconferenced with the newer model. Imagine my surprise to learn for some reason, Apple changed the pin-out on its Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter so it no longer works with my Tandberg DVI cable!

Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter incompatible with Tandberg DVI Cable

Thankfully I was able to locate a DVI to VGA adapter cable, which Tandberg thoughtfully bundles with its systems, and quickly change over prior to the start of our videoconference. My VGA adapter worked great. Our 45 minute “Introduction to Twitter” session would have been a LOT less interesting if teachers at Buffalo Seminary (an independent preparatory school for girls in New York) would have had to look at ME for the duration of our videoconference!

I wonder why on earth Apple engineers made this design change? Looking at older Apple-made DVI adapters, I see they USED to have the extra four pins which are now NOT usable with the newer Mini DisplayPort DVI adapters. Perhaps the DVI cable standard officially changed? If you can shed some light on this please let me know.

It’s always good to keep extra computer cables handy!

In addition to discussing Twitter’s use in the Middle East and Andy Carvin‘s coverage of recent events in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya to introduce our topic today, I also showed a live Twitter search for the #vanmeter hashtag and highlighted Van Meter, Iowa, librarian Shannon Miller as an educator modeling “best practice” use of Twitter in so many ways!

In addition to this “Intro to Twitter” 45 minute videoconference I have five other programs currently listed on the website of the CILC. I need to update some of the links on those sessions and add several more. (Since initially posting those sessions I’m using wiki.wesfryer.com as my resource sharing wiki for presentations and workshops instead of teachdigital.pbworks.com.) If you’re not familiar with the CILC (Center for Interactive Learning & Collaboration) you definitely should explore their website and offerings. They are a great source for interactive, virtual professional development options. The CILC is @cilcorg on Twitter!

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2 responses to “Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter incompatible with Tandberg DVI Cable”

  1. benchun Avatar

    Apple moved from DVI-I (which has the extra pins for carrying both the analog and digital signal) to DVI-D (which is missing sockets for those four pins because it doesn’t have any analog signal available). This is part of a larger industry move toward DisplayPort and HDMI, and away from VGA and other analog connectors:

    http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2010/12/08/leading-pc-companies-move-to-all-digital-display-technology-phasing-out-analog

  2. Rinaldas Bal?i?nas Avatar
    Rinaldas Bal?i?nas

    very simple solution. just drill four tiny holes where they suppose to be.