Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors

Subject: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Jul 23 - 08:09 AM

I have been given 2 x Apple A1407 monitors. They are really good quality but sadly I do not have any Apple devices or Mac experience. The connectors are Thunderbolt 2, which looks like a mini display port and I was hoping that a HDMI to mDP adapter may do the trick but it doesn't. I understand why - Thuderbolt is a clever protocol over which you can run all sorts of things, so just using display port or HDMI stuff will not talk to the monitors. I understand that one of the monitors is definitely working and obe may or not be. But I cannot test them :-( Anyone any ideas?

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jul 23 - 09:43 AM

I just went through the process of researching Ethernet adaptors for a friend - this is the type of project when you descend into the world of Wikipedia for images and descriptions and Amazon for the shopping. Scroll down on the Thunderbolt topic and read up on USB.

It looks like Thunderbolt 3 is the same protocol as USB-C, so one roundabout approach would be to get an adapter for Thunderbolt 2 input and Thunderbolt 3 output, then depending on your computer, if you don't have a USB-C port you may need a USB-C to USB-A adapter. Or visit Amazon and see if this works or this or this added to another adapter for your computer (first suggestion). I saw HDMI as a result on some of these pages, and there are a couple of types - but I'll stop there.

Back in the day, Radio Shack was the place to look for electronics adapters, and over time the Internet came along and for a while we had Fry's Electronics where they had all of these funky adapters if you looked hard enough (or cobbled together something to work). Radio Shack faded away a dozen years ago or more and Fry's closed abruptly in 2021 (COVID may have struck the final blow, but it was fading for several years). Now you hunt Amazon and look for a vendor who isn't so obscure as to be scary to order from.

A couple of the links here are just for information for anyone else dropping in and wondering what you're trying to do.

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: DaveRo
Date: 03 Jul 23 - 10:10 AM

The Apple A1407 monitor was discontinued in 2016, so this piece from the late Jack Schofield is probably relevant:
Can I use an Apple Thunderbolt monitor with a PC?
Short answer: No.

Having just bought a replacement graphics card (£10 from CeX) which has VGA, Displayport and DVI connectors, I wondered whether any have thunderbolt? Apparantly yes - but it'd be cheaper to buy two new monitors.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jul 23 - 10:39 AM

I'd go with DaveRo's answer - even with the hardware connections I was hunting for there is no guarantee that data would travel through them.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Jul 23 - 02:15 AM

Thanks Stilly and Dave. I have USB 3 but I am not sure it would work even with the right adapters. May be worth a punt if they are cheap enough. I have a friend seeing if her Macbook has Thuderbolt 2 ports today. One bonus is that I discovered that my old Lenovo laptop has a mini display port and I can connect it to the TV. Kodi on TV is now a goer :-)

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Jul 23 - 04:07 AM

The genuine Apple thuderbolt 3 to thunderbolt 2 converter is nearly £30 so I will not bother with that just to test them. There are cheaper one on eBay but if it didn't work, I would never know if it was the converter or my USB3 ports!

The USB A to C converter is quite cheap so I may get one of those anyway as it may come in for other stuff.

So, back to the original question - Anyone got a Mac device with a thuderbolt 2 connector that I can test them on?

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Jul 23 - 07:36 AM

I have relented. One last ditch attempt. I have ordered a new USB 3 card. My old one was 3.0 with only A connectors. The new one is 3.1 Gen 2 with an A and a C. That was not expensove so, whether it works or not I will stick with it. I have odered the official Apple 3 to 2 cable for £27. If it doesn't work, I can send it back. Should have the card tomorrow and the adapter next week so I shall update this then.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: DaveRo
Date: 07 Jul 23 - 02:20 AM

I assume that's a usb-c to thunderbolt 2 connector. For that to work two things need to happen:

1 The cable+monitor needs to identify itself as a video-accepting device. Will it? Maybe. If Apple deigned the cable to run a TB2 monitor, as opposed to a TB2 storage device say, then an Apple computer should recognise it. Will a PC? No idea: Apple won't have considered it.

2 IF the PC recognises it's a video monitor will it send it video? That depends on there being a driver to send video over usb. Is there one? No idea. Apple won't have written one. Microsoft might have. There are drivers for video input over usb - e.g. video cameras. Link1 And not all usb-c ports are equal. Link2

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Jul 23 - 01:53 PM

Well, fell at the first hurdle. The usb3 card was PCE-E 4 and I didn't have a suitable slot!

Back to the drawing board...

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jul 23 - 03:10 PM

Funny how those free devices end up costing as much or more as just buying the right one new to start with. :)

I found a cast iron "travelling" sprinkler for $12 at an estate sale, usually in the $90 range, but it turns out it was missing a part and that was $40. And then the hose cart (ancient) sprung a leak when the sprinkler turned itself off - the new cart costs $40. See how that math works? Though in the long run, I needed the new caddy for a long time so it forced me to do what I should have a while back.

I did an easy fix for a friend last week, after the AT&T Tech told him the problem wasn't his Internet line, that his Ethernet port was probably dead. I got him a USB Ethernet adapter and swapped it out ($12) and it worked perfectly. So I decided to get one for my little WiFi only Sony VAIO (2013 model). They come with just the adapter, or the adapter and some USB ports ON the adapter. ($16.) Sometimes you can start tinkering and not spend a fortune in the process.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 07 Jul 23 - 04:03 PM

> Funny how those free devices end up costing as much or more as just
> buying the right one new to start with. :)

TANSTAAFL, I'm afraid. With Apple kit, it's slightly worse than that: *everything*, both hardware and software, is subtly incompatible with everybody else's, even unto the EFI boot loader (despite, I hear, Apple being on the EFI standards committee). More to your point, I found it impossible to find a switch which could share one monitor between multiple Apple systems, and resorted to physically moving the monitor connector between them.

Don't forget, Apple make their money by shipping hardware; putting people on the upgrade treadmill guarantees that this continues to be the case. Apologies for being cynical about Apple (who are far from the only such offenders), but I had to support multiple users of their kit for a living, and got immune to the *shiny*.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Jul 23 - 04:10 PM

Well, it's cost nowt so far but time. I am sending the card back for a full refund. The usb-c to thunderbolt 2 connector is arriving over the weekend and I will try it on a couple of devices I have access to that have C type ports. If that doesn't work, back goes the cable and I will try to sell the monitors. Although if anyone will buy them without seeing if they work remains to be seen!

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jul 23 - 06:33 PM

The C-type ports are all over now; I have a couple on the Dell desktop I bought about two years ago; some USB 2 or 3 on the back, but also one on the back and one on the front. And for all of the USB ports I have I still use a hub (low power things on the hub like the keyboard and cable for my camera, etc.) So even if it doesn't work for the Apple Project, it'll be there for the next Windows or Android thing that comes along.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 08 Jul 23 - 04:49 AM

One minor point, easily overlooked: the cable matters, not just the endpoints. We once had problems with an external hard drive not being seen by the iDevice, until I happened to notice that both devices were USB-3, but the cable connecting them was only USB-1.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jul 23 - 11:53 AM

True. I was finding that the cable made a difference on one of my early Amazon tablets, that only the one that came with it actually worked when loading content from the computer. I started making a little tab and attaching with Scotch tape around the cable to ID the device it came with for some of those things. I think most of my newer cables are all fast, though there is a basketful of old ones in the closet I should be careful about.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 08 Jul 23 - 03:29 PM

I've just had a look and found my approx 1yr old Dell laptop gives me 2xA and 2xC. One A is usually connected to my mouse (I don't like the pads on laptops) and one C is usually connected to the laptop's power supply.

I haven't a clue what I've got with cables and adaptors but most of my stuff went out into a shed when the helpers cleared space in my room. I'll just buy new ones from Amazon if/when there is a need.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 09 Jul 23 - 01:40 PM

Oooooh. So near yet so far away as the song goes...

The A to C adapters are great and at about £5 for 3 on Amazon I am keeping them. Plug that in and the Apple thuderbolt 2 to 3 cable and Windows recognises it. Am I on to a winner thought I!

No. Plug the monitor in and Windows can see it but doesn't know what it is :-(

It does give me hope though that a new laptop (like my son has) with a USB C port may just be able to do ALT Dp mode on the USB. We can only hope...

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jul 23 - 08:57 PM

Perhaps you could ask a helper to go bring back a box and let you pick through it, then point out how to plug them in properly. Save you the time and cost of reordering them and it might give the assistant a view of how technology works beyond turning the phone on and off and running the charger.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Jul 23 - 05:10 PM

I have managed to test the monitors on a Mac and they both work fine. I have not had chance to try them on my son's laptop yet. Will have to wait until next week for that.

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jul 23 - 07:18 PM

What will be the ultimate disposition of these monitors? Giving them to your son if they work with his gear?

Subject: RE: Tech: Apple Thunderbolt Monitors
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Jul 23 - 01:53 AM

One for my son and one on ebay