This should be reflected in the price you pay.įor Macs capable of running Mac OS X 10.8, I have included support life for 10.9 Mavericks, as all Macs that can run 10.8 will be able to run 10.9, which is due to be released later this year. Of course, if you buy one later on, nearing the release of the next version or purchase a used machine, you get less support.
This gives the maximum support life of each product.
Below is a table listing each Mac product line.įor each product line, I have listed three versions (if available): the earliest version of each line to support OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, 10.7 Lion, and 10.8 Mountain Lion. Therefore it had an officially supported life of 5 years and 2 months.ĭoes buying an expensive Mac Pro give you longer support life over the cheaper Mac mini, or does the higher price of a MacBook Pro reward you with longer support life over a consumer-aimed MacBook? Let’s find out. It was supported through 10.6, but it couldn’t run Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, which was released in July 2011. But how much truth is there in this? How long does Apple support their devices with up-to-date operating systems? By support I mean from the moment a Mac or iDevice is released until it is no longer supported by a version of Mac OS X or iOS.įor example, the first MacBook was released in May 2006 and came with Mac OS X 10.4. Bott DVI to ADC DVIator.Apple fans have been disgruntled over the past few years with an apparent forced obsolescence of hardware. If you don't want to spend extra money for a new display for your Mac Pro - or you want to be able to use your older pinstripe/plastic Cinema Display as a second display - this setup should do the trick.įinal note: Ted Landau (and a reader below) have pointed out that there's an additional solution: The Dr. Several Apple customers have reported good success with this setup. The DVI-D connector that connects to Mac Pro Here's what the output connector looks like: DVI-D single link, which is satisfactory for the older Cinema Displays. Make room, because it's quite a bit larger and warmer when powered than the MacBook power supplies you may be using. See the diagram below.Ĭonnecting the DVI to ADC Adapter (Credit: Apple's Product Manual)īecause power must be supplied to the display, the Apple DVI to ADC adapter must be plugged into a wall-outlet, surge suppressor, or UPS. You plug your old ADC-based display into it, and out comes DVI-D (single link) which plugs into the Mac Pro or Mac Mini (with an additional DVI to Mini-DVI for the latest Mac mini model, supplied). It is a monster power supply and adapter measuring almost 5 x 5 x 1.5 inches. What you'll need instead is Apple's DVI to ADC Adapter which retails for US$99.00. The bad news is that ADC carries power to the display and DVI (with pins 3 x 8) does not, so it's not a simple matter of using one one those small, in-line adapters like Mini DisplayPort to DVI.
Unfortunately as well, computer technology changes faster than excellent LCD Cinema displays wear out (reduced brightness), and so many users who've migrated from older Power Mac G4s and G5s and want to use that ADC-based Cinema display will have to buy a new cable adapter.Īpple (Plastic) Cinema Display (ADC) 2000-2004 (Note: the connector is circular on both ends.) In time, Apple decided, probably based on customer push back, that selling monitors that wouldn't fit PCs and had non-standard connectors wasn't a good idea. It seemed like a really good idea at the time, and the video cards in Apple's Power Mac G4s and G5s had corresponding ADC connectors on the back. The end of the cable attached to the monitor looks like this: However, for those who are still using a trusty, older pinstripe/plastic Cinema Display (17 or 22-inch), a special converter will be necessary.īack in 2000, Apple thought it would be really cool to reduce cable clutter for displays, so the company conceived of a combination DVI, power and USB to come up with a 30 pin (3 x 10) connector called the Apple Display Connector. Many Apple customers, it seems, are starting to unload their old Power Mac G4s and G5s in favor of the new Nehalem-based Mac Pro.