I bought it new 10 years ago, then modified it about five years later to expand its internal working memory. When I bought it, there was a 1 TB SSD card in the machine; when I tried to update to Mac OS Catalina, that required more, so I took out the 1 TB board, and replaced it with an Intel 2TB card called NvE memory.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It has served me well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I became aware of that computer\u2019s limitations recently when I could no longer update the operating system. I encountered this problem when Apple switched from Motorola PowerPC<\/em> chips to Intel, and this time from Intel to Apple Silicon. <\/em>I held on as long as I could, but was finally forced to make the switch when I could no longer access my bank\u2019s online banking system \u2013 they no longer support older browsers, and since the browser is tied to the operating system, I realized that I was stuck. I also could not run the latest Adobe applications or the Topaz applications I use in photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had put it off for quite a while, then finally decided to buy a new Mac Studio<\/em> computer. I went online and put in the order on the Apple web site. It gave me the option of having it delivered the next day for $8.00. I declined, choosing instead to receive the machine in two days. It arrived the next day anyway. Cha-ching! I saved $8.00!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The machine is an M1 Ultra Mac Studio<\/em> with 64 GB of memory and 2 TB of System SSD memory. It has a 20-core CPU and a 48-core GPU. It supports the simultaneous streaming of eight 4K video streams and much more. I don\u2019t need to stream multiple video streams, so I\u2019m in good shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s very fast. I noticed this the first time when I exported a handful of DNG photos from the Photos<\/em> application to a desktop folder. This usually takes several minutes. When I took my finger off the mouse (a new mouse!), the machine made its click sound indicating the completion of a task. I thought something had gone wrong, so I looked in the folder, and lo! all the exported files were there. I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll be pleased by the speed of this machine as I use it more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I ordered the new machine I expected the migration of my old data to be an issue (it always has been!). I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn\u2019t a problem this time. Copying all of my existing files from the Mac Pro<\/em> to the Studio<\/em> took less than an hour, and nothing was missed. I used an Ethernet cable connected between the two devices to make it happen as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My three big hard drives connected without difficulty. I have two RAID drives that use the older Thunderbolt cables. I bought a Thunderbolt adapter from Apple and plugged it in-line, and all the drives were online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then things got a bit more complicated.<\/em> I have two displays: one is an older Apple 24-inch LED display, which has served me well for many years. My second display is a gorgeous Eizo 27-inch screen. That display uses Mini DisplayPort to connect to the computer. On the Mac Pro, there were six Thunderbolt\/DisplayPort receptacles. On the new machine there are none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I connected the Eizo to the new Studio with an HDMI cable, which allowed it to work, but limited its resolution to 1920 x 1080 pixels. This is a 4K display, so it should be able to support much higher resolution. I was stuck with one working display, and that one didn\u2019t support the resolution at which I have run it for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I contacted Apple Support first by searching for Mini DisplayPort to Thunderbolt, then a variety of other search terms. All resulted in no information. Could I be the first person in history with this connection problem?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I then contacted Apple Support on the telephone, and was handed-off to a specialist who came up empty, except to recommend Apple\u2019s Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter ($50). I ordered two of them and they arrived quickly. But, on the back of the box it very clearly indicates that this adapter will not work with Mini DisplayPort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I called Other World Computing,<\/em> the go-to company for all things Mac and storage. In the past I have enjoyed their skillful tech support, and I have purchased numerous external drives and other accessories from them. After a few minutes on the phone I realized that I had stumped their support guy. He also came up with the Apple Thunderbolt adapter. I pointed out that I was holding one, and it indicated that it will not work with Mini DisplayPort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hmmm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One option was the purchase a dock from OWC. Last year I bought one of those for my wife\u2019s new Mac Mini<\/em> computer with a Mini DisplayPort display (also an Apple 24-inch LED display). That works great, but I have two<\/em> Mini DisplayPort displays, and I couldn\u2019t find a dock with two receptacles for these. Perhaps I could buy two docks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The challenge of connecting two Mini DisplayPort displays to my new computer was starting to affect my sleep. I couldn\u2019t figure out what to do next. I could purchase a new Eizo display, or two, those now using USB-C plugs to connect to more modern computers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then it hit me: if those use USB-C plugs, then it might be possible to get a Mini DisplayPort-to-USB-C adapter. I looked on Amazon and found about nine million of these. I ordered two that seemed to fit the bill. They advertise connectivity between MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and several other computers to Mini DisplayPort. They do not specifically<\/em> indicate that they will work on the Mac Studio (but they do!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ordered two of them. And then I waited two days for them to arrive. Today they arrived; I rushed to the back porch to get my package, quickly opened it and dashed upstairs to my desk. I opened the connectors, plugged them into the Mini DisplayPort cables from the two displays, then plugged those into the Thunderbolt\/USB-C receptacles on the back of the Mac Studio, and I woke the machine up. They worked immediately!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I have two very high resolution displays just as I had on my older Mac Pro. Total cost of the adapters: $32.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My problem was that I wasn\u2019t asking the right question\u2026<\/em> I was asking if Mini DisplayPort would plug in to Thunderbolt. I should<\/em> have been asking if Mini DisplayPort would plug in to USB-C. The answer is absolutely yes!<\/em> Emphatically<\/em> yes! Ya sure. You betcha!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I finally reached the point where my Mac Pro cylinder computer would no longer work for me. I bought it new 10 years ago, then modified it about five years later to expand its internal working memory. When I bought … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thelawlers.com\/Blognosticator\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Mac-Pro-cylinder-29.jpg\")
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Click on the image to see an enlarged view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>
I took this photo with a tabletop product photo set-up using my iPhone 14 and its 2x lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/a>
Click on the image to see an enlarged view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>