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Using a late 2009 21.5inch iMac as an additional screen.

Hi.


I have a late 2009 21.5inch iMac and an early 2015 Macbook Air and want to use the iMac as an additional screen. I think I need a miniDisplay cable from the iMac to the Macbook but I can't seem to find a miniDisplay-Thunderbolt adaptor anywhere to connect it to the MacBook. Both comps are running Sierra 10.12.6.


Can anyone please help?


Thanks


James

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Jun 14, 2020 2:35 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 14, 2020 3:19 PM

There where a few iMac models that supported being used as a display.

In 2009 only the 27” iMac model supported Target Display Mode.

see > Use your iMac as a display - Apple Support


Note: Target Display Mode isn’t supported on iMac models with Retina display. Only iMac (27-inch, Late 2009), iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010), and iMac (Mid 2011 to Mid 2014) support Target Display Mode.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 14, 2020 3:19 PM in response to JobeJames

There where a few iMac models that supported being used as a display.

In 2009 only the 27” iMac model supported Target Display Mode.

see > Use your iMac as a display - Apple Support


Note: Target Display Mode isn’t supported on iMac models with Retina display. Only iMac (27-inch, Late 2009), iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010), and iMac (Mid 2011 to Mid 2014) support Target Display Mode.

Jun 14, 2020 3:04 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Hi and thanks for the reply.


I'm so confused as I've come across a couple of sources that say it can be done ..


https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh30822/mac

https://www.macobserver.com/tips/how-to/imac-secondary-display/


I've read somewhere that newer iMac's can't support this but the older ones can. Have I got this wrong?


Thanks again.








Using a late 2009 21.5inch iMac as an additional screen.

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