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can I use a Late 2009 iMac as a display

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  • Display
  • iMac
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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September 17, 2014 2:57:35 AM

Hi,

I have been using a now obsolete iMac (late 2009) for a while now, and I finally got enough to build a new one computer. Now that I have, I was wondering, am I able to use the old iMac as a display? I have seen conflicting opinions and ideas about this, but most of them seem to be about thunderbolt, not mini dvi. It'd be handy to have a 3rd monitor for extra screen space or whatever.

EDIT: Oops, sorry, its an early 2009, not late

More about : late 2009 imac display

September 18, 2014 11:04:28 PM

Bmup...
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September 19, 2014 6:04:15 AM

Does the iMac have video inputs? If it does, hook it up and see if it works. Not too hard to try it, it won't blow up or kill your cat if it does not work.
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September 19, 2014 6:50:32 AM

hang-the-9 said:
Does the iMac have video inputs? If it does, hook it up and see if it works. Not too hard to try it, it won't blow up or kill your cat if it does not work.


Well, im essentially plugging a computer into a computer, so it doesn't work.

I'm not too familiar with OSX because I put bootcamp on it straight away, but I believe there is some feature called "target display mode" or something similar, I was wondering if I could use this feature with a PC or if there was a similar program for windows.

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September 19, 2014 11:21:26 AM

Snyp3r said:
hang-the-9 said:
Does the iMac have video inputs? If it does, hook it up and see if it works. Not too hard to try it, it won't blow up or kill your cat if it does not work.


Well, im essentially plugging a computer into a computer, so it doesn't work.

I'm not too familiar with OSX because I put bootcamp on it straight away, but I believe there is some feature called "target display mode" or something similar, I was wondering if I could use this feature with a PC or if there was a similar program for windows.



There are some all in one systems that do have a video input that allowed the monitor to be used as a monitor for another system, but those are very rare and I only heard of a few of them in many years.

There is a program that allows you to use the network to push a screen to another system but I can't find it right now. A co-worker of mine used it to extend his PC display to a 3rd monitor that was actually attached to a separate computer. It's probably not cross platform so likely even if you can find it it won't for for PC to MAC.
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