MBP -> iMac as external monitor?

[MuGeN]

Hi guys,

I've had a good read, but read conflicting things. Figured you lovely people will be able to answer with no ambiguity.

I have a mid-2009 iMac, and it has a mini-displayport... Can I or can I not use this as an external monitor when my new MBP arrives?

If not, I'll flog the iMac and get a nice 24" monitor...

 

[Chief Wiggum]

Yes
Mini display port is essentially thunderbolt but without the data transfer. My late 2010 gets used with an HP laptop all the time when I work from home. Don't buy the apple one though, the one I purchased cost me £5 and works ok.

Oh and cmd + f2 swaps between the display of the external source and the iMac

 

[Disco Boy]

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4469

 

[slinxy]

I thought this was only a option on the 27" imacs mini display port version? has it changed with thunderbolt so 21.5" imacs can be used as a monitor? as the last time I looked into it; it was a mini display and not thunderbolt.

OP says its a mini display port and not thunderbolt on the machine they have.

 

[shine]

That correct only the 27 inch iMac can do this. However a thunderbolt enabled mac can output video to an external monitor that only has Mini DisplayPort as input. The Mac mini I got my dad connects via thunderbolt to his U2311H.