Have a 30″ Display? Want a new MacBook Pro? Get Comfortable

When Apple announced their fall lineup of laptops, one thing really caught my eye. The new MacBooks can now drive a 30″ display. I don’t know how they did it, but that new integrated graphics chip can now really push out the pixels like no other MacBook has.

I had my 30″ display plugged into my Mac Pro, but I knew when Apple’s new laptops came out, I was going to construct the switch back to a MacBook Pro. Knowing that I could even choose a MacBook just made the options more exciting.

That is until I noticed one little wrinkle. Well, two wrinkles actually. Number one is that the adapter that you need to connect a 30″ display to a mini DisplayPort is $99. Ouch! Number two: Apple is backordered by 4-5 weeks. I waited a week to prepare my purchase, hoping that it was a

fluke, or that Apple would magically get more in stock. Nope, they are still backordered.

I’m not entirely certain what the deal is. Perhaps with the new MacBooks offering the 30″ display capability, there ended up being quite a bit more demand for these precious little adapters than Apple anticipated.

I ordered my laptop anyway. I chose the MacBook Pro considering I have a Firewire 800 device I use alot. It’s awesome, but bittersweet, as my 30″ display is just sitting on the floor awaiting Apple’s getting back up to speed.

Nonetheless, I’m optimistic. Apple has gone with an open standard by choosing DisplayPort. that means that anybody can construct a cable for it without paying royalties. Here’s hoping that someone will be quick to market with some new adapters.

Orginal post by Brian Warren