The Apple Mini DisplayPort To Dual-Link DVI Adapter allows the use of ultra high resolution screens.
Owning an ultra high resolution screen like an Apple Cinema Display or a Dell UltraSharp 3011 is a huge issue for Mac owners as they do not natively support this high of a resolution without an external adapter. The only two solutions to this problem is to ditch the large screen thus resorting to a smaller one or to spend an extra $100 on the Apple Mini DisplayPort To Dual-Link DVI Adapter. Since I love the extra space of my 30″ Dell 3007WFP-HC, I decided I was crazy enough to spend the money and give the adapter a shot even with the array of mixed reviews found on the Apple website.
When I received the adapter I realized it was exactly what I had expected as the quality was on par with the Mini Displayport to DVI and Mini Displayport to VGA adapters that I had already owned. The white finish matches any Apple charger and is made of the same durable quality. The cord is longer than I anticipated which is nice for those of you who like to setup your workstation to your liking and do not want to be restricted to having all your equipment extra close to one another due to short cables. Since the adapter does require a USB port to function I was relieved to see there is an additional USB port supplied on the adapter to make up for this. This is a blessing since as you probably know my Retina Macbook Pro only has two USBs on it so dedicating one to the adapter was a huge worry for me.
As for performance goes, the adapter does exactly what I needed it to do and I am thankful the issues people have complained about online were not present in my case whatsoever. The adapter powers my 30″ Dell monitor easily and with the right colors and clarity that I expected. The additional USB powers any devices I plug into it and I have yet to have any problems using it. The only real gripe I have with this product is the price. I find $99 to be an extremely high amount in comparison to what the product actually is and what their other adapters sell for. Since I can buy the regular Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter for $29, I wish they could be more reasonable and price this adapter in the $50 or $60 price range. It is bad enough I already dropped $1,100 on a 30″ high resolution monitor and the need to purchase a $100 adapter just to use it to its full capabilities is a very frustrating situation and one that is unavoidable at this current time.
Overall, the Apple Mini DisplayPort To Dual-Link DVI Adapter is well built and performs exactly as expected. Though the product is significantly overpriced, it is the only way to be able to fully utilize your expensive high resolution monitor to the fullest and for that reason it is worth it in my opinion. I hope in the near future Apple will finally drop this product's price to a more reasonable number, but I wouldn't expect that to happen. If you absolutely need your 27″ or 30″ high resolution monitor to work with your Mac computer then this is a must-have product regardless of the high price tag.
