Connecting MacBook Pro M4 2024 to old Apple Cinema Display

There are TWO displays, commonly mistaken for each other that appear to have a Thunderbolt-2 interface.

The Apple Thunderbolt Display 27-in A1407 is a 2560 by 1440 display that has a lead in cord with ONLY TWO connectors -- Thunderbolt-2 and MagSafe.

This display works great with the Apple ThunderBolt-3 <-> Thunderbolt-2 adapter, US$50.

In addition to the built-in Thunderbolt cable, the display also has a built-in MagSafe-2 connector that charges an older Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

from:

https://everymac.com/monitors/apple/thunderbolt/specs/apple-thunderbolt-display-27-inch-specs.html

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Cinema display LED 27-in A1316 from 2011 is a 2560 by 1440 display that features lead-in cord with three connectors -- Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe-2 and a USB-A pigtail. It does NOT work with the Thunderbolt adapter, but works fine with a USB-C to miniDisplayPort adapter.

It includes three USB 2.0 ports and a convenient single cable with THREE connectors (Mini DisplayPort, MagSafe-2, and USB 2.0), a built-in iSight camera with a mic and a 2.1 speaker system.

This display works great with a USB-C to MINI-DisplayPort adapter.

from:

https://everymac.com/monitors/apple/studio_cinema/specs/apple-led-cinema-display-27-inch-specs.html

Macs with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 ports can use them either as Thunderbolt ports or as Mini DisplayPort ones. If you plug in Thunderbolt 1 and 2 devices that have daisy-chaining ports (such as docks), it is expected that their daisy-chaining ports can do the same. This involves recognizing that the device at the end of the chain does not speak Thunderbolt, and converting a Thunderbolt-encapsulated DisplayPort signal to a regular DisplayPort one.

The Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter does not know how to pull this trick. Presumably the reason is that adding the feature would make the adapter more complex and expensive, making it poorly equipped to compete with the many much cheaper USB-C to (Mini) DisplayPort adapters and adapter cables on the market.

Mni DisplayPort and ThunderBolt-2 use the same connector.

But if yours has three leads, it can not use Thunderbolt-2 -- it is a DisplayPort display.