DisplayPort specification to add Apple's mini connector

Posted on by Dan Moren, Macworld.com

Apple’s new mini DisplayPort connector has taken some flak—and by some, we mean a whole lotta—from those who claim it's yet another "proprietary" doohickey. This, despite the fact that it’s based on the DisplayPort specification promulgated by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). Fortunately for all involved, the standards body has said that it will add the mini connector to the next version of the DisplayPort specification.

Apple apparently decided that the standard DisplayPort connector wasn’t small enough for its new notebook computers, so it created a smaller physical connector, the mini port. Unfortunately, while there are an increasing number of DisplayPort compatible monitors on the market, they’re not compatible with the mini connector out of the box. Apple has previously announced that they’ll allow vendors to license the connector for free, hopefully spurring adoption of mini DisplayPort.

According to The Register, VESA has said that the mini connector will be incorporated into the forthcoming 1.2 version of the DisplayPort specification, along with support for stereoscopic 3D information and double the amount of bandwidth available in the current spec. The 1.2 specification is expected to be published around the middle of the year, so we’ll get all the details then.

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