Hack an old iMac into a Studio Display

April 28, 2022

I recently upgraded my creaky old 27-inch iMac to a brand-spanking-new Mac Studio with an attached Studio Display.

I couldn't be happier. The Mac Studio is a dream machine and the Studio Display is bright, sharp and beautiful. I don't even mind the somewhat subpar webcam (Center Stage is pretty amazing).

But what to do with the old machine?

I'd love to use it as a second display, but Apple no longer supports Target Display Mode, an awesome feature that used to allow various iMacs to be used as external displays.

It's a shame, because my old iMac has basically the same panel as the brand-new Studio Display.

Luckily, YouTuber Luke Miani figured out a clever and low-cost way to convert old iMacs into faux Studio Displays.

I'm really tempted to try it myself, and the procedure is definitely within my technical capabilities.

But first I might try out Luna Display, a $135 dongle that converts old Macs into external displays -- no hacking required.

If it works, I might pick up a couple of old iMacs on eBay and convert them both for a three-monitor mega-setup worthy of our popular Setups series.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

An intrepid Apple expert set out to convert an iMac on its last legs into a useful external monitor with the same general design and functionality as a new Studio Display. The inspiration comes from Apple’s recently released monitor using a 27-inch 5K LCD, as do all iMacs made for many years.

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One more thing ...

"The organization is clean and simple to understand, and very accountable. Everything just got simpler. That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains." -- Steve Jobs

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