Use iMac as a screen for an old PC?

Equipment
1

Hi there, sorry for the silly question.
I wish to use my iMac (Retina, 2015) as a screen for my old windows XP laptop (running the Nord Modular editors). I guess i must be possible, but I’m a bit lost about how to connect the two. I need an adapter of some sort by I’m struggling finding the good one.
The iMac has 2 TB ports. The PC has a VGA and a S Video port.
Any pointer would be nice !

EDIT : for instance : https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01FX50YT8/ref=redir_mobile_desktop
Would it work or is it not bidirectional ?

2

According to this article, it’s not possible with a post-2014 iMac :-/

As an alternative solution, wireless, you could install a VNC server/viewer maybe ?

3

Ah I see, thanks, bummer…
I didn’t manage to connect the old PC laptop to internet, so that’s another level for me… Didn’t touch a Windows for over a decade.

4

This article might help (for VNC) https://www.howtogeek.com/214220/how-to-access-your-macs-screen-from-windows-and-vice-versa/

Even without internet connection if you manage to set up a vnc server on the windows machine on the local network you could display the Windows desktop on the Mac (or on an IPad or phone… ) it’s not optimal but that’s the only solution I can think of right now…

Edit: Or…. Airplay maybe ? It seems possible to airplay from a windows machine with this third party software. Almost like the VNC solution but perhaps easier to install. You might experience some latency in both solution cases How to AirPlay From PC to Apple TV

Edit: or Nord Modular Editor for Mac OSX — :slight_smile:

1 Like
5

Yep, this one works, but not the G2 editor !

6

if you manage to connect the windows laptop to your local network, i would use nomachine as a vnc alternative. I found it works pretty well even over wifi. Latency is negligible, and you get the sound from the “remote” machine forwarded to the main one. Install and use is at simple as it gets.

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7

You should definitely not be connect XP to the internet, it’s a security nightmare.
Besides that you can also use 1.a remote desktop connection (rdp), probably the fastest network based version or 2. Have you tried virtual box on the Mac? You should be able to run the Nord modular editor in a virtualized windows just fine.
Also doesn’t the editor run under something a bit more current?

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8

Just sell the old mac - they get decent money even if very old or to be recycled. You can pick up a used monitor for pennies. You might even make money :slight_smile:

Even if you get it to work, it’s horribly energy inefficient and clumsy. My wife was in the same boat literally this week. She’s picked up a 22" Acer screen for £40 and it’s simple.

9

The “old” mac is my main studio computer. Still using it.
The windows laptop, on the other hand, is a 2007 VAIO…

10

Can the VAIO graphic card even decently handle a 2015 HD screen? I’ve already seen issues with MBP from 2010 litterally running the fan to unworkable noise levels when connectin them to a bigger external screen…

11

If I remember well from other users, the issue with the Editor running in a virtualized Windows is the connection to the USB port.

12

If you still have an ISO of an old OSX (Snow Leopard in 2013 ?), you could install it on a virtual machine maybe and run the dmg of the Nord G2 editor ?

Edit: I don’t even know if a virtual machine can host a 32bit OS on recent MacOS… I have a Win10 install on Bootcamp on my MBP but no G2 to test with… ^^

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