****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
For starters I have a 2010 13" MacBook Pro that I bring back and forth between work and home. I just leave the cable at work connected to my desk monitor. I plug it in every morning, putting most of the wear-n-tear on the MiniDisplay end. I used to own a cheaper knock-off of the adapter sold at the Apple Store, and it lasted about a good 8 months before video would flicker and what not if I bumped the cable. Finally it died after about 15 months. That is when I purchased this cable which seemed to be a bonus as I don't travel with it, so carrying around a 6-foot cord is not an issue, and it cuts out the middle-man of needing a short ~6" adapter and then a regular DVI cable. Overall, there are less variables in the connection to the monitor which I like.Build Quality: the cable looks a little cheap, but overall it feels sturdier than the last adapter. I do not use FireWire 800, so I cannot attest to it blocking the FireWire port. But it does not block any USB cables, USB memory card adapters, etc. that I plug in next to the MiniDisplay. Some people complain about the screws not being notched on the DVI side, but they seem to suffice. Again, I am not constantly moving this cable in and out of different monitors. And if I were, I would just buy 2 of these cables, which is still cheaper than buying 1 from Apple. Mind you the Apple adapter only gets a 3-star rating, according to their online store.Video Quality: The video quality seems great. Perhaps the old adapter was just on the way out, but even when it did work, the edges of the monitor seemed dim. I thought maybe this monitor was dying with the old cable, but now I know it is not.Bottom Line: Cheap price, great quality (so far), and unless there is some incompatibility with Thunderbolt ports, I can't see any reason not to get it. Also, someone complained about the shipping being slow, I have a Prime Account, so I would not know. I ordered it on Friday and got it on Monday, with Free 2-Day shipping. You can't beat that.
