We hated Apple's tiny DVI ports because even though they used an industry standard, they were de facto proprietary connections. We were ready to hate Mini DisplayPort too, but we might not have to.

That's because Apple will be licensing the Mini DisplayPort specification for free, meaning Apple might not be the singular assholes to use it (which is why their shrunken variations on DVI, while not technically proprietary, practically were). At the very least, even if vendors like Dell—an early supporter of DisplayPort—don't pick it up, it should mean a decent-sized ecosystem of Mini DisplayPort accessories, not just a handful of adapters and a pricey monitor that Apple's given us so far. How about a MDP to HDMI and MDP to DP adapters, for starters? [Ars]

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