Resolved Dumb question: What does it mean by Target mode when it comes to video?

[Hugh]

Dumb question, I just got 2013 iMac 27" i7. I noticed on Apple specs it says it supports Target mode video though Thunderbolt port. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean I can push video into the Mac? I know the 27's used to be able to do that, can they still?


Also while I am asking dumb questions, the specs also say the is a quad core machine, but everything keeps saying that it had 8 cores? I'm confused...

Thanks for answering my dumb questions!

=Hugh

 

[cynics]

Dumb question, I just got 2013 iMac 27" i7. I noticed on Apple specs it says it supports Target mode video though Thunderbolt port. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean I can push video into the Mac? I know the 27's used to be able to do that, can they still?


Also while I am asking dumb questions, the specs also say the is a quad core machine, but everything keeps saying that it had 8 cores? I'm confused...

Thanks for answering my dumb questions!

=Hugh

Target display mode is for using your iMac as a monitor from another Mac.

Your i7 is a quad core CPU with hyper threading so 4 core 8 threads.

 

[redheeler]

Dumb question, I just got 2013 iMac 27" i7. I noticed on Apple specs it says it supports Target mode video though Thunderbolt port. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean I can push video into the Mac? I know the 27's used to be able to do that, can they still?

The newer Retina models can't, but yours can. For the 2011-2013 iMacs, the downside is the source computer must have Thunderbolt as well, which rules out the feature working with most non-Mac PCs or all Macs made prior to 2011.

 

[Hugh]

Guys, thank you very much for answer my dumb question!!! Yeah I was hoping they still allowed non Mac input (as you say 2011 and up) to video. Oh well..

Also thanks for answering the core question. For the life of me it was confusing me on that...

Thanks!

=Hugh