Luna Display Introduces Mac-to-Mac Mode Allowing Nearly Any Mac to Be Used as Secondary Display

Thursday October 17, 2019 11:02 AM PDT by Joe Rossignol
Luna Display today introduced a new Mac-to-Mac mode that allows any Mac released within the last decade to be used as a second display for another Mac. This includes any combination of Macs, ranging from a MacBook Pro and an iMac to a MacBook Air being used as the primary display for a Mac mini.

To use Mac-to-Mac mode, users must purchase a Luna Display dongle that plugs in to the second Mac. USB-C and DisplayPort options are available for $69.99 each, and Luna is offering 25 percent off through Friday.


The primary Mac must be running OS X El Capitan or later, while the secondary Mac requires OS X Mountain Lion or later. In addition, both Macs must be connected to the same network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and each require the free Luna Display app available to download on the Luna Display website.

Luna Display is pushing forward despite Apple adding Sidecar in macOS Catalina, a native solution for using an iPad as a second display for a Mac.

"With all of the hype around Sidecar, one of the biggest gripes we've heard is that it only works with a limited range of Mac models," wrote Luna Display co-founder Giovanni Donelli in an email. "That got us thinking about how we can push Luna Display to bring even more value to our Mac devices."

Apple also has a feature called Target Display Mode that allows late 2009 to mid 2014 iMacs to be used as as external display for another Mac.

Luna Display's solution includes full keyboard, trackpad, and mouse support on both Macs. The company has shared complete step-by-step instructions on how to set up Mac-to-Mac mode on its website.

Tag: Luna Display
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justperry
5 weeks ago


[URL unfurl="true"]https://symless.com/synergy[/URL]

Works across all OS's and screens without a dongle, and has been around for years.


Huh, this has nothing to do with the article, it's about a second display, not mouse/keyboard sharing between computers.
Rating: 8 Votes
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StellarVixen
5 weeks ago
I admire that they didn't throw in the towel when Apple announced the Sidecar (which was originally their idea).


I currently do not have use for this, but there are people who might find this useful.
Rating: 7 Votes
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palev
5 weeks ago


It's literally the same features.

No, it isn't. That is only mouse & keyboard sharing. Nothing about screen sharing.
Rating: 7 Votes
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fhall1
5 weeks ago


It's literally the same features.

Better go check some Youtube videos - Synergy is not the same thing at all.
Rating: 7 Votes
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Kinotto
5 weeks ago
When Sidecar was announced I thought it’ll be the death of Astropad, but Apple’s lack of insight on what some Sidecar users will need played in favour of the little company.

Amongst the most notably lacking features there are:

-Pencil pressure sensitivity settings
-Customisable shortcuts
-Full on-screen keyboard
-Full touch support

All of those are fundamental features for a digital artist working on iPads, and them missing on Sidecar is a clear indication that Apple made this app not with artists in mind, as I was hoping ( which would have been an earthquake in the world of digital art).
Again Apple demonstrates there’s no visionary at the steering wheel, just a sad bean counter...
Rating: 4 Votes
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Kinotto
5 weeks ago


It is just their first run at it, it is obviously a popular feature. I can see they will improve on it and eventually replaced Astropad, Duet, etc



EDIT: 4 years ago I would have agreed, but I don’t believe anymore Apple’s will is to deliver the best.
The Apple we all knew would never have released a software inferior at launch compared to alternatives developed by software houses with 1/1000 of the resources Apple have.

And the same applies to hardware: as I stated in another thread, besides the iPhones the rest of the product lineups are full of “premium” devices with stupid trade-offs and limitations, with the only logical reason behind being a will to keep customers in a neverending upgrade cycle which benefits no one but Apple itself.

You want a MacBook? Get ready for awful keyboards, graphics and thermals. Want an iPad Pro ? Sure, we give you the best, but don’t put it in your backpack or it will bend. Want a Pro desktop? Sure, but you can’t upgrade it, got to buy a whole new one.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
markaceto
5 weeks ago
[URL unfurl="true"]https://symless.com/synergy[/URL]

Works across all OS's and screens without a dongle, and has been around for years.
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
markaceto
5 weeks ago


Huh, this has nothing to do with the article, it's about a second display, not mouse/keyboard sharing between computers.


It's literally the same features.
Rating: 2 Votes
Avatar
justperry
5 weeks ago


10 years ago I would have agreed, but I don’t believe anymore Apple’s will is to deliver the best.
The Apple we all knew would never have released a software inferior at launch compared to alternatives developed by software houses with 1/1000 of the resources Apple have.

And the same applies to hardware: as I stated in another thread, besides the iPhones the rest of the product lineups are full of “premium” devices with stupid trade-offs and limitations, with the only logical reason behind being a will to keep customers in a neverending upgrade cycle which benefits no one but Apple itself.

You want a MacBook? Get ready for awful keyboards, graphics and thermals. Want an iPad Pro ? Sure, we give you the best, but don’t put it in your backpack or it will bend. Want a Pro desktop? Sure, but you can’t upgrade it, got to buy a whole new one.


You forgot...pricing.:p

MacOs is still by far the best OS though, it's a shame though they removed Target Display Mode.
I agree to some extent, thing is, Macs do seem to get better lately, maybe Apple was preoccupied with the spaceship.
Shame prices went up substantially in the last few years.
There's no better phone than the iPhone, you won't find the integration with other Apple devices with other brands.
Concerning hardware, try to find a trackpad on other OS's that work half as good as Apple trackpads, it's the gold standard, no-one ever came close to it.
Rating: 2 Votes
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Sciencenerd
5 weeks ago


Article states Late 2009 or new iMacs support Target Display mode. Only the 27” supported it and any iMac with a 4K or 5K display does not support it.


Will this work with the 2015 5K iMac?
Rating: 2 Votes
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