12" PB & External Screen

[anjam]

Switched for the most part too my powerbook from dell desktop and want to start using my powerbook for everything now. I have a tft that i could potentially use if this is possible.

Basically i would like to use my powerbook but with the screen turned off and be able to use it on the external display. How do i go about doing this and is it safe, as in it won't cause damage to the powerbook?

I have a 12" pb - 1.5ghz sd 512ram etc
mighty mouse
wireless apple keyboard

And for the display 17in tft or have a crt somewhere that can be used.

Help much appreciated.

 

[Chrispy]

Switched for the most part too my powerbook from dell desktop and want to start using my powerbook for everything now. I have a tft that i could potentially use if this is possible.

Basically i would like to use my powerbook but with the screen turned off and be able to use it on the external display. How do i go about doing this and is it safe, as in it won't cause damage to the powerbook?

I have a 12" pb - 1.5ghz sd 512ram etc
mighty mouse
wireless apple keyboard

And for the display 17in tft or have a crt somewhere that can be used.

Help much appreciated.

I have a setup very similar to yours. It is very easy to do this. You will just need the MiniDVI to VGA cable that was included with your powerbook, a USB keyboard and a USB mouse (bluetooth works too). Plug them all in, turn on the computer and then just close the lid. If the computer was already running when you close the lid it will go to sleep. Just hit a button on the keyboard and it will wake up with the external display as the primary.

It is perfeclty safe to use a powerbook in this manner and that is one of the few things that sets it apart from the iBook at the moment. The one thing I did notice, however, is that the fans on my powerbook seem to run more often when it is hooked up in this manner. You should be perfeclty safe using your powerbook as you described and it is fully supported by Apple should something happen anyways. Enjoy

 

[anjam]

Okay cool - my might mouse is wired in keyboard is the wireless bluetooth one. Is there an option or something that will wake the laptop up when an incomming bluetooth signal is recieved - if thats possible?

 

[GimmeSlack12]

Okay cool - my might mouse is wired in keyboard is the wireless bluetooth one. Is there an option or something that will wake the laptop up when an incomming bluetooth signal is recieved - if thats possible?

Absolutely, look in your Bluetooth preference. There is a checkbox that allows Bluetooth to wake up the computer.

 

[anjam]

Okay cool. Good to know i can do that at some point. Now to get things a little more complicated. Would like to know two things.

1.
Is it possible to use the external screen for say surfing the net and have the powerbook screen for itunes or msn - basically spanning the screen i think its called.

2.
I occasionaly need to use my dell desktop but want to share the external monitor between that and the powerbook. Is there a device/hub of some sort with a switch so i can turn it to A for the dell and switch it to B for the powerbook - which would save me from having to keep switching cables everytime i would want to do something on either machine.

Thanks

 

[colosodian]

Okay cool. Good to know i can do that at some point. Now to get things a little more complicated. Would like to know two things.

1.
Is it possible to use the external screen for say surfing the net and have the powerbook screen for itunes or msn - basically spanning the screen i think its called.

2.
I occasionaly need to use my dell desktop but want to share the external monitor between that and the powerbook. Is there a device/hub of some sort with a switch so i can turn it to A for the dell and switch it to B for the powerbook - which would save me from having to keep switching cables everytime i would want to do something on either machine.

Thanks

1. Yes, the powerbook can span the monitors.
2. Your talking about a KVM switch. They range in price based on what you need. I use a cheap 10 dollar inland kvm switch, because I only need vga, and I dont need to switch keyboard and mouse.

 

[anjam]

1. Yes, the powerbook can span the monitors.
2. Your talking about a KVM switch. They range in price based on what you need. I use a cheap 10 dollar inland kvm switch, because I only need vga, and I dont need to switch keyboard and mouse.

Okay cool:
1 - how do i go about doing that?
2 - i dont need to share mice, just the display.

 

[Chrispy]

Okay cool:
1 - how do i go about doing that?
2 - i dont need to share mice, just the display.

1.) You just plug in the display (external) while the powerbook is open and the powerbook screen is on. You will probably want to go into the display preferences and make the external display the primary. Doing this will allow you to use both monitors at once.

2.) You can try to find a VGA switch at radioshack or a similar store. They are similar to a KVM switch but it just changes between two monitor signals.