24iMac as 2nd monitor for 27imac?

[2macman]

I have a 2009 iMac 24 inch, and a 2010 27 iMac, and a mini-display-port to mini-display-port cable.

Plan A would be to use the 24 as the second monitor. However, I gather that the 24 has only output not input, so that would be impossible.

However, I have also heard that with a certain program it would be possible.

1. Can the 24 be used as a second monitor? If so, how?

2. Alternatively, the 27 can definitely be used as the second monitor?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

1. ScreenRecycler
2. Possible, but a waste of the 27" iMac's power.

 

[justaregularjoe]

^What he said.

Also, I feel that either one would be a huge waste of power. I would suggest simply setting up DropBox and a program like Teleport to let you share files and a single mouse/keyboard, and using both computers. This would mean you could truly multitask.

 

[2macman]

2macs together

Wow. Thanks. You guys (gals) are really expanding my mental universe.

I agree about the waste of using one mac as a second monitor, but I am sitting here with a 27 mac typing away, and 24 sitting beside, doing nothing.

I absolutely relish using a second monitor, so I am trying to accomplish that with my fledgling questions.

My 2 macs already wirelessly communicate, I can open up file from on mac to the other.

I really like the suggestion of using DropBox and Teleport.

1. Since my macs already communicate (how fast, relatively, I do not know), do I need Dropbox?
2. Or would just Teleport suffice?

Many thanks.

 

[2macman]

dropbox needed

Also, I have iWeb and can save and share files there, so I wonder if I really need Dropbox.

However, does DropBox offer faster mac to mac file transfers?

Would it behoove me to get Dropbox merely for such faster file transfer?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

DropBox uses the internet to share files, thus it would be slower, depending on your internet speeds (up AND down).
If you don't have big files, wireless file sharing is sufficient. I have two Macs and when they sit together, I share files via a Gigabit Ethernet cable, which allows me transfers of up to 50MB/s and more.

 

[2macman]

I got TelePort, thanks very much. Greatest thing since sliced bread.

I also got DropBox, which I guess I do not need, because my 2 macs can open files from each other, wirelessly.

I have a mini-display-port cable on order, which will enable me to use the 27 as a second monitor, if I so choose.

However, can you tell me if this is correct? I can get a 9-pin WireFire cable, connect the 2 macs, and that would give me master computer-to-computer speeds?

And, with the 9-pin WireFire cable connecting the 2 macs, I could then get ScreenRecycler and then use 24 as the 2nd monitor.

1. Do I need TWO ScreenRecylers, one on each computer, to run the 24 as the second monitor?
2. Is the 9-pin WireFire cable the connection to use when using the 24 as the second monitor?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

However, can you tell me if this is correct? I can get a 9-pin WireFire cable, connect the 2 macs, and that would give me master computer-to-computer speeds?

And, with the 9-pin WireFire cable connecting the 2 macs, I could then get ScreenRecycler and then use 24 as the 2nd monitor.

1. Do I need TWO ScreenRecylers, one on each computer, to run the 24 as the second monitor?
2. Is the 9-pin WireFire cable the connection to use when using the 24 as the second monitor?

Firewire allows you to connect the two Macs and create a network connection between them, but a Gigabit Ethernet cable will do just the same.

1. No.
2. No, you can use a Gigabit Ethernet cable for data transfer, but if you want to transfer data wirelessly, Ethernet or Firewire are not required.
Firewire is "only" needed when one computer is in Target Disk Mode, but that means Target Display Mode can't be used.

And what do you mean with:

I can get a 9-pin WireFire cable, connect the 2 macs, and that would give me master computer-to-computer speeds?

Anyway, a cabled connection is much better to use with ScreenRecycler, if that is what you mean. Better use the Gigabit Ethernet connection, as it is a tiny bit faster than Firewire 800.

 

[2macman]

gigabit ethernet port

I'm totally befuddled now.

First, I could use ScreenRecyler with only wireless connection between the two macs?

Second, I am out of ports in the back of the new mac.
What I presume to be the gigabit ethernet connection hole is already filled in with the wire from the cable company.

I have only one port in the back that resembles the phone-cord-looking cable and connection, and it is already used.

As near as I can tell, I have only a single gigabit ethernet hole in the back of my computer, and it is already in use (in from the cable company).

However, the 9-pin FireWire is available. That is why I thought of using it.

However, if wireless is only marginally slower, I could just go wireless?

Many thanks.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

You can use ScreenRecycler with any network connection (wired or wireless), but wired will be faster, especially with that much information.
Firewire will give you speeds of up to 65 MB/s, Gigabit Ethernet a bit more and wireless will give you maybe 10 MB/s.
You could also use a wireless router to connect to the internet and access the internet via the wireless method and use the Gigabit Ethernet port (now free) for ScreenRecycler and data transfer.


Proper names for the "holes":

 

[2macman]

wired or wireless ScreenRecycler

Many thanks, I am getting it.

Going to wireless internet connection and freeing up the Gigabit Ethernet port is not an option. I am in a foreign country and do not speak the language.

The other two options are:
A: FireWire
B: wireless (the speed here is, I believe 22 MB/s).
And, my computers already communicate wirelessly.

Million dollar questions: Can ScreenRecycler be used:
1: with FireWire?
2: Wirelessly

Many thanks for your time.

 

[lixuelai]

I don't think it cares what connection you have as long as there is one. Of course speed would be a different matter with Gigabit being the fastest, then Firewire and so on.