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Can MBP drive Dual External Monitors?

A

asolipsist

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 2, 2006
12
0
I'm trying to figure out if an MBP can drive 2 external monitors. Specifically I currently use 2 x 20' 1600x1200 dell 2001fps, I would like to switch over completely to a mac, but would need to be able for the MBP to drive both of these monitors. (I actually use 3, but dont expect a laptop to be up for this) Cryptically the apple.com site makes mention of dual-link DVI out, but I think this means it can only drive one external monitor? The apple site also lists an MBP being able to drive a 30in cinema using 'dual-link dvi'.

Any one know if MBP can drive 2 external monitors at 1600x1200?
 
adk said:
no, it can't. Dual link is just a type of DVI connection
Click to expand...

Thanks, bummer though, I guess no MPB for me. It doesn't seem to have a pcmcia card slot either, is there such a thing as a firewire vid card or any other option to drive a second monitor from MPB?
 
I know this probably doesn't help, on the old 15" PowerBooks, there was a PCMIA video card available from a vendor, I'm sure they're be one for whatever it's called slot in the MBP sooner or later.
 
Danksi said:
What are you using 3-monitors that size for?
Click to expand...

Java web app dev, I do everything so it's kinda a bitch.
Right now I have open:
browser x 3
java IDE
3 putty terminal windows
filezilla
photoshop
dreamweaver
xml editor
3 finder windows
resin (java app server)
flash
notepad++
sql editor
(and yeah i use all off these apps in parallel)

Upon further research it seems the MBP went with a 34mm card slot, however vid cards probably wont be manufactured for that small of a form factor, but probably for the 54mm flavor. I think apple screwed up here, but maybe rev 2 of the MBP will have the 54mm slot or will have dual dvi out capabilities. If they can figure out the heat issues and powerstep stuff, rev b of MBP could be a true 'do everything' machine.
 
There is another solution.

I don't know if it will work for mac, because in order to make it work for windows you need driver. You need DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go

1141336978.jpg
 
isgoed said:
There is another solution.

I don't know if it will work for mac, because in order to make it work for windows you need driver. You need DualHead2Go or TripleHead2Go
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've seen those, they're nifty but they currently dont and probably wont ever work on the MBP (they only work on certain ATI and Nvidia cards). Even the triple head version can only do 3400x1024 max, I'm lookin for 1200 height so no go on those, but it's a good start. However I dont think its possible for the mbp ATI card to output 3200x1200 so the matrox adapter can't really do much about this w/o a second real vid card.
 
asolipsist said:
Yeah, I've seen those, they're nifty but they currently dont and probably wont ever work on the MBP (they only work on certain ATI and Nvidia cards). Even the triple head version can only do 3400x1024 max, I'm lookin for 1200 height so no go on those, but it's a good start. However I dont think its possible for the mbp ATI card to output 3200x1200 so the matrox adapter can't really do much about this w/o a second real vid card.
Click to expand...

They should work with any graphics card that can output the correct resolution. There were reports of the dual-head version working fine with PowerBooks. If you need 1600x1200 you are out of luck though. Do any notebooks have the capability you want?
 
why not get a 17"MBP when they come out, and pair it with a 30" display or something. thats 1680x1050 + 2560x1600, which is ALOT of pixels. it may not be as clean a setup as several screens of the same size, but you wont be lacking in room. and as pointed out above, are they any laptops that can do what you suggest? sounds like something to be left to a desktop to me...
 
asolipsist said:
Upon further research it seems the MBP went with a 34mm card slot, however vid cards probably wont be manufactured for that small of a form factor, but probably for the 54mm flavor. I think apple screwed up here, but maybe rev 2 of the MBP will have the 54mm slot or will have dual dvi out capabilities. If they can figure out the heat issues and powerstep stuff, rev b of MBP could be a true 'do everything' machine.
Click to expand...

I understood the 34mm format was the new 'standard' and manufacturers are working to provide cards.

I doubt any revision MBP 15-inch will go back to the 54mm PC-Card, as they chose the smaller format to allow for a smaller case. May provide the 54mm format in any larger screened laptop, but I doubt it.
 
Danksi said:
I understood the 34mm format was the new 'standard' and manufacturers are working to provide cards.

I doubt any revision MBP 15-inch will go back to the 54mm PC-Card, as they chose the smaller format to allow for a smaller case. May provide the 54mm format in any larger screened laptop, but I doubt it.
Click to expand...

54mm is not PC-Card. ExpressCard comes in 2 sizes, 34mm and 54mm which is why the MBP slot is referred to as ExpressCard/34. The 54mm slot accepts both sorts of cards (and 54mm cards have the same number of connections as a 34mm card). A 34mm slot obviously cannot accept a 54mm card.
 
robbieduncan said:
54mm is not PC-Card. ExpressCard comes in 2 sizes, 34mm and 54mm which is why the MBP slot is referred to as ExpressCard/34. The 54mm slot accepts both sorts of cards (and 54mm cards have the same number of connections as a 34mm card). A 34mm slot obviously cannot accept a 54mm card.
Click to expand...

Well I didn't read into that enough then. Thanks for clearing that up. :)

EDIT: This looks like a handy reference
 
asolipsist said:
Java web app dev, I do everything so it's kinda a bitch.
Right now I have open:
browser x 3
java IDE
3 putty terminal windows
filezilla
photoshop
dreamweaver
xml editor
3 finder windows
resin (java app server)
flash
notepad++
sql editor
(and yeah i use all off these apps in parallel)

Upon further research it seems the MBP went with a 34mm card slot, however vid cards probably wont be manufactured for that small of a form factor, but probably for the 54mm flavor. I think apple screwed up here, but maybe rev 2 of the MBP will have the 54mm slot or will have dual dvi out capabilities. If they can figure out the heat issues and powerstep stuff, rev b of MBP could be a true 'do everything' machine.
Click to expand...

You can always minimize a window ;)

Also, why do you need 4 editors for Java,SQL,XML, and text when you can do all that with Eclipse.

Finally, why even bother with a laptop if you "need" three monitors? Maybe someday it will support one of these setups. :)
 
Two words: Virtual Desktops.

Seriously, I do the same kind of work and use my MBP plus a 24" Dell LCD. I have my primary IDE, a couple of terminals, and a couple of browser windows on desktop 1, my SQL editor and other miscellaneous tools on 2, random stuff that I need at the time on 3, and my email and such on 4 -- at least that was my setup on my PC.

Honestly, since I got the MBP I find I'm not even using the virtual desktops as much. The combination of Expose and general MacOS goodness is making it less of a necessity. I have Desktop Manager up and running but unless I'm working with the MBP away from my big monitor I hardly use it anymore.
 
kingjr3 said:
You can always minimize a window ;)

Also, why do you need 4 editors for Java,SQL,XML, and text when you can do all that with Eclipse.

Finally, why even bother with a laptop if you "need" three monitors? Maybe someday it will support one of these setups. :)
Click to expand...

I would like to see someone with that setup on a PowerMac. . . they can support 8 monitors!
 
robbieduncan said:
(and 54mm cards have the same number of connections as a 34mm card). A 34mm slot obviously cannot accept a 54mm card.
Click to expand...

I think the trouble is a 34mm slot is too small to ever contain a modern graphics card so they wont come in this form factor, or one might, but it'll be this huge blob gangling off the outside.
 
kingjr3 said:
You can always minimize a window ;)

Also, why do you need 4 editors for Java,SQL,XML, and text when you can do all that with Eclipse.

Finally, why even bother with a laptop if you "need" three monitors? Maybe someday it will support
Click to expand...

Because eclipse sucks :), seriously, it seems to be getting better but hasn't caught up to intellij idea yet, which can also do xml and sql ed, but not as well as dedicated aps like xml spy and sqylog.

It'd just be nice to have one machine that can do it all and is portable, maybe someday.
 
mutliple monitors & web development = good times!


When i had duals set up I would have dreamweaver open in one and a browser open in another. I could hit save in one window and reload in the next.
 
dornoforpyros said:
When i had duals set up I would have dreamweaver open in one and a browser open in another. I could hit save in one window and reload in the next.
Click to expand...

No need to do that on a 30"

Thinking out loud...what takes more energy/effort (or burns more calories), turning your head or hitting Command+Tab?
 
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