MBP owners who connect their laptop to an external display, read

[chosenwolf]

When you guys connect your MacBook Pro to an external monitor, do you close the lid to the MBP or leave it up? I want to know because with the iBooks, you can't do that since heat is vented through the keyboard on them. But I've heard the heat ventilation is different on Powerbooks (through the rear)....

 

[mmmcheese]

When you guys connect your MacBook Pro to an external monitor, do you close the lid to the MBP or leave it up? I want to know because with the iBooks, you can't do that since heat is vented through the keyboard on them. But I've heard the heat ventilation is different on Powerbooks (through the rear)....

Why would you want to close it? Two screens means more desktop space, and you can never have enough of that....

 

[SpaceMagic]

Why would you want to close it? Two screens means more desktop space, and you can never have enough of that....

There are many reasons why people would like to do this...

As you were able to run the powerbooks in "clamshell" mode, i dont see why not this edition.

 

[iflipper]

There are many reasons why people would like to do this...

As you were able to run the powerbooks in "clamshell" mode, i dont see why not this edition.

You simply can't do it with my g4 ibook (it just hibernates when shut, even with an external keyboard there). I wish I could since it'll only run a single display and you either end up with a half open book or a very distracting extra screen with identical actions.

 

[ekenny]

Considering that the area above the keyboard gets extremely hot, I would not want the LCD that close to it. If I were going to use only an external monitor, I would probably leave the lid open, but turn the brightness down till the LCD turned off (Im not sure if that would also affect the external monitor but I think it has a seperate brightness).

 

[robbieduncan]

You can use the MBP in clamshell mode. You can even wake it up without an external screen or input devices attached when it's closed with the IR remote (I'm not actually sure this is a good thing).

 

[Bibulous]

MBP owners who connect their laptop to an external display, read

.... the user guide, page 69-70

 

[elbirth]

You can use the MBP in clamshell mode. You can even wake it up without an external screen or input devices attached when it's closed with the IR remote (I'm not actually sure this is a good thing).

You can disable the IR receiver in the security preferences if that becomes a problem.

But yeah, the MacBook Pro is able to work with the lid closed when connected to an external monitor, so says the manual. I use a Dell 2005FPW as a secondary screen, so I don't do this myself, because I need all the space I can get.

 

[robbieduncan]

You can disable the IR receiver in the security preferences if that becomes a problem.

I was aware of that. Do you know a way of not turning off the IR receiver but not allowing it to wake the MBP from sleep?

 

[mmmcheese]

There are many reasons why people would like to do this...

...And they are what?

 

[aquajet]

...And they are what?

Using two monitors effectively halves your available VRAM. This is especially a problem for me when I use X-Plane on my PowerBook.

 

[tutubibi]

You simply can't do it with my g4 ibook (it just hibernates when shut, even with an external keyboard there). I wish I could since it'll only run a single display and you either end up with a half open book or a very distracting extra screen with identical actions.

There is a patch available to enable screen spanning and clamshell mode on iBook G4. I don't know how safe it is to work in clamshell mode but it is possible.

More info here: http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html

 

[chaos86]

doesnt screen spanning doctor have the functionality of enabling clamshell mode on ibooks?

 

[iflipper]

doesnt screen spanning doctor have the functionality of enabling clamshell mode on ibooks?

I thought that was supposed to be a nasty hack? I'll look at the website again, I may have been misinformed. TBH given how hot the ibook gets it's probably not that good an idea anyway.

 

[tutubibi]

I thought that was supposed to be a nasty hack? I'll look at the website again, I may have been misinformed. TBH given how hot the ibook gets it's probably not that good an idea anyway.

I am using it without any problems for the last 18 months. Mostly for extended desktop but worked in clamshell mode couple of times (short periods of time only).

 

[galstaph]

I've used the hack, mostly for doing presentations in extended desktop... tried the clamshell once, saw no real need to use it. no problems using it though, sometimes doesn't initiate properly though (requires reboot)

 

[mmmcheese]

Using two monitors effectively halves your available VRAM. This is especially a problem for me when I use X-Plane on my PowerBook.

So 64-128MB per screen is not enough?

 

[apunkrockmonk]

Clamshell mode is very handy for me in my dorm room, I have very limited desk space. I can't even leave the closed Macbook Pro on the desk when I'm using it in clamshell mode, no room.

 

[Kingsly]

Screen spanning doctor is an excellent tool that works very well. I highly suggest it (as long as you computer is on the list of supported devices!)

 

[PatrickF]

...And they are what?

How about connecting a TV to watch a film from the laptop? Having the laptop screen on as well would be quite annoying.

 

[Saluki Alex]

I was thinking about buying a 23" ACD to go along with my MBP. My plan was to keep the ACD at my house and hook it up to my MBP when I came home from college on the weekends/breaks/summer (I was planning on using it in clam-shell mode). My other thought was to buy the 20" iMac instead of the 23" ACD to keep at home, and in this case, if my MBP were to ever act up on me, I'd have a backup Mac that I could go get at home, 45 min. away. The downside to the iMac would be that I don't know if I'd get as much use out of it, or would I, any suggestions?

I guess my main question is whether or not using my MBP in clam-shell mode for long periods of time would adversely affect it (heat issues I assume)?

Thanks

 

[.Andy]

So 64-128MB per screen is not enough?

Not if you want to play a visually intensive game. The more VRAM the merrier.

 

[aquajet]

So 64-128MB per screen is not enough?

In my case, it would be 32mb per screen instead of 64mb, and that's not enough.

 

[Krevnik]

Clamshell is not a horrible thing for the MBP. The chips actually face downward, so the heatsink dumps to the bottom of the system through the case (both great and awful engineering idea right there). The airflow might be constricted, but the fans are designed to dump out the back of the case as well...

 

[adk]

I was thinking about buying a 23" ACD to go along with my MBP. My plan was to keep the ACD at my house and hook it up to my MBP when I came home from college on the weekends/breaks/summer (I was planning on using it in clam-shell mode). My other thought was to buy the 20" iMac instead of the 23" ACD to keep at home, and in this case, if my MBP were to ever act up on me, I'd have a backup Mac that I could go get at home, 45 min. away. The downside to the iMac would be that I don't know if I'd get as much use out of it, or would I, any suggestions?

I guess my main question is whether or not using my MBP in clam-shell mode for long periods of time would adversely affect it (heat issues I assume)?

Thanks

I don't know why you keep a $1000 computer or monitor at home waiting for you at home for weekends and the summer. If you're going to go to the expense of buying a monitor at least make sure it's something you can use at school.