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

[Saluki Alex]

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.

The reason for the monitor is that I dabble in photo/video editing (something I really will only have time to do when I'm at home) and would rather not stare at a 15" screen. And the reason I would be considering the iMac would not only be the bigger screen, but I would also still have a computer should my MBP fail. The closest Apple store is over 3 hours away, so getting a replacement wouldn't be all that easy a task. By the way, I'll be majoring in Political Science next year, so the larger monitor isn't for my major at all.

I should also mention that getting either of these is contingent upon getting further scholarship money. The reason my parents got me the MBP was because I was awarded a full scholarship.

 

[mmmcheese]

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

But this person is asking about the MBP...so a minimum of 64MB per screen...the question still stands: what advantage does someone with an MBP have by using only 1 screen when they can use 2 (almost*) for free?



* the only exception I can think of is games...

 

[asherman13]

To Make Things Clear:

iBook: DO NOT enable "clamshell" or "closed" mode on the iBook G4, or any iBook for that matter. The iBook does indeed vent much of its heat through the keyboard, and so if one were to enable such a mode, the heat would be going straight into the display of the iBook, something that a) Apple does not recommend, and b) will break your display. Trust me on the 2nd one; it basically happened to me (my iBook kept turning on while it was supposed to be shut and one day the LCD cracked).

MacBook Pro: as Bibulous pointed out, you can operate your MacBook Pro in "closed"/"clamshell" mode. The MacBook Pro vents its heat through the sides and bottom edge on the back (near the hinge), and to use your MacBook Pro in this way, simply connect an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, close the MacBook Pro, and then click any button on the external keyboard to 'awaken' the MacBook Pro while it is closed.

I hope that clarifies everything.

 

[briansolomon]

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

I use my iBook video out to watch YouTube, iTunes, and DVDs (cause my DVD player skips so much- that's really what started the 'revolution'). I just turn down the brightness on the iBook if the computer display bothers me.

While not high quality, episodes of the Simpsons, Seinfeld, Family Guy for free and on-demand are a blast for a college kid like me.

 

[Koutsi]

external display always on?

Wondering if an external display could be switched off in OS X so that the MBP wouldn't keep feeding picture for both displays all the time. I have an LCD TV connected to the MBP and it seems I can't unactivate it as an external display in OS X preferences. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[rjphoto]

Wondering if an external display could be switched off in OS X so that the MBP wouldn't keep feeding picture for both displays all the time. I have an LCD TV connected to the MBP and it seems I can't unactivate it as an external display in OS X preferences. Any advice would be appreciated!

What brand/model is the LCD TV?
How are you connecting it to the MBP?

 

[dr_lha]

...And they are what?

Personally I use my PB in clamshell mode all the time. The fact is when I want to use my computer on a large screen, I want to use a large screen, not a large screen and a smaller screen. The 2nd screen is unnecessary for me, especially if it is the "main" screen with the dock and menu, which is very annoying.

 

[dr_lha]

Wondering if an external display could be switched off in OS X so that the MBP wouldn't keep feeding picture for both displays all the time. I have an LCD TV connected to the MBP and it seems I can't unactivate it as an external display in OS X preferences. Any advice would be appreciated!

Unfortunately I think whether the external monitor is "off" or "on" on Powerbooks (and I assume MacBook Pros) is controlled by the action of pluggin in the monitor, and AFAIK there is no software way to disable the screen.

 

[macpastor]

I enjoy using mine in clamshell on the desk, hooked to the 20" CD. Works beautiful and keeps the machine in mint condition.

 

[Koutsi]

Unfortunately I think whether the external monitor is "off" or "on" on Powerbooks (and I assume MacBook Pros) is controlled by the action of pluggin in the monitor, and AFAIK there is no software way to disable the screen.

Yes, it seems so. @rjphoto: I have a Toshiba 32WL58 LCD tv (resolution 1366x768; which my MBP can do!). It's connected to the MBP with a VGA cable and the VGA-DVI connector.

One idea: I could ask the developer of SwitchResX to do something about this. I'm already using this great software... allows e.g. the 1366x768 resolution for the external display.