Scale 1680x1050 on rMB without an app

[chleuasme]

It should be easy to identify the right file to edit simply executing the following command in Terminal:

ioreg -lw0 | grep IODisplayPrefsKey

as indicated in the link from the OP, or following the instructions of the OP.

 

[Kristine]

I finally got this working. Even though there was nothing extra installed on my Macbook apart from Office, I erased my drive, then did an install via Internet Recovery.

I edited the display file, adding the code for 1536x960 first, then rebooted. After installing the RDM, the resolution showed up in the RDM, so proceeded to edit the display file again and added the code for 1680x1050.

So all is working now via the RDM.

I prefer the 1680x1050 resolution (especially when reading medical journal articles), but I think it makes my eyes tired after long periods of time and the text is definitely 'softer' (with or without font smoothing).

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Thank you! That is great.
I was looking for that.
I added two other resolutions:
1920x1200
<data>AAAPAAAACWAAAAAB</data>

and

1344x840
<data>AAAKgAAABpAAAAAB</data>

You can use the
Property List Editor and the calculator for hexadecimal to edit your own resolutions.
Save a copy of your original file.
If something goes wrong while playing with resolutions you can restart in safe mode (pressing the shift key while restarting).
Thanks.

Any chance of getting one of you guys to give me the code for a non-hiDPI 1600x900 resolution for my 2011 11" MBA? I've already identified the correct file to edit, just need the code to enter the resolution. Couldn't figure out the hex calculator, the numbers aren't in this format

Appreciate all the help!

I'm currently using QuickRes to test out 1440x900 on this machine but of course it is not the same aspect ratio - but I am dying for more than 768 vertical pixels! rMB is in my future but not for several months

 

[chleuasme]

As said IsaacKa in the post you quoted, open the file in Property List Editor.app to get datas presented as hexadecimal numbers.
That said, on a non-retina Mac, I'm not certain I'd want to use a larger resolution than the screen: you're not gonna gain any space, you'll likely get a very ugly blur, 135 ppi is too low; that's the value of HiDPI 2x mode on a screen with double the pixel density. You want to try here to emulate a screen with nearly 40% more pixels, that's not gonna look good, pixels are too large.
Try this but I'm not sure it's the right mode: <data>AAAGQAAAA4QAAAAB</data>

 

[MyopicPaideia]

As said IsaacKa in the post you quoted, open the file in Property List Editor.app to get datas presented as hexadecimal numbers.
That said, on a non-retina Mac, I'm not certain I'd want to use a larger resolution than the screen: you're not gonna gain any space, you'll likely get a very ugly blur, 135 ppi is too low; that's the value of HiDPI 2x mode on a screen with double the pixel density. You want to try here to emulate a screen with nearly 40% more pixels, that's not gonna look good, pixels are too large.
Try this but I'm not sure it's the right mode: <data>AAAGQAAAA4QAAAAB</data>

Thanks for this. I understand what I am getting into - like I said I have been test running "looks like" non-HiDPI 1440x900 on this screen already - 1600x900 gets rid of the black bars on each side.

You do gain space, but of course lose fidelity - I am fully aware. My eyes are still young, just had them tested again, 20/15 woohoo!

I will try this out - I misunderstood IsaacKa's post, didn't realise that Property List Editor was an app!

Thanks again, will report back with results (or lack thereof!).

Update: Worked like a charm - thank you very much! That said, this is absolutely the max usable on this 11" MBA screen, definitely!

 

[Daum]

Thank You!

1680x1050 works great! just what i've been looking for!

 

[snapper64]

Thanks a million for posting this. I'm surprised by how good and usable 1680x1050 looks, it's excellent

In case anyone else is a little unsure about what exactly enabling this involves like I was, you don't have to install any third party apps. Just add the extra line to the preference file as described in the first post and skip the bit about RDM.

Once you've restarted the mac system preferences will update to show the new higher resolution:

 

[mattopotamus]

Thanks a million for posting this. I'm surprised by how good and usable 1680x1050 looks, it's excellent

In case anyone else is a little unsure about what exactly enabling this involves like I was, you don't have to install any third party apps. Just add the extra line to the preference file as described in the first post and skip the bit about RDM.

Once you've restarted the mac system preferences will update to show the new higher resolution:

Image

I am actually shocked how well it looks. It runs very smooth. Really surprised apple would not just make this an option from the get go. It is just as easy to read as on the 13" retina pro.

 

[alee]

Anyone notice any issues with video playback at full screen? YouTube videos in particular black out -- audio fine, but the video itself goes out. Dropped to 1536x960 and everything is working fine again. Go back to 1680x1050 on full screen video and eventually will get a blackout again.

 

[thadoggfather]

really glad most people like this solution

i certainly don't *always* use the 1680x1050 setting especially with tired eyes at night but boy is it good to have in my pocket like right now

you do have to re-apply this after every os x update, but it takes like all of 30 seconds once you do it once or twice.

on 10.10.4 public beta

 

[212rikanmofo]

Does running at a higher resolution use up more processing power and slow down your computer or would it be the same as using the default resolution?

 

[ProwlingTiger]

Just to confirm so I have my terminology straight, the default retina resolutions are HiDPi, correct? HiDPi just means retina?

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Just to confirm so I have my terminology straight, the default retina resolutions are HiDPi, correct? HiDPi just means retina?

Yes. It is just short for "High Dots Per Inch", so exactly what it means it really up to you, but it is equivalent of what Apple would determine as Retina resolution.

 

[pookitoo]

thank for the tips ! But do you think that can affect performance ?

 

[evangw]

Awesome, thanks OP. Worked perfectly for me. I don't notice any blurriness. I work with some terrible scientific software that's at fixed pixel size and it's nice to be able to zoom the resolution out so I can run more of the processes side-by-side.

Interesting that Windows 8.1 supports all resolutions out of the box (though it recommends the 'default' 2500x1800 or whatever resolution, making everything miniscule) but that there's no way to do this in OSX without tinkering in the system folder or installing an app. Normally I'd expect to get all of the extra display features by holding option in the Display prefs, like how Apple hides all the other "power" user features.

 

[xmacsurferx]

This is truly awesome! I was able to easily change my resolution to 1680 x 1050, but the only gripe I have is that after a reboot, the login screen is very low res, so everything looks bigger. Any idea on how to make the login screen maintain the same resolution?

 

[MarkW19]

This is truly awesome! I was able to easily change my resolution to 1680 x 1050, but the only gripe I have is that after a reboot, the login screen is very low res, so everything looks bigger. Any idea on how to make the login screen maintain the same resolution?

Mine does this too; but it's only the very first login screen. After that - if you don't reboot your Mac - it should show the login screen (when you wake) in the correct res?

 

[TheSteves]

you are amazing!

Check System Preferences->Displays->Profiles->Color LCD->Open profile->Line 17

The only thing we care about here is the 610 and the a027 though your numbers may be different.

We will want to navigate to /System/Library/Displays/Overrides/ in finder and choose the folder that corresponds with your first number, mine being 610. The folder I want is called DisplayVendorID-610.

Inside you want to find the corresponding files with your second number, mine being a027. The file I want is called DisplayProductID-a027.

To avoid dealing with getting rights to the file, we will just make a copy on the desktop and modify that. After that, open the copy you just made on the Desktop in TextEdit. Within the <array> portion you will want to make a new line and paste in <data>AAANIAAACDQAAAAB</data>. This is the data for the 1680x1050 HiDPI resolution. Save this file.

Then you want to delete the original DisplayProductID-a027 (or whatever file yours is) and paste in yours from the desktop. Make sure the name matches exactly or it will not work.

Reboot your machine and switch the resolution in RDM when you boot up.

most of this is borrowed from http://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comme...920_x_1200_hidpi_resolution_on_the_13/cl0c87l and modified to fit within context of rMB

Thank you very much!

the community is one of the reasons why i love macs so much!

 

[shenan1982]

This is truly awesome! I was able to easily change my resolution to 1680 x 1050, but the only gripe I have is that after a reboot, the login screen is very low res, so everything looks bigger. Any idea on how to make the login screen maintain the same resolution?

I agree too. Apparently the login screen's resolution doesn't change (regardless of what you have selected with or without this mod).... so don't think there's going to be a way around this.

I do agree though. Going from 2012 to 2015 by logging in, LOL

 

[iRun26.2]

I finally got my new rMB set up and I set up for the higher resolution. It's great... but I wonder if I'll get to thinking it looks too small.

Does anybody still use it as their main setting for everything?

(It seems like we are defeating the point of the retina display almost)

 

[xmichaelp]

(It seems like we are defeating the point of the retina display almost)

It's still a lot sharper than native 1680x1050.

 

[Kristine]

I finally got my new rMB set up and I set up for the higher resolution. It's great... but I wonder if I'll get to thinking it looks too small.

Does anybody still use it as their main setting for everything?

(It seems like we are defeating the point of the retina display almost)

I've had my rMB at 1680x1050 since I got if a month ago.

 

[iRun26.2]

I've had my rMB at 1680x1050 since I got if a month ago.

And you never use anything else? Does it ever bother you?

I'm just starting out with it. So far I really like it.

 

[Dayv]

I finally got my new rMB set up and I set up for the higher resolution. It's great... but I wonder if I'll get to thinking it looks too small.

Does anybody still use it as their main setting for everything?

I tried it for about a day and gave up. The letters were just slightly too small.

1440x900 sounded like a good compromise between the two for me, but I couldn't get it to work, at least without an app.

 

[bcaslis]

You couldn't get 1440x900 to work? That is supported in the display preference pane.