# iMac G3 Screen Resolution



## alk (Feb 6, 2004)

Hi,

I have a problem. I have bought fine TFT monitor (17", 1280x1024) and want to use it with my iMac 15" G3 500MHz as an external monitor. Unfortunatelly the maximum allowed resolution in my MacOSX 10.3 display properties is 1024x768  I have tried SwithchRes X software, but any my attempts have no success: the resolution stays 1024x768  No screen blinking or so on...

I have tried to edit the /library/preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist file, but after restart the screen resolution is 1024x768 again  

I have also tried to type the following:
defaults write Preferences NSEnableShowAllDisplayModes YES 
(The trick was to get OS X to show all modes )

But the display properties still show only three standard resolutions: 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768.   Please help! I am really want to use the new TFT with my imac and I need to set the 1280x1024x60Hz resolution. 

Any help are appreciated!


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## DeltaMac (Feb 6, 2004)

Won't happen   Your choices for external monitor are exactly the same as internal - 640x480, 800x600, and 1024x768. This is a hardware limitation of the iMac.
The iMac only supports video mirroring, which means that an external display shows exactly the same image (including same resolution) as internal.  No hardware hacks that I am aware of, that will give you dual display capability on an old iMac.


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## alk (Feb 6, 2004)

I do not need a dual display capability. I just want to use my _external_ monitor in 1280x1024 resolution. The internal monitor even can display nothing. If it will be damaged due the displaing unsupported resolutions or refresh rates - no problems. I do not want to use the small 15" screen anyway.

So, I want to find a way to set the same non standard screen resolution 1280x1024x60Hz for both displays in order to use mirrored external monitor.


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## DeltaMac (Feb 6, 2004)

Trade you old iMac for a system that will provide video support for the resolution you want, your present iMac cannot do what you want.


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## alk (Feb 7, 2004)

I do not want to buy another mac, this one is fine.  And I am sure that the installed video card(Rage128P2ks@10/.Display_Rage128-0101600d) should support the required resolution, so it is just a software limitation.


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## fryke (Feb 7, 2004)

alk: You can repeat your wishes all you want, it's a _hardware_ limitation. Yes, your graphics card can do more, yes your external monitor can do more, no your iMac can't.


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## alk (Feb 7, 2004)

fryke said:
			
		

> alk: You can repeat your wishes all you want, it's a _hardware_ limitation. Yes, your graphics card can do more, yes your external monitor can do more, no your iMac can't.



Hm, if the graphics card can use this resolution it's _not_ a hardware limitation. It's just a video card driver limitation.  For example, I am pretty sure that my iMac is able to use 800x600x60Hz, but I am unable to change the default refresh rate.

I am just want to know a solution. Can I download and install other Rage driver for MacOS X?


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## DeltaMac (Feb 7, 2004)

fryke said:
			
		

> alk: You can repeat your wishes all you want, it's a _hardware_ limitation. Yes, your graphics card can do more, yes your external monitor can do more, no your iMac can't.[/QUOTE
> 
> Completely true, but the graphics chip (which is on the logic board and not upgradeable) will not provide you with anything more than what you see. There's no way around it. And I didn't mention any purchase, maybe trading for what you want is a choice, but your present iMac will not drive your flat panel to its native resolution. You're stuck! With this iMac, there is no solution. Fryke was incorrect about the graphics chip, it will provide only 3 resolutions on this iMac. There's no way around that.


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## fryke (Feb 7, 2004)

Well, Rage128 chips _can_ do more quite certainly. Whether Apple has limited this by ordering different chips from ATi (different firmware?) or has done it via OpenFirmware (the iMac's firmware) doesn't really matter, as there is no known hack around it. And that particular iMac's old enough.

For my iBook, for example, there's a hack to accomplish this exact thing. For the iMac G3, there is not. (The hack for the iBook is known to work with some iMac G4 models, though. But the hack needs a Radeon based chip. The hack has _killed_ many iBooks that were too old, so I wouldn't even TRY it on your iMac. Not worth it.)


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## alk (Feb 7, 2004)

F#$k (sorry). I'm in depression. 

Thanks a lot.

PS. Is there any way to replace my Rage128 graphics card with another one (PCI or AGP) ?


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