# Using an external Display with iBook G4



## HateEternal (Feb 17, 2004)

Am I missing something?

I have an iBook G4 and I want to hook it up to an external monitor and use ONLY the external monitor at the maximum resolution of that monitor, is there a way to do this?

Right now what I am doing is using this screen spanning doctor tool which expands the desktop to the other monitor(like what windows does if you have a video card with 2 outputs) It also allows me to set the external monitor to what ever resolution i wish. The problem is that i dont always want to have the extended desktop, because for one it really lags  up expose and i really dont need it all the time.

But if i do mirror displays then I can only get the external monitor up to the same resolution as the built in screen, expose runs smooth as can be though...

I really want to get this working, i just got a new LCD display (hitachi CML174) It has both digital and analog inputs, so i have my PC on the digital and the iBook on the analog, all i have to do is hit the menu key and select what input i want it on. Thus removing the need for a KVM switch(I dont have a apple keyboard anyways).


Uh.. thanks in advance... i kind of just rambled on there.


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## Zammy-Sam (Feb 17, 2004)

Hmmm, am not sure if this will work. If you set up your hitachi to have the dock, run the screen at non-mirroring mode, plug an external keyboard and mouse (using USB) and simply close the lid...
don't ask me how I consider this to solve your problem. Just try it and hopefully it works.
Good luck!


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## ora (Feb 17, 2004)

Just closing the lid doesn't work, it puts the machine to sleep (on my pbook anyway.)

I have these instructions, again for the powerbook, from the knowledge base, maybe this will help
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TOPIC


This article explains how to use a PowerBook G4 and PowerBook (FireWire) computer with the display (clamshell) closed and an external monitor connected.

DISCUSSION


To use a PowerBook G4 computer and PowerBook (FireWire) with the display (clamshell) closed and an external monitor connected:


1. Place your PowerBook in sleep mode by closing the display.

2. Connect the power adapter and external monitor.

3. Connect an external Apple USB keyboard and mouse and the PowerBook will wake.


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## HateEternal (Feb 17, 2004)

Man i wish my pc usb keyboard worked with my mac, i really dont want to spend another 50 on a keyboard.


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## cybergoober (Feb 17, 2004)

Closing the lid immediately after the startup chime usually works for putting the laptop in Mirroring mode. On a PowerBook at least.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Feb 17, 2004)

iBooks don't support closed-lid operation like you describe.  Only the PowerBooks do.

This article is for the dual-USB iBooks, but I assume it's the same for the G4 iBooks:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88199


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## Arden (Feb 17, 2004)

... Granted that you have the display attached.


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## HateEternal (Feb 17, 2004)

I really dont care about having the iBook  closed, like i said i dont have an apple keyboard, i just dont want to have to span the desktop to run the external monitor at 1280x1024


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Feb 17, 2004)

Ah, that's not possible either -- iBooks support multiple monitors only for mirroring.  As with mirroring, the resolutions have to match.  There are firmware hacks out there that can enable spanning, though.  As with any firmware hack, they're unreliable at best.  Some work, some don't.


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## Zammy-Sam (Feb 17, 2004)

If I got HateEternal right, he installed such a firmware hack since he was able to get the expanded screen.
I am wondering how I could get rid of this expansion with my tibook. I know I can close the lid and once I have mouse and keyboard (it doesn't have to be an apple keyboard. Any usb keyboard works) and dvi plugged to a screen. Just didn'T try to find out, if the screen is expanded or "mirrored" but without using the same res of my tibook screen.


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## HateEternal (Feb 17, 2004)

http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html

You can get the hack from here if you wish. I would make sure that your computer is supported by this, i read it several times to make sure that it would not fry my card before installing. Somewhere there is a list of supported computers.

The spanning hack is actually quite well done. Alows you to rearange the monitors the way you wish, including the ability to change which display has the taskbar(what is it called on a mac?) and dock.

I am kind of dissapointed with apple on this one, i mean the ability to use either the built in display or an external or both has been around for freaking ever on PC's even my p233 toshiba satalite can do it.


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