[HOWTO] - Use your Powerbook lid closed

Giaguara

Giaguara

Chmod 760
Staff member
Mod
This seems to be asked quite often, so from kb ..

How to use your Powerbook lid closed.

1. Connect a USB keyboard and mouse to your computer.

2. Close the computer's display to put the computer to sleep.

3. Connect the Apple VGA adapter that came with your computer to the VGA port on the external monitor or projector.

4. Connect the other end of the Apple VGA adapter to the video output port on the PowerBook G4 (12-inch) and PowerBook G4 (12-inch DVI) computer. (Or relative to other sizes of Powerbooks.)

5. Wait a few seconds and then press any key on the external keyboard to wake the computer.

Should be working now. :)
 
i've done it accidentally before - but never took the time to think about what I did. good catch there.

there's also a utility called Sleepless. (sorry, don't have the link on me, but I'm sure you can find on version tracker or google) the advantage to sleepless is that you can have it turn your notebook display off, while the external runs. other options too.

just caution:
your system will get REALLY hot running with the lid closed, so don't burn it out, or have a cooling system/elevated-airy stand for it to rest on while you do this, if it's for long periods of time.
 
hehe, I was just confused of Gia posting it. It's always a good thing for me to check her HOWTO adds. Guess I learned a lot after all my posts. ;)
 
Back on the topic of how _old_ this knowledge is: I never thought we'd need a howto on this because I _assumed_ it was in the manual. I've been using this feature since my PowerBook 180c that was built in 1993...

And on the topic of the thread: Does this work with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse? I don't have those to test it...

And on the topic of Giaguara being a woman... Those kind of mixups do happen, and I don't think anyone should get mad over it. :)
 
Yes you can use this function with 'Apple BT keyboard & Mouse'. I have been using this cool feature for a while and I don't mined when ppl bring up useful features 'again' from time to time.
 
Now, finally we have material for a good HOWTO thread on this topic: it even works with - at least - Apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
And Viro, check out the gallery. She posted a bunch of pics and knows how to deal with the camera.
 
Yes, I am a her. :D

I posted this howto as it was anyway asked quite often, and it happened to pass just above my eyes in kb ...
 
everybody is talking about the POWERbook with its lid closed, the POWERbook with its blablabla... - does this mean this feature is not working on an iBook. i don't have an external keyboard, so i can't check, but if i knew it would work this way maybe i would consider getting one...

.alex
 
The iBook does not support "lid closed" as the graphics card does not support it. I have have tested this and also my tech says the iBook will need to be open for heat reasons. Ok the PB heats as well but the iBook will over heat even more with the lid closed as per the design.
 
did anyone try those hacks for the iBooks to do splitt screen? Maybe the lid-closed function would be enabled as well, huh? The current and some older iBooks have the same graphic cards like some older powerbooks which supported this lid-closed option. I believe it's just a software thing.. But yeah, heat could be an issue. The keyboard surface heats up a lot on my ibook, when the disk is working much.
 
i'm currently running the split screen on my iBook, no problems whatsoever, actually it is working so good it is keeping me from getting an upgrade of some sort at the moment(pBook, pMac..)

alex
 
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