Just wanted to save myself a trip to the apple store to see if the macbook works in clamshell mode on a 20" ACD like the old powerbook's or MBP's.
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Macbook in Clamshell Mode?
- Thread starter toomuchstereo
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I use my PBs in the clamshell mode with ACDs. I heard so many posts about hot-running MB and MBP. Isn't there a risk of over heating those machines if you use them in the clamshell mode?
Well I found a way to work it. I can close the lid (with an external monitor attached) then click on my external mouse which will only activate one monitor. I had an ibook before this so has anyone heard of any problems operating the MB in clamshell mode? After all, the MBs are hotter than the ibooks.
Thanks for the reply's. What is the highest Resolution that the macbook will put out in clamshell?
As i understand the macbook impressivley outputs in 1920 x 1200 when using the mini port to DVI connector.
When you run the MacBook in extended desktop mode, you split the 64MB VRAM between the two displays - 32MB for the internal and 32MB for the external. By running in lid-closed mode, the full 64MB VRAM is dedicated to the external display which is why exposé and all the eye candy is smoother when running in this mode, of course you lose the extra space when you do it.
And yes, the highest screen resolution in all modes is 1920x1200 for the mini-DVI output.
And yes, the highest screen resolution in all modes is 1920x1200 for the mini-DVI output.
When I tried to use both the notebook screen and ACD screen at the same time on the screen spanning mode, I just feel the screen brightness between the twos are too noticeable to my taste. My eyes need to adjust at the moment's notice as I look at both screens side by side as ACDs are much brighter than the notebook screen. I end up just using the external monitor (ACD) in the clamshell mode.
So just to clarify, the macbook's screen will not be negatively affected while running in clmashell mode? I ask since I can feel heat in the upper left corner of my macbook
As I recall, there was a discussion on one of the forums about a year ago not about heat, but smells... Leave you portable in clamshell mode for a while and all that finger-grease, biscuit-crumbs and the other crap that gets on your keyboard will start festering away. You shoul let your keyboard air from time to time!
As long as you use high quality screen protector (such as Radtech's screensaverz), you should not have to worry about it. I have ScreenSaverz for all of my Macs. It will also prevent the potential dust accumulation between the screen and keyboard in the clamshell mode as any room has some types of dust floating around and find its way into nooks and cranny on anything including that space in the clamshell mode.
You can run it in clambshell. It tends to get hotter in clambshell mode since some heat can't escape, but you should be fine.
any reason why someone would not want to run dual monitors if they had the space to do so? Does having 2 monitors somehow decrease performance? As for the dust, i just keep 2 pieces of paper on the macbooks keyboard and using an external keyboard
Yes Dual monitors decreases performance since the video ram must be split. You can see this clearly by using expose with dual monitors compared to just one (choppy).
Most frustratingly this feature DOES NOT WORK on battery. As soon as you close the lid, the computer sleeps. You wake it up, hoorah, it goes to native monitor resoluation so you are not forced to run at the Macbook 1280x800 resolution. With dock.
That joy lasts about 2 seconds as the macbook goes back to sleep. And again and again and again.
Morons, apple. Morons.
That joy lasts about 2 seconds as the macbook goes back to sleep. And again and again and again.
Morons, apple. Morons.
Clamshell mode is there so that people can use their laptops in the same fashion as a desktop computer.
Just plug the power cord in.