Is this MBP configuration possible?

[kdum8]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying the 15" MBP later this year and when I am using it at home I want to run in it clamshell mode (ie. closed but running) and have the display on TWO large flat-screen monitors that are on my desk, (no larger than 30" each, possibly less). So I envisage the MBP being under the desk with just the two large display monitors, a wireless mouse and keyboard on top of the desk. Is this possible to setup with the MBP?

Cheers. :o

[mopppish]

The MBP will only drive one monitor.
I believe there are devices out there that take a single signal and split it between two monitors, but not without undesirable side effects. And you'd still be limited to a combine resolution of 2560X1600.

[kdum8]

The MBP will only drive one monitor.
I believe there are devices out there that take a single signal and split it between two monitors, but not without undesirable side effects. And you'd still be limited to a combine resolution of 2560X1600.


Does this mean one monitor PLUS the laptop display or instead of? So I take it that it can run successfully in clamshell mode with no problems then?

I have seen windows setups whereby you move the mouse to the edge of the screen and it pops onto an adjacent screen. Would this be possible using the MBP's built in and one external? Sorry for the raft of questions. Surely some professional users have this need?

[student_trap]

Does this mean one monitor PLUS the laptop display or instead of? So I take it that it can run successfully in clamshell mode with no problems then?

I have seen windows setups whereby you move the mouse to the edge of the screen and it pops onto an adjacent screen. Would this be possible using the MBP's built in and one external? Sorry for the raft of questions. Surely some professional users have this need?

yes that is possible, you have 3 choices with a mbp:

1. use it on its own

2. use it with an external so that you have both the mbp and external display (external display can be up to 30")

3. you can use the mbp in clamshell mode with one external display, with a wireless KB and mouse, or wired ones if you so desire

[kdum8]

The MBP will only drive one monitor.
I believe there are devices out there that take a single signal and split it between two monitors, but not without undesirable side effects. And you'd still be limited to a combine resolution of 2560X1600.

As anyone here managed to get the split working on two monitors? If so, is it worth it?

[afbuckeye]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying the 15" MBP later this year and when I am using it at home I want to run in it clamshell mode (ie. closed but running) and have the display on TWO large flat-screen monitors that are on my desk, (no larger than 30" each, possibly less). So I envisage the MBP being under the desk with just the two large display monitors, a wireless mouse and keyboard on top of the desk. Is this possible to setup with the MBP?

Cheers. :o

Just thinking... I don't know if this would be possible or not but I thought I would throw it out there...

would it be possible to add an "express box", i think thats what its called, it would add a PCIe slot which in return you could possible add a PCIe graphics card if there is such a thing? I only did a little research so i don't know if the cards that there are would work. After this you could then possibly add another monitor to that card.

thats my idea... not the most cost friendly solution... if it would work

here is the express box http://www.magma.com/products/pciexpress/expressbox1/

[kdum8]

Just thinking... I don't know if this would be possible or not but I thought I would throw it out there...

would it be possible to add an "express box", i think thats what its called, it would add a PCIe slot which in return you could possible add a PCIe graphics card if there is such a thing? I only did a little research so i don't know if the cards that there are would work. After this you could then possibly add another monitor to that card.

thats my idea... not the most cost friendly solution... if it would work

here is the express box http://www.magma.com/products/pciexpress/expressbox1/


Anyone else have any idea if this is feasible as afbuckeye suggests?

[afbuckeye]

Anyone else have any idea if this is feasible as afbuckeye suggests?

also note... if you look at the bottom of the magma page it says what graphics card mac users can install... which is the GeForce 7300 GT...

still don't know if this is possible but it seems like it could work...

[AlexGFX88]

That should actually work fine, as it adds an additional video card.

Edit: It also seems to just be adding the Video Card for processing ... I don't see a place to hook up the other monitor?

[chex]

I saw this a while back

Josias
07-04-2006, 02:41 PM
There have been 453 threads on this, and every time I have sent a link, leading to an adapter (http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/02/matrox_3screen_tech/), which makes it possible to drive two monitors through one plug.

I would only advise you to do this on the MacBook Pro though, sonce it support 3840x2400 at max (Duallink DVI), which is two 1920x1200 displays, or two 23" ACD's. Since the MacBook only has a Singlelink DVI plug, it will only support half resolution (1920x1200), which is why I only would go dual external monitors with MBP.

In your case with two 24" Dell monitors, get a MacBook Pro, and this adapter. The X1600 will run the two Dell screens, plus the MBP's internal display, but you will have to max out the RAM to 2 GB, otherwise this will be at bad ass speeds.

[kdum8]

[QUOTE=chex;3677030]I saw this a while back

Thanka Chex, that appears to be the solution, (Although that link is now broken incidentally).

Is there any one here at MR's who has done this successfully?

[vagarach]

I saw this a while back

Josias
07-04-2006, 02:41 PM
There have been 453 threads on this, and every time I have sent a link, leading to an adapter (http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/02/matrox_3screen_tech/), you will have to max out the RAM to 2 GB, otherwise this will be at bad ass speeds.

Doubtful at best, the dualhead2go does its job completely in hardware. All MBPs, regardless of RAM (and VRAM) configuration, can drive a single dual-link display at its native resolution.

[mashinhead]

I saw this a while back

Josias
07-04-2006, 02:41 PM
There have been 453 threads on this, and every time I have sent a link, leading to an adapter (http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/02/matrox_3screen_tech/), which makes it possible to drive two monitors through one plug.

I would only advise you to do this on the MacBook Pro though, sonce it support 3840x2400 at max (Duallink DVI), which is two 1920x1200 displays, or two 23" ACD's. Since the MacBook only has a Singlelink DVI plug, it will only support half resolution (1920x1200), which is why I only would go dual external monitors with MBP.

In your case with two 24" Dell monitors, get a MacBook Pro, and this adapter. The X1600 will run the two Dell screens, plus the MBP's internal display, but you will have to max out the RAM to 2 GB, otherwise this will be at bad ass speeds.

link doesn't work

[chex]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051108-5539.html

[kdum8]

link doesn't work

Also see this link:

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/

[kdum8]

Doubtful at best, the dualhead2go does its job completely in hardware. All MBPs, regardless of RAM (and VRAM) configuration, can drive a single dual-link display at its native resolution.

What do you mean by this? According to their website, it doesn't matter whether your laptop can only support one screen or none, this is an independent system. See the explanation on their website:

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/

[Digital Skunk]

That config will work... I have to dig up the site but there is a company that makes a rather expensive Express Card 34 adaptor that allows you to power two display's as well as the laptops own display at the same time. I don't know if the resolution is cut in half though.

Here are some links:

http://www.digitaltigers.com/sidecar-mac.shtml
http://www.villagetronic.com/vtbook/index.html

[excalibur313]

I saw this a while back

Josias
07-04-2006, 02:41 PM
There have been 453 threads on this, and every time I have sent a link, leading to an adapter (http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/03/02/matrox_3screen_tech/), which makes it possible to drive two monitors through one plug.

I would only advise you to do this on the MacBook Pro though, sonce it support 3840x2400 at max (Duallink DVI), which is two 1920x1200 displays, or two 23" ACD's. Since the MacBook only has a Singlelink DVI plug, it will only support half resolution (1920x1200), which is why I only would go dual external monitors with MBP.

In your case with two 24" Dell monitors, get a MacBook Pro, and this adapter. The X1600 will run the two Dell screens, plus the MBP's internal display, but you will have to max out the RAM to 2 GB, otherwise this will be at bad ass speeds.

Just so I understand this correctly, if I just get a bottom of the line macbook pro (2.16ghz c2d) and the digital dualhead2go, I can run 2x 23" acds if in clambook mode? Has anyone actually done this? I'm thinking about dropping the money for it but I want to make sure that it works. Has anyone even run screens with higher resolutions than the 30" in clambook mode to see if it is possible when the computer doesn't have display things on the internal screen?

[zioxide]

Just so I understand this correctly, if I just get a bottom of the line macbook pro (2.16ghz c2d) and the digital dualhead2go, I can run 2x 23" acds if in clambook mode? Has anyone actually done this? I'm thinking about dropping the money for it but I want to make sure that it works. Has anyone even run screens with higher resolutions than the 30" in clambook mode to see if it is possible when the computer doesn't have display things on the internal screen?

You'll be able to run 2x23'' ACDs but the laptop will see them as one monitor, so everything (dock,menubar,etc) will be split right down the middle.

[Aea]

I hate to ask, but what's the point in getting a notebook if you will keep it closed anyway? Or is this a "take my notebook, but when I'm home run it with several monitors?" type of a thing?

[kdum8]

Just so I understand this correctly, if I just get a bottom of the line macbook pro (2.16ghz c2d) and the digital dualhead2go, I can run 2x 23" acds if in clambook mode? Has anyone actually done this? I'm thinking about dropping the money for it but I want to make sure that it works. Has anyone even run screens with higher resolutions than the 30" in clambook mode to see if it is possible when the computer doesn't have display things on the internal screen?

Excalibur, you might want to check out this similar recent thread if you haven't already:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=214102

Just remember that from what I can gather if you run 2x23" acds using the dualhead2go then you will still only have one desktop, but it will be split across two screens. I am not sure that it can support having to different screens at once but somebody could correct me on that.

[kdum8]

I hate to ask, but what's the point in getting a notebook if you will keep it closed anyway? Or is this a "take my notebook, but when I'm home run it with several monitors?" type of a thing?

Because I need mobility as well as large home screens where I do a lot of my work, trading and the like. So sometimes I also need to take it on the road and I only like having all my files on one pc. When you get back to base though, nothing like having 2 large monitors, wireless keyboard and mouse with the computer hidden away from view...

[Anonymous Freak]

Wether open or closed, the MacBook Pro's DVI port supports one "Dual-Link" DVI connection, which supports digital resolutions up to 2560x1600. Through analog (with the DVI to VGA adaptor,) with the lid closed, it supports resolutions up to 3840x1200. This is sufficient to allow Matrox's DualHead2Go Digital with two 1920x1200 displays, or their TripleHead2Go with three 1280x1024 displays.

Please note that Dual-Link DVI has 2560x1600 as a maximum resolution. For higher resolutions (like the ultra-high resolution 3840x2400 monitors from IBM and ViewSonic,) you use *TWO* Dual-Link connections. (Yes, the single monitor connects to TWO video ports.) The MacBook Pro can *NOT* run those monitors, since it only has one output, not two.

But, please note that "Screen size" has very little to do with resolution. For example, the resolution of current digital cinema projectors is low enough that a MacBook Pro could run those projectors just fine (and you could surf the web or do your iPhoto organizing on a theater screen.) Whereas the 3840x2400 screens are only 22", smaller even than Apple's one-quarter-resolution 23" Cinema HD Display.

[excalibur313]

Excalibur, you might want to check out this similar recent thread if you haven't already:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=214102

Just remember that from what I can gather if you run 2x23" acds using the dualhead2go then you will still only have one desktop, but it will be split across two screens. I am not sure that it can support having to different screens at once but somebody could correct me on that.

Why does it matter that they are treated as one screen other than the fact that the menu bar goes across both screens and the dock, if centered, would be split across both as well? (Okay, I know that you wouldn't be able to move around each individual screen in system preferences, but if you are just using those two screens side by side, who cares?)

EDIT: I wonder if there is a program that would allow you to move the dock off center but still on the bottom of the screen to get around the screen splitting program...

[kdum8]

Why does it matter that they are treated as one screen other than the fact that the menu bar goes across both screens and the dock, if centered, would be split across both as well? (Okay, I know that you wouldn't be able to move around each individual screen in system preferences, but if you are just using those two screens side by side, who cares?)

EDIT: I wonder if there is a program that would allow you to move the dock off center but still on the bottom of the screen to get around the screen splitting program...

I think that the point is that you have two independent screens so that you can run completely different things at the same time. Having them stretched over one giant desktop on two screens isn't really ideal. I am surprised that given how popular MBP's are, that there isn't an easy solution to this. Are future revs likely to have this capability?... I wonder

[himansk]

Why does it matter that they are treated as one screen other than the fact that the menu bar goes across both screens and the dock, if centered, would be split across both as well? (Okay, I know that you wouldn't be able to move around each individual screen in system preferences, but if you are just using those two screens side by side, who cares?)

EDIT: I wonder if there is a program that would allow you to move the dock off center but still on the bottom of the screen to get around the screen splitting program...

you can use onyX to align the dock to the left or the right instead of the center of the screen, but this does not guarantee that the dock will not be split between the screens. you can use a small dock icon size and magnification to make the dock stay on one half of the desktop.

[excalibur313]

I think that the point is that you have two independent screens so that you can run completely different things at the same time. Having them stretched over one giant desktop on two screens isn't really ideal. I am surprised that given how popular MBP's are, that there isn't an easy solution to this. Are future revs likely to have this capability?... I wonder

I'm not really sure why some people are using the term stretched. It is more like os x thinks you have a single monitor that is twice as long as normal, so it isn't like the aspect ratio will be stretched twice as much in the x direction, because there are also twice as many pixels. Right?

[Anonymous Freak]

I'm not really sure why some people are using the term stretched. It is more like os x thinks you have a single monitor that is twice as long as normal, so it isn't like the aspect ratio will be stretched twice as much in the x direction, because there are also twice as many pixels. Right?

Correct. The big difference is that when OS X thinks you have two monitors, it puts the menu bar on one monitor; the dock on one monitor, etc. (And you can arrange the monitors in relation to each other so you could have, for instance, a monitor above-and-below arrangement.) When you use the Matrox box, it sees both monitors as one single monitor, double width. That means that the menu bar stretches across both monitors; the dock (if on the bottom of the screen) stretches across both monitors, and you are forced to have a side-by-side arrangement.

Likewise, games will display centered across the two, so FPS games will have your target point at the break between the two monitors.