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iMac as an external monitor

Dan8302

Dan8302

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 28, 2003
54
0
Rochester, NY
Ok, so I got a nice new iBook G4 and now I have an old iMac DV laying around, and thanks to the screen spanning hack I can run two monitors off of my iBook. Does anyone know of a way to "unplug" the monitor of the iMac so that I can run a VGA cable into it and use it as an second screen for my iBook.
 
i think we can expect quite a few more people asking this kind of question about the gen2 lamp imacs when they are no longer so useful as computers, and their screen still run
 
???

I have opened up the iMac a few times, more ram, new HD, plus a fun little case mod so i opened it back up and took a look, i looks like a pretty standard plug that runs from the logic board to the back of the monitor, it's not VGA but wouldn't there be some sort of an adapter to use?
 
Dan8302 said:
I have opened up the iMac a few times, more ram, new HD, plus a fun little case mod so i opened it back up and took a look, i looks like a pretty standard plug that runs from the logic board to the back of the monitor, it's not VGA but wouldn't there be some sort of an adapter to use?
Click to expand...


Does anybody have any idiea how the latest 20in iMAC can be addapted
so the screen can have a dual purpose where by the screen can be used as a pc screen, by connecting it to the DVI output of the graphic card of the pc

I think you would have to open up the imac to find the connective wireing between the imac graphic card and its screen ; rewire this to a multi switch witch can be mounted on the back side of the iMAC and also mount a DVI in put plug on the back of iMAC.

The switch can be used to switch between the iMAC graphic card and the dvi input from the pc graphic card .

I know there will be a fair amount of complex wireing and some holes in the back or the side of my new iMAC
Can this be done ? can anyone do it? and if so can anyone make any suggestions how it can be done ?
 
I just looked through a iMac repair PDF and it looks like it wouldn't be too hard, the cable that goes to the CRT is right near the back of the computer so it wouldn't be too hard to run the VGA cable to another computer. I would think if it isn't a standard VGA connector in there, it may be the older style connector with 2 longer rows of pins instead of the newer connector with 3 smaller rows of pins, and if it were the older connector, i'm sure you could find an adapter at a local PC store.
 
The connector is a 20 pin IDE style (i think thats right), and diagrams exist as to which each one does. So I think i'm going to give it a try this weekend to atleast use it as an external monitor, then the next step would be to be able to switch back and forth. A note to anyone else who wants to try this, the computer will not start up unless the cable is connected to the logic board, you can pull it out once it is started up, just not plug it back in.

As for with a G4 iMac, i know it can be done becuase a prof of mine at school had his old winblows computer running using his imac screen as the monitor, don't know how he did it, i'll try to find out.
 
tan said:
Does anybody have any idiea how the latest 20in iMAC can be addapted
so the screen can have a dual purpose where by the screen can be used as a pc screen, by connecting it to the DVI output of the graphic card of the pc

I think you would have to open up the imac to find the connective wireing between the imac graphic card and its screen ; rewire this to a multi switch witch can be mounted on the back side of the iMAC and also mount a DVI in put plug on the back of iMAC.

The switch can be used to switch between the iMAC graphic card and the dvi input from the pc graphic card .

I know there will be a fair amount of complex wireing and some holes in the back or the side of my new iMAC
Can this be done ? can anyone do it? and if so can anyone make any suggestions how it can be done ?
Click to expand...

Please don't post this in other people's threads, stay in your own.
 
Update

Well even though I was told not to, I'm doing it. I went and got what i needed from radio shack and started the processes of doing the wireing, and i'm doing it so that i can (a) put it back togather if it doesn't work and (b) maby at some point when i have some more money put a switch in so i can go back and forth between the imac and a monitor screen.

Wish me luck, i hope to be done by monday or tuesday
 
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