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10.4.7 New Screen-spanning Feature???

MRU

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Original poster
Aug 23, 2005
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I just re-installed 10.4 on my ibook G4 800mhz

I then updated to 10.4.7 via software update and was about to install screen spanning doctor, when I plugged in my external monitor cable and low and behold, screen spanning was enabled without me even installing SSD ??/

So is this a new thing in 10.4.7, I havent read about it anywhere. can someone else confirm its working on their hardware too.
 
MacRumorUser said:
I just re-installed 10.4 on my ibook G4 800mhz
Click to expand...

First line of the post says its not about his iMac or MBP...

That sounds interesting. Maybe Apple did choose to enable this feature, but I was always under the impression that it was on the graphics card level, not the OS level.
 
apunkrockmonk said:
Both of your computers have out of the box support for screen spanning. Unless you're not talking about either sig computer.
Click to expand...

MacRumorUser said:
I just re-installed 10.4 on my ibook G4 800mhz
Click to expand...

He's probably talking about that one. :) Did you ordinarily have to reinstall the SSD after each point upgrade?
 
I would be pleased if this was true. When my "new" iMac G5 was quickly replaced with the Intel version, one of the things that annoyed me most was that they introduced screen spanning. (I do know about the screen spanning doctor, just wasnt keen to use whilst still on applecare).

Is there anyway to tell if the feature is there without plugging another monitor in?
 
I could be wrong on this, but I don't believe I am. But maybe. Anyway, here's a guess for you.

I don't believe this is a new feature of 10.4.7. Why would they bother to re-enable screen spanning on these old machines when new ones support it out of the box? To be nice? I think they'd rather you bought a new machine.

No, I believe that Screen Spanning is something that was disabled in the PRAM (or NVRAM?). SSD re-enables it by re-enabling it in the NVRAM. Because NVRAM is not changed - even in a format-reinstall - you've still got Screen Spanning because it hasn't been reset back to factory conditions.

Make sense? Worth a shot.

-rand()
 
Yes screen spanning doctor only changes some settings in OpenFirmware (you can even do this manually instead of running SSD).

Since no changes are made to OS X directly, re-installing it won't undo the patch.
 
tobefirst said:
He's probably talking about that one. :) Did you ordinarily have to reinstall the SSD after each point upgrade?
Click to expand...

Note to self: Don't answer questions immediately after waking up. Haha, sorry about that.
 
The screen spanning hack applies to open firmware, NOT OS X. You can reinstall OS X until your blue in the face and it will not affect your ability to span. A PRAM reset, however, will disable the spanning hack.
 
An easy way to test this would be to reset your PRAM to defaults, (Restart CMD+OPTION+P+R). If its still there, then you guys are right

Edit: Well I tried connecting another monitor and the screen spanning option wan not available so....
 
Yeah that must be it. I reset pram and it had gone, so I guess once enabled it stayed.
 
I'm sorry, but what is screen spanning exactly... is it having multiple displays? Cuz if it is, I've never heard that term used and I've had multiple displays since the 68k era.
 
screen mirroring = using two or more displays all at the SAME RESOLUTION displaying the SAME CONTENT

screen spanning = using two or more displays all at DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS displaying DIFFERENT CONTENT
 
reh said:
screen mirroring = using two or more displays all at the SAME RESOLUTION displaying the SAME CONTENT

screen spanning = using two or more displays all at DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS displaying DIFFERENT CONTENT
Click to expand...

The term "screen spanning" sounds so unfamiliar though. Is that more common in the PC world? I couldn't locate that term in the Mac Help guide, but rather references to "extended desktop"
 
reh said:
screen mirroring = using two or more displays all at the SAME RESOLUTION displaying the SAME CONTENT

screen spanning = using two or more displays all at DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS displaying DIFFERENT CONTENT
Click to expand...



Oh


That's what I've been doing then, and that's what I have...

Good to have a definition now though...

Thanks..
 
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