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23 cinema display from MBP 17 is disgusting

G

gooseman

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 4, 2007
8
0
Near London
Hi
Just come over from the dark side.

Got my MBP 17 with a 23 inch monitor, hooked it up and find the graphics card cannot drive enough resolution for the monitor. Of course the guy in the AppleStore didn't warn me this would be the case.

I'm a pro photographer, working with exclusively digital clients now and need this set up. I think the monitor needs a card that would drive 1900x1200 at least. MBP 17 is less than this. Can the video cards in the Books be upgraded?

If not, what do I do? By a G5? Sheesh, this look like it's going to be an expensive switch just so my snobby art directors don't huff and puff when I turn up with a Dell!

Any ideas welcome
 
gooseman said:
Hi
Just come over from the dark side.

Got my MBP 17 with a 23 inch monitor, hooked it up and find the graphics card cannot drive enough resolution for the monitor. Of course the guy in the AppleStore didn't warn me this would be the case.

I'm a pro photographer, working with exclusively digital clients now and need this set up. I think the monitor needs a card that would drive 1900x1200 at least. MBP 17 is less than this. Can the video cards in the Books be upgraded?

If not, what do I do? By a G5? Sheesh, this look like it's going to be an expensive switch just so my snobby art directors don't huff and puff when I turn up with a Dell!

Any ideas welcome
Click to expand...

Not sure how new to macs you are, but are you mirroring or extending the desktop on to the monitor?

Mirroring shows the same image on both displays (and drastically lowers the resolution on each), while extending it allows the native res to run on each display, and extends the desktop on to the second screen.
 
szsiddiq said:
Mirroring shows the same image on both displays (and drastically lowers the resolution on each)
Click to expand...

This would limit the 23" screen to the MBP's resolution, whereas if you extend it then can go higher. I think even a MB can drive a 23" screen so an MBP should have no problem.
 
Eraserhead said:
This would limit the 23" screen to the MBP's resolution, whereas if you extend it then can go higher. I think even a MB can drive a 23" screen so an MBP should have no problem.
Click to expand...

yup, and an MBP can even drive a 30" at native resolution. Oh and also, the graphic card cannot be upgraded.
 
If I understand correctly, this works better if you run your notebook in "lid closed mode" allowing more graphics power directly to your connected monitor.
 
as others have said, the macbook pro should have no problems whatsoever driving the 23" cinema display. If you aren't able to do native res then you either have them set up as mirrored rather than spanning, or there's something very wrong with one or both of your pieces of hardware.
 
woah, so maybe this isn't going to be so expensive....

OK, so as I said I'm fresh over from the dark side and know very little about how to set up Macs. I checked the Dsiplays preferences and saw my max resolution as that relevant to the 17 inch PBPro monitor. So how can I get the 23 to work at 1900 x 1200 when I can't see this res option?

I'm confused, can some one run through how I do this to get pin sharp graphics on the 23? I'd really appreciate it.

cheers
 
gooseman said:
woah, so maybe this isn't going to be so expensive....

OK, so as I said I'm fresh over from the dark side and know very little about how to set up Macs. I checked the Dsiplays preferences and saw my max resolution as that relevant to the 17 inch PBPro monitor. So how can I get the 23 to work at 1900 x 1200 when I can't see this res option?

I'm confused, can some one run through how I do this to get pin sharp graphics on the 23? I'd really appreciate it.

cheers
Click to expand...

Are you mirroring the displays or extending? Hit F7 and it should switch you over.
 
gooseman said:
woah, so maybe this isn't going to be so expensive....

OK, so as I said I'm fresh over from the dark side and know very little about how to set up Macs. I checked the Dsiplays preferences and saw my max resolution as that relevant to the 17 inch PBPro monitor. So how can I get the 23 to work at 1900 x 1200 when I can't see this res option?

I'm confused, can some one run through how I do this to get pin sharp graphics on the 23? I'd really appreciate it.

cheers
Click to expand...

System Preferences -> Displays -> Detect Displays

Then, you should be able to set mirroring or not. Also, you may want to 'show displays in menu bar' so that you can more easily see what's going on.
 
gauchogolfer said:
System Preferences -> Displays -> Detect Displays

Then, you should be able to set mirroring or not. Also, you may want to 'show displays in menu bar' so that you can more easily see what's going on.
Click to expand...

Ah ha! I thought there was something in the preferences.
 
gauchogolfer said:
System Preferences -> Displays -> Detect Displays

Then, you should be able to set mirroring or not. Also, you may want to 'show displays in menu bar' so that you can more easily see what's going on.
Click to expand...

Like i said before, F7 (atleast on macbooks) switches from Mirroring to Extending. Simple as 1-2-F7 :)
 
Now we are getting somewhere, thanks for your help on this, brilliant...

So, I'm out of mirrored and into extended (which then gives my the holy grail of 1900x1200 res (Wha-Hoo) but the lid down option eludes me.

If I close the lid I lose all control and eventually go into standby. I was told this wou;d happen at the AppleStore. So how do I do this lid down option turned on, I'm almost there, almost there!
 
gooseman said:
Now we are getting somewhere, thanks for your help on this, brilliant...

So, I'm out of mirrored and into extended (which then gives my the holy grail of 1900x1200 res (Wha-Hoo) but the lid down option eludes me.

If I close the lid I lose all control and eventually go into standby. I was told this wou;d happen at the AppleStore. So how do I do this lid down option turned on, I'm almost there, almost there!
Click to expand...

this is a tricky, and albeit, irritating situation. If you have an external keyboard hooked up, you should be able to wake the macbook up with that once the lid is down.
 
Hi Synth3tik
Actually (here am I, two days into Macdom and I'm already supplying adivce!!).. in display properties, when you choose DETECT DISPLAYS, it will give menus for both dispalys, select the 23 cinema pane and it will alllow 1900 x 1200. Ta-da (Sorry!).

Deadpixels...
Yep, I opted for the bluetooth kepyboard and mouse and either of them will wake the PBP with the lid down.

Everyone...
Job, done; very happy; excellent forum, you are exceptionally talented people, very responsive and good to be among.... or is it amongst...
I feel a new thread coming on....

You just saved me at least $800.00 The beers are on me. But in the interim, as a small and woefuly inadequate thank you, here are some images shot recently with Leica's new M8.

http://www.netgoose.co.uk/secure/M8/
 
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