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docking a MBP - recommended monitor??

M

mark2288

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 11, 2006
239
4
I want to dock my MBP - not sure if that's the right term for: hooking up an external monitor/keyboard/mouse to the MBP and just using those. Anyhow things I'm looking for:

A monitor: preferably LCD (at least 20 inches-widescreen) - not looking for anything extravagant. something that will work, but not burn a hole in my pocket (200ish)


Also is there anyway to change it so that I can have my MBP not go to sleep when I close the lid so that I can close the lid, put my MBP in a drawer and hook everything up to it???

Thanks in advance.
 
i would definitely choose the dell that ibook posted. (actually, i AM choosing the one he suggested, as i too am buying a monitor soon)
 
The other Dell 20" WFP is much much better, although it is more expensive. However, sometimes they offer a discount on that monitor, and I believe it's worth the difference in cost.

But if your limit is $200 and you want a 20" monitor, I guess those are your choices.
 
I did exactly what you're doing but got a noname 19" LCD monitor. You'll be happy with any 19" or 20". I've heard the Dells are great, but I just couldn't bring myself to put money in Michael Dell's pocket. If I had to do it all again I'd get the 20" Samsung.

But what surprised me was how much I ended up spending on the keyboard and mouse. That's partly my fault because I first bought a cheap MacAlly combo and it was terrible. Now I have an Apple Wireless Keyboard, which is definitely nice, but $60 is more than I ever thought I'd spend on a keyboard. But I guess it'll last through many upgrade cycles. I still have the wired mouse and will replace that if I ever find a good deal.
 
to answer your last question, the macbook pro (macbook works, too) needs to be connected to an external monitor, mouse and keyboard. also, the ac adapter needs to be plugged in. then after closing the lid, all you need to do is wake it with the mouse or keyboard, and you're good to go.
 
mark2288 said:
i saw this 22" ACER at tigerdirect: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2549197&CatId=2775

does anyone here have any praise/complaints about this particular one?

also, if i got a TV tuner, would i be able to use this monitor also as a TV???

and, would the MBP be able to display a res of 1680x1050???
Click to expand...

Yes, a MBP can drive any monitor up through a 30" 2560x1600 display. I don't have experience with no-name monitors because I do graphics and photo work. I would personally look for a used dell 2005fpw, it's a much higher quality monitor and can be had for ~$225 used. actually I think there's one in the marketplace forum right now, not sure if it's already gone.

If you're only doing regular old work where colors, shading etc don't really matter the cheaper dell etc. would work out fine.

Oh, also keep in mind that the resolution is as important as the size, so a 20" monitor with 1680x1050 resolution might seem worse than a 22" 1680x1050 monitor, but you'll have to push the 22" a little further away from your eyes to make it look as clear, negating the 2" for most folks.
 
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