Is it possible to isolate the LCD from an iMac G4 and use it as a monitor hooked to a Mac mini? The iMac's logic board probably needs to be replaced so I was wondering if I could use it as a monitor to the Mac mini, with some sort of hardware adaptation.
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iMac G4 as monitor
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Short answer no, the LCD in the imac does not accepting outside input
Long answer yes, its an LCD and it has a power cable and a LVDS cable attached to it, with enough work you can hook it up to anything. I do not no of any soultions to wire it in to anything but it is most certainly possible.
Long answer yes, its an LCD and it has a power cable and a LVDS cable attached to it, with enough work you can hook it up to anything. I do not no of any soultions to wire it in to anything but it is most certainly possible.
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Theoretically, if one were to disassemble the iMac and wire up an interface to the naked LCD... but still -- no.
(We have covered this many times on MR... Searching is recommended)
Edit: Heh - Kodex has read the prior posts. Fast, too.
Long answer: Theoretically, if one were to disassemble the iMac and wire up an interface to the naked LCD... but still -- no.
(We have covered this many times on MR... Searching is recommended)
Edit: Heh - Kodex has read the prior posts. Fast, too.
Searching for a topic like this is not that easy, try it for yourself and see how many threads that have nothing to do with it you'll be directed to.
Why "still - no"?
It is possible but very difficult you have to match the kind of inputs (its not like an RCA plug in there) you have to match the power and the refresh rate. You would basicly have to build a small convertor box to get the singal changed over. Its possible but with the time spent messing around with it, it might just be easier to get yourself a cheap monitior off newegg.com
I'm not trying to save on a monitor, actually it's the other way around. I was planning to buy a damaged iMac G4 and built an "intel iMac G4". I think the iMac G4 is the best looking desktop ever made (so far). If it could be done by a simple mortal, then it could be a challenging way to spend some free time...
yea if you are looking for a hobby this might not be a bad one. I would get a thin LCD with a DVI input on it and strip away the casing and install it where the g4's LCD is though might be a lot easier. If not start trying to find some tech docs on the way that LCDs handle video and do some research on the model of LCD that was used in the g4 imacs
"Use Imac Monitor" - approx 90 seconds to search and scroll through the results.
Granted, you have to look beyond the first 10 hits. these are the usable results from the first 2 pages. Got bored of doing your work for you after that.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/262033/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/264776/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/252888/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/242912/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/256534/
That's what I meant, these threads have nothing to do with my attempt. I'm talking about a useless iMac G4, trying to make a monitor out of it, not just use another desktop as a second monitor, it's supposed to be the main monitor after the necessary modifications.
The theory is the same -- there is no input for the iMac G4 monitor (or an iMac G5) to accept video into the LCD. In order to do it, you would have to build an interface to DVI, deal with resolution and frequency, and deal with how to power the monitor if the iMac is dead. However you cut it, it means custom electronics and wiring that 99.9% of MRites are hopelessly unqualified to do.
The theory is the same, but the perspective of the answers change when you know from the start that the iMac is dead and I am willing to take it apart to achieve my goal. I was just hoping it could be an easier task or even find someone who had done it before. Thanks to you and Kodex now I have an idea of what expects me if I decide to go ahead with the project. Changing the panels, as Kodex suggested, may be the best solution.
Found an interesting thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/224698/
Doable by replacing the monitor
I've done it with the 17 and 20 inch models. Though the 17 inch is much easier and more stable. I've detailed the build process at:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/
I've done it with the 17 and 20 inch models. Though the 17 inch is much easier and more stable. I've detailed the build process at:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/
Newer Mods
For those interested - there are updated ways of doing this.
For the 17" the TMDS cable can be converted to DVI by addition of a power source for lcd and inverter. The pinout is detailed here:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2011/01/17-dvi-pinout-confirmed.html
inverter pinout is here:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2010/11/17-inverter-pinoutinstructions.html
I have not been able to get the 20" inverter to work outside of the original G4. So I tried a work around using the 20" Apple Cinema Display. You can see it here:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2011/02/completed-mod-20-imac-g4-apple-cinema.html
Videos:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2011/02/apple-cinema-display-imac-g4-mod-videos.html
For those interested - there are updated ways of doing this.
For the 17" the TMDS cable can be converted to DVI by addition of a power source for lcd and inverter. The pinout is detailed here:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2011/01/17-dvi-pinout-confirmed.html
inverter pinout is here:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2010/11/17-inverter-pinoutinstructions.html
I have not been able to get the 20" inverter to work outside of the original G4. So I tried a work around using the 20" Apple Cinema Display. You can see it here:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2011/02/completed-mod-20-imac-g4-apple-cinema.html
Videos:
http://dremmeljunkie.blogspot.com/2011/02/apple-cinema-display-imac-g4-mod-videos.html
Can we end this thread?
If we're going to talk about modding a Mac Mini into the case of an iMac G4, there's a famous thread (among iMac G4 owners) that's been going since 2006. A google search puts this at #1.
Mod G4 iMac with Intel Mac mini innards?
Again, short answer is, really, no. The long answer is, really, yes.
After almost 5 years of trial and error, and more knowledge in one thread than on most of the iPod Touch forums put together, things are falling into place.
If we're going to talk about modding a Mac Mini into the case of an iMac G4, there's a famous thread (among iMac G4 owners) that's been going since 2006. A google search puts this at #1.
Mod G4 iMac with Intel Mac mini innards?
Again, short answer is, really, no. The long answer is, really, yes.
After almost 5 years of trial and error, and more knowledge in one thread than on most of the iPod Touch forums put together, things are falling into place.