Last rev 12'' iBook + 2005FPW 20.1-inch

[TodVader]

Has anyone ever tried running the ibook on a 2005FPW 20.1-inch wide screen from DELL?

They have a 150$ rebate in canada and idd be interested in purchasing one of them to use as an external monitor.

How does the 32mb of VRAM handle that screen?

and how nice is the resolution that it supports?

 

[mkrishnan]

You know that you will have to use a hack to be able to display anything more than a mirrored 1024x768 on this with an iBook, right? If not, google "screen spanning doctor" to get more details.

 

[Chrispy]

You will have to use the screen spanning hack and you will not get very good performance on the external screen. When you use the spanning back it splits the graphics memory in half. This means the external screen will only have 16MB of graphics memory to work with. So the answer to your question is you can do it but you can't do it well. Great monitor tho!

 

[TodVader]

edit:

I just downloaded screen spanning doctor and it offers extended desktop.

Thats not what i would want.

I would like it to be exactly the same thing as on the ibook screen but with the monitor's native res.

Idd be willing to put an extra 512mb of Ram if that would help.

 

[davidcb13]

Im pretty sure if your not going to be using the laptop screen you can leave it closed and hook up an external keyboard and mouse . I know you can with a powerbook because thats the setup Im using right now and it works great.

 

[TodVader]

I dont know in I should order. I want to be able to use the screen without it lagging out.

If the intel minis come early, id probably get one for the screen and only use the iBook as a laptop.

A 150$ rebate just seems so good on that great monitor

 

[adk]

No problems with the PB right?



signed,
Crossing fingers since I just ordered a 2005FPW

 

[Koodauw]

Im pretty sure if your not going to be using the laptop screen you can leave it closed and hook up an external keyboard and mouse . I know you can with a powerbook because thats the setup Im using right now and it works great.

That is only a feature of the Powerbooks, not the iBooks, if I recall correctly.

 

[Chrispy]

Im pretty sure if your not going to be using the laptop screen you can leave it closed and hook up an external keyboard and mouse . I know you can with a powerbook because thats the setup Im using right now and it works great.

You CANNOT use the iBook with the screen closed. The spanning doctor adds this funtion but it will kill your iBook if you use it. As I said, you HAVE to use the iBook with the iBook's display and 20" Dell display at the same time. This will give you poor results on the external Dell. You also cannot display the same image on both screens at a different resolution in an attempt to keep the computer from splitting the graphics memory. I would say you would be better served by adding a Mac Mini to that Dell than using your iBook. Screen spanning is the one thing that really sets the 12" PowerBook apart from the 12" iBook.

 

[Chundles]

edit:

I just downloaded screen spanning doctor and it offers extended desktop.

Thats not what i would want.

I would like it to be exactly the same thing as on the ibook screen but with the monitor's native res.

Idd be willing to put an extra 512mb of Ram if that would help.

You can either run extended desktop or mirrored mode. Mirrored will run the screen at the same 1024x768 res as the iBook screen, extended will give you the native res of the 20" screen but will give you two distinct desktops.

32MB VRAM will run the 20" display but not with superb performance - there is someone on here doing the exact same thing, a Mac Mini will give you better performance because it dedicates it's full 32MB VRAM to the display whereas the iBook will split between the two displays.

Adding more RAM will not make a lick of difference because it is separate from the VRAM which is not user upgradable.

You cannot run the iBook with the lid closed as it is designed to radiate heat from the keyboard area and closing the lid will wreck the laptop in quick time.

 

[TodVader]

thanks for the help, ill just let this one go.

Ill wait for Intel minis / powermac (depending on my budget in time) and buy a monitor then. In the meantime, ill have to switch windows instead on having them all in my face...

 

[Bibulous]

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