Mac Mini monitor spanning?

[anthonymoody]

I'm trying to get my arms around whether this is possible. First, it would obviously require two video ports. It obviously has a DVI output. But when they talk about VGA via an adapter, is that an adapter that plugs into the DVI port? Or does it go into the port at the far left of the Mini when looking at it from the rear? (and if not, what is that port?)

If that really is a 2nd video output, I may just try running the spanning hack on this thing to see if it'd work.

TM

 

[cluthz]

I'm trying to get my arms around whether this is possible. First, it would obviously require two video ports. It obviously has a DVI output. But when they talk about VGA via an adapter, is that an adapter that plugs into the DVI port? Or does it go into the port at the far left of the Mini when looking at it from the rear? (and if not, what is that port?)

If that really is a 2nd video output, I may just try running the spanning hack on this thing to see if it'd work.

TM

The vga adapter will use the dvi port. There will only be possible to have one screen on the mac mini.

 

[anthonymoody]

Gotcha thanks. I figured that but also thought it worth asking the experts. BTW what is the left-most port then?

Thanks,
TM

 

[maya]

Why would anyone even need a spanning hack for the Mac mini?

Its not a notebook or an all-in-one. 🙂

Then again it might be possible to get a VGA splitter and have 2 VGA displays. Or one VGA and one DVI via a splitter.

Wait for 3rd party hardware manufacturers to come up with something. 🙂

 

[anthonymoody]

*need* isn't really the question...so maybe spanning isn't the right term. I just happen to have two flat panels looking for a home 🙂

TM

 

[maya]

*need* isn't really the question...so maybe spanning isn't the right term. I just happen to have two flat panels looking for a home 🙂

TM

Check on the net if there are any manufacturers who make a DVI or VGA splitter. 🙂

Or DVI and VGA splitter in one. 🙂

 

[RBMaraman]

Gotcha thanks. I figured that but also thought it worth asking the experts. BTW what is the left-most port then?

Thanks,
TM

The left-most port is the Power Port, where the external power supply plugs into.

 

[3Memos]

I'm trying to get my arms around whether this is possible. First, it would obviously require two video ports. It obviously has a DVI output. But when they talk about VGA via an adapter, is that an adapter that plugs into the DVI port? Or does it go into the port at the far left of the Mini when looking at it from the rear? (and if not, what is that port?)

If that really is a 2nd video output, I may just try running the spanning hack on this thing to see if it'd work.

TM

I dont know about spanning. But it should be able to do mirroring.

 

[hcuar]

I dont know about spanning. But it should be able to do mirroring.

It can't do mirroring!!!! It only has one display port. One! To do mirroring it'd require two ports.

 

[anthonymoody]

The POWER port. Well, who'd a thunk it?!? Jeez if there were a smilie for blushing you'd see it now 😀 Duh we pc users not so smart 😉

Somehow I hadn't happened upon the pic with all the ports labeled, and simply forgot that you had to plug the thing in 🙂 Also, that port looks nothing like the one on my peecee.

Thanks,
TM

 

[therevolution]

It can't do mirroring!!!! It only has one display port. One! To do mirroring it'd require two ports.

It looks like they do make video splitters that would effectively allow video mirroring, as the same signal would go to each monitor. Whether or not anyone would find that useful for a desktop machine, I don't know...

Spanning, though, would definitely not be possible.

 

[3Memos]

It looks like they do make video splitters that would effectively allow video mirroring, as the same signal would go to each monitor. Whether or not anyone would find that useful for a desktop machine, I don't know...

Spanning, though, would definitely not be possible.

I never have used mirroring, but I guess it would be useful in an educational setting.

 

[clayj]

There are three types of DVI port... the differences between them are sufficient that it should be considered a crime to just say "DVI" in any context. Here are the three types:

• DVI-D ports include ONLY a digital output. It is not possible to adapt a DVI-D port to work with an analog (VGA-style connector) monitor.
• DVI-I ports include both analog and digital output. It's possible to connect an analog (VGA-style connector) monitor to a DVI-I port, using a DVI-VGA adapter dongle. This is the sort of port that's included on the Mac mini.
• Finally, DVI-A. This is an analog-only DVI port. These are almost unheard of.

Clearly, DVI-I is the most compatible form of DVI port. The difference between DVI-I and DVI-D is substantial enough that you should always include the "-I" or the "-D" when talking about them. It took several phone calls to both ATI and Sony to figure out that not all DVI ports are the same.

 

[MacNeXT]

Ok, so it's probably DVI-I, so it would be perfectly possible to do screen mirroring with a special adapter.

If these are really two different signals (analog and digital), it may be possible to do screen spanning, wouldn't it?

 

[clayj]

Ok, so it's probably DVI-I, so it would be perfectly possible to do screen mirroring with a special adapter.

If these are really two different signals (analog and digital), it may be possible to do screen spanning, wouldn't it?

The DVI-I port outputs both digital and analog signals, but they are both the same signal, so no, you can't do that. One port, one signal.

There are video adapters (primarily on the PC side of things, but I suppose some of them might work in a Mac) that include both a VGA port *and* a DVI-D or DVI-I port... with those adapters, you can do multimonitor (spanning) with a single card. Two ports, two signals.

 

[ruud]

If these are really two different signals (analog and digital), it may be possible to do screen spanning, wouldn't it?

Purely in theory, yes, but it is almost certain that they are generated from the same internal source in the case of the Mac mini.

As opposed to an ibook which uses a different controller for the internal and external display, but which (by default) happen to display the same image.

 

[Simon Liquid]

sort of on topic

If you had another computer, you could use teleport to move your mouse back and forth between machines, use the same keyboard with both and share a clipboard between the two. It'll let you do everything you can do with two monitors but drag windows and icons across the screens. I did this with my new laptop and tower, it was really handy, let me keep documentation up, run mail and itunes on one machine, keep the other working. And cheeper(free) than a second monitor.

Or…you could get two Mac minis and hook a monitor to each of them. Just don't stack on of them on top of the other.

 

[baby duck monge]

Also, that port looks nothing like the one on my peecee.
TM

don't feel bad. it doesn't look like the one on any of our other macs, either. 😉

 

[anthonymoody]

That's interesting. Strange in a product where the focus was clearly on low cost that Apple would choose a new (and presumably non-commoditized i.e. more expensive) connector for the power cord. On a sort of related note, I am a little baffled by the inclusion of the modem as standard. I mean, I know they're dirt cheap and not everyone has dial up, but I have to wonder how many sales they'd have lost if it hadn't included one. They also could've made it a BTO option for $10 or $20 which I would've been happy to forego.

TM

 

[cwerdna]

That's interesting. Strange in a product where the focus was clearly on low cost that Apple would choose a new (and presumably non-commoditized i.e. more expensive) connector for the power cord. On a sort of related note, I am a little baffled by the inclusion of the modem as standard. I mean, I know they're dirt cheap and not everyone has dial up, but I have to wonder how many sales they'd have lost if it hadn't included one. They also could've made it a BTO option for $10 or $20 which I would've been happy to forego.
TM

I was at Macworld and saw what people were reporting w/respect to the power connector. The power supply is in an external brick hence the connector. The cables are permanently attached to both ends of the brick.

Although I haven't seen internals other than pics of the motherboard, I'm baffled that they'd choose to use laptop drives. They're slower and a lot costlier per gig than standard 3.5" desktop drives.