Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Older Laptop graphics upgrade...

blackfox

blackfox

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 18, 2003
1,210
4,574
PDX
Hey, not sure if this is news or of interest to many of you, but I found this product interesting...(review)
...
It is a 32MB Video PC Card...for owners of older PB's (such as my Pismo, or a Lombard or early TiBooks) this is a substantial graphics increase for driving external monitors, also allowing you to have a total of three displays running (2 external)...

See the review or links for more info, but for me it seems a fabulous addition to keep my Pismo in the game for a while longer...

Has anyone used this product? Opinions?

Otherwise, FWIW
 
I believe the link is for a PCMCIA video card that allows for 2 external monitors (one from your builtin PB and one from the PCMCIA). As such it won't speed up your graphics on your PB screen. Also, I believe QE won't be present to monitors using this card because QE is disabled on PCI video cards (PCMCIA is more equivilant to PCI than AGP). Dunno how much this'll help. It's more for pros who want mobility and lots of workspace when stationary.
 
bobpensik said:
I wish i could upgrade the GPU in my 12" PB!
Click to expand...

I've read somewhere (I'm a bit busy to google for it) ;) that next generation laptops may come with a kind of upgradeable graphic card, almost as a desktop (Powermac) you just change it when you want, take one card out, new card in... ready... Nvidia should be working on that if I'm not wrong ... Let's hope for that. Maybe in WWDC 05 ?
 
AmigoMac said:
I've read somewhere (I'm a bit busy to google for it) ;) that next generation laptops may come with a kind of upgradeable graphic card, almost as a desktop (Powermac) you just change it when you want, take one card out, new card in... ready... Nvidia should be working on that if I'm not wrong ... Let's hope for that. Maybe in WWDC 05 ?
Click to expand...

Upgradeable GPUs already exist in some Dell laptops.
 
Dr. No said:
http://www.villagetronic.com/

This is the company that makes it. I did not know they made so many Mac video cards!!

The VTBook appears to have a Trident video chipset. I did not know these worked with Macs.
Click to expand...

Very interesting. I've never heard of this company.

The screen scrollign feaure looks cool, $99, something i'd be interested in. Has anyone used any of these villagetronic cards? or know of any products that would allow me to have an extended desktop?
 
I've actually never had a problem driving external monitors with my Pismo. Granted, I haven't tried having a total of THREE monitors going, but even with large external monitors, I've been able to mirror or span quite nicely from my Pismo.

Dave
 
I think the new alienware laptops already have this feature as well.
They weight a ton, though, and the battery life looks like its measured in minutes...
 
AmigoMac said:
Yeah, those thick cases I can imagine it, it gives me a hope for the next powerbook revision...
Click to expand...


Actually you're wrong.

The video card is replacable in most Dell laptops for a heafty price.
Alienware makes some thin laptops where you can buy video card upgrades and upgrade them yourself.

Also nVidia has developed a new standard that uses PCI-Express in laptops to have upgradable graphics card. (Kind of like AGP, or PCI-Express 16x)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back