Post your iMac G5 Set Up!

[Balin64]

Hi everyone:

Today as I got back to my G5 after taking a break from weekend work-enjoyable personal work- and I was again struck at how beatifully designed this machine is: elegant simplicity, groundbreaking, we've heard it all. So, post your iMac G5 set up in the most flattering angle, or your favorite, and post it here! We Mac users know that our computers are more than machines; I know I consider my two more than just tools; this may sound socially inept, but when I travel for work, my PowerBook is definitely a good travel friend and not just a laptop... Anyhowl! Post away! Here's my set up. I called my G5 "Wild Honey"... don't ask.

 

[edesignuk]

Why not, I love the new iMacs

 

[Kwyjibo]

a whole monitor dedicated to MacRumors, I can't say i'm surprised.

 

[edesignuk]

a whole monitor dedicated to MacRumors, I can't say i'm surprised.

Oh yeah, of course I only EVER use that screen for MacRumors

It's a whole monitor for surfing in general

 

[Littleodie914]

My pride and joy

 

[Balin64]

edesignuk:

I assume that the LCD on the left is powered by your PBook, correct? Seeing your set up, the obvious dawned on me: is there way to get the iMac G5 to run dual monitors? I used a hack to make an older iBook display on two monitors; it was made available by two guys from Germany, if I recall correctly. Has anyone heard if that is possible on the iMac G5? Although... it looks so damn sexy on its own I don't know if I should mess with it...

 

[tonyeck]

I assume that the LCD on the left is powered by your PBook, correct? Seeing your set up, the obvious dawned on me: is there way to get the iMac G5 to run dual monitors? I used a hack to make an older iBook display on two monitors; it was made available by two guys from Germany, if I recall correctly. Has anyone heard if that is possible on the iMac G5? Although... it looks so damn sexy on its own I don't know if I should mess with it...

Yeah thats how edesign is doing it with the hack

I heard there is also and applescript which does the same

 

[Balin64]

Yeah thats how edesign is doing it with the hack

I heard there is also and applescript which does the same

Really: edesign, is this true? Where can I find the crack, it's been a while. Is there a big performance hit on the graphics card when doing this? I can acquire an inexpensive 17" LCD from a friend that is very close in size/bezel to the iMac (except for the bottom part). I will try to paint it white to match, then again... maybe I should leave it alone... What do you guys think?

Also, edesign: I am assuming you are still in London. If you are ever on Great Newport Street off Leicester Square, and the Arts Theatre is lit, stop by and tell the house/bar staff that Hector says hi. Then walk out as fast as you came in! I miss my "mates" at the Arts Theatre...

EDIT: edesign: for some reason I thought you were in London: my apologies. But, if you are in London soon, stop by the Arts anyway: I Stage Managed a show there for four months two years ago, and it was brilliant!

 

[edesignuk]

Really: edesign, is this true? Where can I find the crack, it's been a while. Is there a big performance hit on the graphics card when doing this? I can acquire an inexpensive 17" LCD from a friend that is very close in size/bezel to the iMac (except for the bottom part). I will try to paint it white to match, then again... maybe I should leave it alone... What do you guys think?

I am using the hack to run the Dell 20" off the iMac, works a treat, no problems with lag.

 

[mrgreen4242]

eDesign: Have you tried running some intensive 3d game on one monitor while having the other opened to the desktop? I'm really curious to see if there is a framerate drop while spanning vs. single display.

Seeing that makes me wish I could afford a 20" iMac... as it is I am stretching to get the 1.8ghz 17" this coming month (and that's only by going the refurb route). Seeing Balin's setup makes me wish I could afford to get a new BTO model with the bluetooth keyboard/mouse, too. Ah well, gotta be happy with what we've got and all that.

In a couple weeks I'll add mine to the thread, a 17" w/ a 19" CRT dangling off the side.

Is there any conclusive word about warranties and the screen spanning hack yet? Anyone send theirs into Apple and had it turned down due to the hack, etc?

Rob

 

[edesignuk]

Is there any conclusive word about warranties and the screen spanning hack yet? Anyone send theirs into Apple and had it turned down due to the hack, etc?

Rob

I sent a midplane (which includes the video card, and prety much everything) back to Apple with the hack applied, they never said a word.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I sent a midplane (which includes the video card, and prety much everything) back to Apple with the hack applied, they never said a word.

Good to know! I assumed that would be the case, as it's just a small firmware change, but you never know. So, any chance you could fire up UT2k4 or something w/ and without the hack active and measure framerates?

Also, in response to Balin64, I'm not sure if I would paint a monitor to try and match it with my Mac, but that shouldn't stop you from doing it! It may come out nice, depending what kind of paint you use, how careful you are, etc. I'd be scared about getting some paint on the actual LCD.

Rob

 

[edesignuk]

So, any chance you could fire up UT2k4 or something w/ and without the hack active and measure framerates?

Honestly, I don't have any games, if I did I wouldn't have bought an iMac G5 with it's P.O.S nVidia 5200

 

[stevietheb]

Here's my iMac G5. My wife and I don't like the height of the keyboard/mouse drawer in the desk, so we use that for all of our USB and FireWire devices (cameras, iPod, external HD, and soon--EyeTV).

LOVE IT!

 

[mrgreen4242]

Honestly, I don't have any games, if I did I wouldn't have bought an iMac G5 with it's P.O.S nVidia 5200

Haha. People give it a bad rap, but for casual/occasional gaming it really isn't that bad! For example, Halo and UT2k4, two pretty intensive and modern games at decent quality and high res above 30fps. People report good playability for WoW on iMacs, undoubtabley one of the most important Mac games ever.

All in all, it's not THAT bad, especially for someone like me who waits for games to hit the $20-25 dollar bargin bin beofre buying them, so games that are 2 years old are new to me.

I will have to perform intensive study on how much raw performance the screen spanning hack takes away from the iMacs GPU next month when my new computer arrives.

Rob

 

[jayscheuerle]

Is there a big performance hit on the graphics card when doing this?

I use the hack (Screen Spanning Doctor) on my 12" iBook to power my HDTV. It splits the VRAM, so I'm down to 16MB per screen, which kills all the slide transitions in iPhoto4 (they work in 5 now), OpenGL screensavers barely work, no cube effect in Fast User Switching. I don't have any games. Full screen video plays back fine. I don't use the iBook's screen, so I have it set to the minimal resolution and colors and then dimmed to black. - j

 

[stevietheb]

I like WoW on the iMac G5...

 

[mrgreen4242]

I use the hack (Screen Spanning Doctor) on my 12" iBook to power my HDTV. It splits the VRAM, so I'm down to 16MB per screen, which kills all the slide transitions in iPhoto4 (they work in 5 now), OpenGL screensavers barely work, no cube effect in Fast User Switching. I don't have any games. Full screen video plays back fine. I don't use the iBook's screen, so I have it set to the minimal resolution and colors and then dimmed to black. - j

Interesting. Just out of curiosity, where did you learn that it splits the VRAM? Also, do you have to reboot the system in order to "reclaim" the VRAM, or can you just change an option back to mirroring and have it all merge together again?

Thanks for the reply,
Rob

 

[edesignuk]

Interesting. Just out of curiosity, where did you learn that it splits the VRAM? Also, do you have to reboot the system in order to "reclaim" the VRAM, or can you just change an option back to mirroring and have it all merge together again?

Thanks for the reply,
Rob

If you have two screen, your VRAM splits, that's just how it is, and really as you'd expect.

As you can see, I have a 64MB card, powering two screens, 32MB per screen.

You do not have to reboot to get all memory back to one disply if you disconnect your secondary.

 

[debroglie]

I use the hack (Screen Spanning Doctor) on my 12" iBook to power my HDTV. It splits the VRAM, so I'm down to 16MB per screen, which kills all the slide transitions in iPhoto4 (they work in 5 now), OpenGL screensavers barely work, no cube effect in Fast User Switching. I don't have any games. Full screen video plays back fine. I don't use the iBook's screen, so I have it set to the minimal resolution and colors and then dimmed to black. - j

If you only use the one screen can't you just mirror your ibook screen? Or isn't that a useable resolution for your HDTV?

 

[mrgreen4242]

If you have two screen, your VRAM splits, that's just how it is, and really as you'd expect.

As you can see, I have a 64MB card, powering two screens, 32MB per screen.

You do not have to reboot to get all memory back to one disply if you disconnect your secondary.

Very good, thanks for that detailed info! I actually WOULDN'T expect it to deal with multiple displays that way. Seems like it would have been more elegant to treat the two as a single, very widescreen display.

I guess that would force you to lock in at a single (vertical at least) resolution for both displays, so doing it the other way is probably more robust. Good to knwo that you can just disconnect the extra display and get all of the VRAM back into a single pool, if you need it.

Again, really appreciate you taking the time to post that screenshot and answer my questions!

Rob

 

[jayscheuerle]

If you only use the one screen can't you just mirror your ibook screen? Or isn't that a useable resolution for your HDTV?

Not only the wrong native resolution, but not even the same aspect ratio. iBook is 1024 x 768. The tv is 1280 x 720. If I could force a 1280 x 720 on the iBook (I realize it would be distorted and illegible), then I could do the mirror thing and get back my unused 16MB.

 

[vouder17]

My Better half

 

[Balin64]

Good to know! I assumed that would be the case, as it's just a small firmware change, but you never know. So, any chance you could fire up UT2k4 or something w/ and without the hack active and measure framerates?

Also, in response to Balin64, I'm not sure if I would paint a monitor to try and match it with my Mac, but that shouldn't stop you from doing it! It may come out nice, depending what kind of paint you use, how careful you are, etc. I'd be scared about getting some paint on the actual LCD.

Rob

I have a friend that a runs a scene shop at a rep theatre: she has all kinds of wonderful and toxic paints that have amazing finishes... as far as actual painting, I think I would have to cover the LCD very carefully, of course. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I think I will try the hack first, and see if it's worth it.

 

[Balin64]

eDesign: Have you tried running some intensive 3d game on one monitor while having the other opened to the desktop? I'm really curious to see if there is a framerate drop while spanning vs. single display.

Seeing that makes me wish I could afford a 20" iMac... as it is I am stretching to get the 1.8ghz 17" this coming month (and that's only by going the refurb route). Seeing Balin's setup makes me wish I could afford to get a new BTO model with the bluetooth keyboard/mouse, too. Ah well, gotta be happy with what we've got and all that.

In a couple weeks I'll add mine to the thread, a 17" w/ a 19" CRT dangling off the side.

Is there any conclusive word about warranties and the screen spanning hack yet? Anyone send theirs into Apple and had it turned down due to the hack, etc?

Rob

You can always add it later, or use the DLink USB adapter, which actually works extremely well. I have used that in the past with absolutely no problems. Of course, you lose a USB port, but I find that having a hub is almost a necessity anyway. Just a thought.