Powerbook display - Mac mini

[jbrown]

Is it possible, and if so how, to use my Powerbook as an external monitor for a Mac-Mini ( or other mac )? The reason I'm asking, is I'm thinking of gettinng a Intel Mini ( if the rumours are true ) but don't wish to have a seperate monitor etc. My Powerbook will remain my primary machine.


On a related thought - My Powerbook screen is due to be replaced soon ( it has a small white fuzzy patch but is still quite useable ) - If I get the old screen after its been removed, is there any fairly easy way use it as an external monitor - ie wire up the leads coming out of the bottom of the screen unit to get power and to plug into my Powerbooks monitor port.


Hope this makes some sort of sense!! LOL






If have Powerbook 1.25mhz

 

[macbaseball]

Is it possible, and if so how, to use my Powerbook as an external monitor for a Mac-Mini ( or other mac )? The reason I'm asking, is I'm thinking of gettinng a Intel Mini ( if the rumours are true ) but don't wish to have a seperate monitor etc. My Powerbook will remain my primary machine.


On a related thought - My Powerbook screen is due to be replaced soon ( it has a small white fuzzy patch but is still quite useable ) - If I get the old screen after its been removed, is there any fairly easy way use it as an external monitor - ie wire up the leads coming out of the bottom of the screen unit to get power and to plug into my Powerbooks monitor port.

No for both. The screen is designed to be used with the laptop, not as an external monitor. It would add a lot of cost, and the functionality wouldn't be that great of an addition for the price. Not to mention it would be much thicker with all the extra components.

 

[matticus008]

It does make sense, but unfortunately it doesn't work that way. The PowerBook's video hardware does not support any sort of video input (only output). Beyond that, hardwiring an LCD ribbon to a DVI cable is a lot more work and difficulty than it might seem. Although you've got the straight digital connection, there's no matchup pin for pin.

In other words, you'll have to buy a separate display for your new machine (even if they were to give you the old PB panel, which they won't).

 

[CanadaRAM]

And a quick browse through the Search function would be in order, we've covered this at least 6 times in the past few months with different Powerbooks and iMacs posited as displays for other machines.

EDIT - OK, so a search for this isn't so easy; the word Display is used far too often, and there isn.t much consistency on how this question would be phrased...

 

[jbrown]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Seems like a real waste - I had the nice idea that I could hinge the old screen to the underside of the wall shelves above my desk, so I could pull the screen down when I needed it. Or even plaster it into the wall - something cool like that

 

[airkarol]

It's possible, you can boot in firewire disk mode, and boot from the mini's hard drive.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

Yes you can target a Firewire External HDD with a mac mini, kind of irritating to set up though.....

 

[matticus008]

An external hard drive in the same computer, yes, you can boot from that. You can't boot another computer over Firewire onto a local display. Target disk mode won't help you.

 

[bgd]

You could use a VNC server on your mini and a client on your PB, if you a have a network of some description. There are limitations (e.g. not so good for viewing video) but it may suit depending on how you use it. Certainly worked well enough for me in the past.

 

[topgunn]

If the iMac could be used as a display for another computer, I would own one instead of a mini.