Semi-dumb Questions about PowerBooks

[cleo]

Hey guys. I'm interested in the 12" PB but prolly won't have the cash till summer. In the meantime, I have some questions that I was hoping you could help me with about PowerBooks in general and the new baby one in particular. (This will be my first foray into the pro line.)

1 - What exactly is VGA vs. DVI in practical terms? I gather that I wouldn't be able to use an Apple display, which is hella lame. What kind of external displays are available for VGA? Can any upgrades be done to remedy this?

2 - Are PB's any more upgradable than iBooks, or is RAM and Airport the extent of it?

3 - Do you see any likelihood of Apple adding an L3 cache, more maximum RAM, or a DVI output in the next revision? Can we expect a revision by June/July?

 

[szark]

Re: Semi-dumb Questions about PowerBooks

1 - You should be able to use most, if not all, of the VGA displays available for PCs (both CRT and flat-panel). Can't think of any really good recommendations at the moment.

You can actually get a VGA-ADC converter from Gefen (for $399.00) which should allow connection to the Apple flat-panel displays (but only at native resolution -- no 640x480 game playing).

2 - The 12" does not appear to be any more upgradeable than the iBooks.

3 - We can only hope...

(Have you worn out the Tom Petty CD yet? )

 

[cleo]

OMG, was that you?!

 

[rainman::|:|]

CLEO! where you been, whats up?? was starting to worry about you...


pnw

 

[cleo]

Hey, PNW! Is it too sterotypically recently-graduated-lesbian-ish to say that I've been in therapy? Well, I have - I've been working through some hardcore depression stuff, but things are finally starting to look up. Or at least look like they might look up someday. But thanks for the concern and for saying hi - I've missed you too! (Not to shamelessly plug, but I do have a weblog I post to just about every day - the link is in my sig )

Now, back on topic before I completely derail my first thread in months. Say you had a PC VGA LCD hooked up to the 12" PB. Could you still do monitor spanning? Could the external monitor be any resolution, or is it limited to the native res of the internal screen?

 

[szark]

From the Tech Specs:

Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports up to 1024 by 768 pixels on the built-in display and up to 1600 by 1200 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors.

So you could drive an external 1600x1200 display (or smaller) with monitor spanning (dual display).

(yep, that was me)