Turn off MacBook Pro's internal display?

[andrezuppe]

SL has got what asked

Snow leopard has got exactly the feature requested by our friend in the first post.
I use this every day since I'm still in Snow Leopard.

You have to connect an external keyboard / mouse together with an external monitor turned on.
Than close the main display and macbook goes to "stop".
When you see the white led slowly blinking in front of your MBP, you press a key on the external keyboard, or do a mouse click, and the mac awakes only on the external display and it becomes your main screen.
Then you can open the lid and it remains turned off (just switched off) until you go to your monitor preferences and you select the option "detect monitor".
I cannot unterstand why, in Lion and Mountain Lion Apple cut this useful option.
Bye,
Andrea

 

[wickedking94]

First of all, why did anyone go 2 months back in the forums just to respond to this?
In response to the mirroring idea, its good in theory as it would lower GPU load, but unfortunately my external display is 1600X900 so I can't get a good resolution when mirroring.

In response to the magnet idea, magnets and computers don't mix. Magnets can cause electrostatic build up, cause data corruption on hard disk drives, and can interfere with wireless transmissions, so I would rather not.

In response to the windows 8 comment, windows 8 looks like the horrible off spring of a tablet OS and windows 7, which also was a pile of crap. I chose Mac for a reason, and that was to not use garbage systems.

I tried control+shift+eject and for a glorious second it looked like it worked, my internal display shut off but my external was still on. Then half a second later my external turned off too. It was just teasing me

And finally, though snow leopard was my favourite, and I wish I could go back, It would mean the re-downloading and re-installing of all my adobe and autodesk software (the don't work if restored from time machine) which would probably take me a week on my garbage internet. And a lot of it doesn't work on snow leopard anymore.

 

[T5BRICK]

In response to the magnet idea, magnets and computers don't mix. Magnets can cause electrostatic build up, cause data corruption on hard disk drives, and can interfere with wireless transmissions, so I would rather not.

This is almost completely untrue. Magnets do not create any kind of static buildup, especially a stationary one. Hard drives are shielded against magnetic fields, so much that it takes a very intense and focused field to actually do damage. And I'm not sure about the effect on wireless transmissions but I'm going to guess that a small magnet needed to trick the computer into thinking it was closed would have no measurable effect on signal strength.

 

[rickbrewin]

Best Solution

Okay I thought of a solution in case anyone else want's to try it:

1. Very carefully open your MacBook all the way.

2. Then place you MacBook on your knee.

3. Hold your MacBook firmly against you knee.

4. Very quickly bring your knee up and hit your MacBook right on the hinge.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as many times as necessary to remove the screen from your MacBook.

6. Don't buy another laptop ever again.

This was the only solution for me and my 13" white macbook, and it worked a charm Thanks Wicked!

 

[log111]

If you install mountain lion, this is a better option to use your external display with the correct resolution, instead of turning off the internal display:

http://gizmodo.com/5938452/a-trick-to-make-using-an-external-monitor-with-your-macbook-way-better

 

[Danform]

Turn the brightness right down?