Using PB Screen with separate computer

[powerdave]

Hey all,

I was curious as to the possibility of using my Powerbook's screen as a monitor for some other computer. I mean, my Powerbook is fully functional, so I don't mean that I want to take the screen out or anything

I just thought it'd be interesting if I could use some of the DVI or s-vid out ports as an input and plug it into a PC or "headless iMac", if one were ever to be announced.

So is it a totally crazy idea?

I've got a new 1.33 15" Powerbook, btw.

 

[varmit]

Hey all,

I was curious as to the possibility of using my Powerbook's screen as a monitor for some other computer. I mean, my Powerbook is fully functional, so I don't mean that I want to take the screen out or anything

I just thought it'd be interesting if I could use some of the DVI or s-vid out ports as an input and plug it into a PC or "headless iMac", if one were ever to be announced.

So is it a totally crazy idea?

I've got a new 1.33 15" Powerbook, btw.

Um, no. No laptop does this. You could use a Remote desktop or VNC over the network cable though.

 

[ChrisBrightwell]

You can't do it in hardware. It will have to be done in software.

There's a program available for Windows-based machines that does precisely this: http://www.maxivista.com/ Last I heard, he was working on an OS X viewer (so you could use your Powerbook as a second display on your Windows-based PC, for example).

There's also a Linux-based applications (x2x, I think it's called) that sort of does what you're looking for. Try digging through Google.

HTH.

 

[mcgarry]

Well, I don't think this is exactly what you're asking, and I could be missing something obvious here, but .... I think you can attach another computer in FireWire target disk mode to your PB, then from your PB set the startup disk to the target disk. After restart it would start up from the HD of the other computer, displayed on the PB screen. The PB hard drive would not be the startup disk, and some things like Bluetooth probably wouldn't work ... I don't know.