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Andre L. · Mar 31, 2003, 11:36 AM

Since I found 15� (14� viewable) monitor on my three years old iMac SE DV rather small for editing in Premiere, few years ago I connected DELL 19� (18� viewable) CTR monitor to the internal 15 pin VGA connector on the back and all has worked fine. Recently I found a good deal on factory refurbished DELL (UltraSharp 2000FP 20-inch Flat Panel LCD Monitor 20.1'', LCD, TFT, Midnight Gray, 1600 x 1200 Pixels, 0.255 mm Pixel Pitch, Anti-glare with Hard Coating, Analog/Digital Connectivity).
It was listed however as PC only compatible. It is hard for me to believe that monitor can be PC only compatible if it still has a 15 pin input. I think, I may not be able to use DVI input however, even with special adapter plug.
Could someone comment on the subject? Is anyone using newew LCD monitor with older iMac? How about Apple Cinema. Thanks.

Andre

bradoesch · Apr 1, 2003, 11:03 AM

One problem I can see is since the iMac will only mirror, all you can get is 1024x768 on the external monitor. So you really won't get any more workspace, just a larger screen.
There's a program called SwitchRes that will let you drive an external monitor at 1280x1024 and shuts off the iMac's screen when that resolution is activated.
LCDs look best when they are run at their native resolution, and since you won't be able to run it at 1600x1200, it will look blurry and not very nice. If it works at all that is.

gumby5647 · Apr 1, 2003, 03:00 PM

If you want, you can talk to vmarks about possibly gutting the iMac into a tower or rack, that would allow you to use a bigger monitor.

vmarks · Apr 1, 2003, 04:58 PM

iMacs can in fact drive at 1600x1200 resolution, if you ignore/disconnect the internal monitor.

Andre L. · Apr 2, 2003, 02:46 PM

Thanks everybody for responding. I spoke to Stephane Madrau and looks like his SwitchRes2 software will allow maximum 1280 x 1024 resolution, that should be fine for me. As for the DELL monitor I was considering, it looks like it might not work. It was listed as a fixed resolution of 1600 x 1200. For my application LCD monitor will have to have several native resolutions to choose from, with 1600 x 1200 being the highest, and not the only choice. I am not sure however how to physically disconect internal monitor as vmarks described, since it is an integral part of the iMac DV SE (G3, 400MHz, OS 9.1) and then what software would tell the card to go 1600 x 1200.
Thanks again

Andre

Jens Peter · Apr 4, 2003, 02:39 AM

Speaking about SwitchRes....
I have tryed it, on my iMac blue dalmatiner - 600 mHz, and the highest resolution I can get, is 1024*768

.
Do you have to enable higer resolutions, or does my videocard not support more than that ??

(Using X.2.4)

Jens Peter

bradoesch · Apr 4, 2003, 10:42 AM

Originally posted by Jens Peter:
Speaking about SwitchRes....
I have tryed it, on my iMac blue dalmatiner - 600 mHz, and the highest resolution I can get, is 1024*768 .
Do you have to enable higer resolutions, or does my videocard not support more than that ??

(Using X.2.4)

Jens Peter

You are using an external monitor, right?

Jens Peter · 05:13 AM

Originally posted by bradoesch:
You are using an external monitor, right?

No, using the build-in monitor...

Jens Peter

edit: Link to screenshot

bradoesch · Apr 5, 2003, 12:13 PM

Originally posted by Jens Peter:
No, using the build-in monitor...

Jens Peter

edit: Link to screenshot

The built-in monitor only supports 1024x768, but if you have an external monitor attached you can run it at 1280x1024 and the internal monitor will shut off. If the external monitor supports 1280x1024 of course.

Jens Peter · Apr 5, 2003, 01:13 PM

Originally posted by bradoesch:
The built-in monitor only supports 1024x768, but if you have an external monitor attached you can run it at 1280x1024 and the internal monitor will shut off. If the external monitor supports 1280x1024 of course.

Oh, okay.... I thought that it was the build-in monitor that could go to 1280*1024. Damn. Well, soon I'll be getting a laptop, and an external monitor, I can try it at that time...

have a good weekend, I know I will.....

Jens Peter

bradoesch · Apr 5, 2003, 04:53 PM

Originally posted by Jens Peter:
Oh, okay.... I thought that it was the build-in monitor that could go to 1280*1024. Damn. Well, soon I'll be getting a laptop, and an external monitor, I can try it at that time...

have a good weekend, I know I will.....

Jens Peter

If you get a PowerBook, you'll get an extended desktop (or mirroring if you want.) Much nicer!

ryju · Apr 6, 2003, 12:05 PM

I just tried that and I'm running at 1280x1024. But my internal monitor is still on. Is there a way to manually turn it off? It looks weird.

bradoesch · Apr 6, 2003, 04:39 PM

Originally posted by ryju:
I just tried that and I'm running at 1280x1024. But my internal monitor is still on. Is there a way to manually turn it off? It looks weird.

I don't know how to manually turn it off, but I wanted to say you probably don't want to keep running it at 1280x1024 if your internal monitor is still going. You might damage it.

ryju · Apr 6, 2003, 08:46 PM

Originally posted by bradoesch:
I don't know how to manually turn it off, but I wanted to say you probably don't want to keep running it at 1280x1024 if your internal monitor is still going. You might damage it.

it's on warranty and i don't like this computer so it's fine with me.

vmarks · Apr 7, 2003, 09:33 AM

Originally posted by bradoesch:
I don't know how to manually turn it off, but I wanted to say you probably don't want to keep running it at 1280x1024 if your internal monitor is still going. You might damage it.

If the internal monitor is on, but has blanked itself (as it should do from running an external at this resolution) then there can be no damage.

Damage would occur if you the internal monitor were displaying the screen but doing it badly, flickering, squished, rolling, etc.

ryju · Apr 7, 2003, 01:43 PM

After waking it up from sleep only the external came on, which is proper I guess at 1280 res. When the internal screen WAS on before it was squished by I could change that in Display Prefs.

vmarks · Apr 7, 2003, 07:34 PM

Originally posted by ryju:
After waking it up from sleep only the external came on, which is proper I guess at 1280 res. When the internal screen WAS on before it was squished by I could change that in Display Prefs.

I would venture that you haven't damaged your internal display. It's certainly better for it with the behavior post-waking from sleep.

ryju · Apr 7, 2003, 08:21 PM

Thankyou indeed.
I am currently running my internal monitor at 1280x1024 res (switchres says its safe i guess) and I'm having no problems except a slight loss in brightness. I'm not changing it. waking from sleep and restarting is fine too.

Dex13 · Apr 7, 2003, 08:45 PM

Originally posted by ryju:
Thankyou indeed.
I am currently running my internal monitor at 1280x1024 res (switchres says its safe i guess) and I'm having no problems except a slight loss in brightness. I'm not changing it. waking from sleep and restarting is fine too.

I can't get my imac to do that.
How did you do it?

ryju · Apr 8, 2003, 11:34 AM

Originally posted by Dex13:
I can't get my imac to do that.
How did you do it?

Well the first time I got switchres and tried to go to 1280 (with ext. monitor connected) it told me to restart so i did. Then when back on both monitors were still on, I switched to 1280 res and the int. monitor went darker and squished (which I then fixed in system prefs) while ext. monitor was fine at 1280. The next day I put the mac to sleep, my dad unplugged and took away the ext. monitor and i freaked because I thought it wasn't waking up. I reattached the ext. monitor, the ext. display was on, int. off, I switched back to 1024, pu the mac to sleep, removed the ext. monitor, woke it back up and the int. was fine. then I could use switchres to go back to 1280 on the int. res, and it worked.

vmarks · Apr 8, 2003, 08:07 PM

Originally posted by ryju:
Well the first time I got switchres and tried to go to 1280 (with ext. monitor connected) it told me to restart so i did. Then when back on both monitors were still on, I switched to 1280 res and the int. monitor went darker and squished (which I then fixed in system prefs) while ext. monitor was fine at 1280. The next day I put the mac to sleep, my dad unplugged and took away the ext. monitor and i freaked because I thought it wasn't waking up. I reattached the ext. monitor, the ext. display was on, int. off, I switched back to 1024, pu the mac to sleep, removed the ext. monitor, woke it back up and the int. was fine. then I could use switchres to go back to 1280 on the int. res, and it worked.

I don't advise this. I cannot predict if this will cause harm, or premature failure, but I suspect that it might.

carnagex2000 · Apr 8, 2003, 08:08 PM

I say buy an iRack, and buy an external monitor. The iMacDV iRack is on sale here:
http://www.marathoncomputer.com/clearance.html

Andre L. · Apr 9, 2003, 10:43 AM

Well, $300 for almost empty metal shell is quite steep. For that price one would expect they move the guts.

Andre

ryju · Apr 9, 2003, 01:46 PM

Originally posted by vmarks:
I don't advise this. I cannot predict if this will cause harm, or premature failure, but I suspect that it might.

Yeah I wouldn't advise it either. I'm under applecare for it so I really don't care. I need the extra space. Plus everythings backed up to my iPod

bradoesch · Apr 9, 2003, 05:45 PM

Originally posted by ryju:
Yeah I wouldn't advise it either. I'm under applecare for it so I really don't care. I need the extra space. Plus everythings backed up to my iPod

So when your monitor dies what do you tell them?

ryju · Apr 9, 2003, 06:01 PM

Originally posted by bradoesch:
So when your monitor dies what do you tell them?

That I woke up this morning and my computer wouldn't boot.