[Mallrat]

I asked this before, but never get a definitive answer.

I have an ibook 500.

I would like to buy an external monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Some say you can use the ibook 500 in clamshell mode fine, others say it won't do it, most said it can do it but it's a bad idea as it will overheat the ibook.

So there's my first question can I close the lid and use it as a desktop?


Can I use a bluetooth (or other wireless) option in clamshell mode? As long as a bluetooth dongle or receiver is plugged into one of the usb ports, will the computer wake up from sleep mode?

I'm not positive I'm going to do this. It may be cheaper to wait and buy a desktop or a bigger screen laptop at some point.

But I would like to know.

Thank you.

[k_munic]

Originally posted by Mallrat:
…

So there's my first question can I close the lid and use it as a desktop?


Can I use a bluetooth (or other wireless) option in clamshell mode? As long as a bluetooth dongle or receiver is plugged into one of the usb ports, will the computer wake up from sleep mode?
…

Q1:
there is a haxxie out there, which changes some things very down deep in the firmware inside of your iBook to do the close-lid mode...- many people DON'T recommend these tricks, it is possible, with the next update of system software your system gots useless! it is a hack, not really illegal, but a "dirty" trick

AND:
of course, you have t thermal problem - the iBook is concepted (correct english?) to run with lid open. the hd, the grafic card and the processor are producing lots of temperature...-

i like the idea of using a "closed" iBook, i would like to use it as an "walkman" (all my cds are on my iBook), but i never did this haxxie - too much "voodoo" inside

Q2:
when your machine is in sleep mode, a bluetoothh connections is not sleeping. example: using a bluetooth keyboard (or mouse) is aible to wake up your mac...- but, of course, a sleeping amc is not able too handle anything coming in via bluetooth. so, it has to wake up first...-

when you connect anything onto the usb port while your mac is sleeping, it will wake up immediatly - try it with a keyboard or whatever usb device you have...-

[d4nth3m4n]

if you have a usb keyboard and a mouse and a monitor attached, the ibook will run without that nosleep haxxie. (not to mention that the haxxie has not been updated since 10.2.6.. hmmm) what k_munic said about the bluetooth is promising, i was wondering that myself.

looks like you can do this. i have my 14" running in clamshell mode right now with no hacks. you should be fine. sometimes, if im getting a little frisky with something graphics intensive (quake, movies, photoshop) ill get a little nervous and open it up. i think ive heard the fan twice since i started using it in clamshell mode.

seems that the graphics processor is the biggest heat producer in my experience.