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enda1 · Jun 11, 2006, 01:33 AM

Hey

I have been a windows guy for 10 years and I am MS certified and work in the IT department for a rather large oil company and yes...yes I have switched over to this wonderfull world of mac.

I recently purchased the new macbook 2.0Ghz machine and am loving it, but I have a simple question that is driving me crazy. I could do this on my compaq laptop but cant figure this out on the macbook.

How do you use an external monitor with the laptop closed.........I have the dvi converter and can have the dual monitor thing going(which is frustrating because I can't have the doc and top bar on it - it only stays on the laptop screen) but I can not close the laptop and use a keyboard and mouse and use my external lcd. Is there a place to disable sleep mode when closed? Can I use only an external monitor? I would like at night also if I am downloading some legal torrents

to be able to close the lid and go to bed and have it continue to work.

Can any of these be done, I have seen people use their macbook pro's as a workstation with external mouse, keyboard and monitor but I can not figure this out. If anyone knows how to do this please send me something, it is the only thing I have not figured out yet. Grrr

Cheers

Chris

greenamp · Jun 11, 2006, 01:38 AM

If you have an external keyboard hooked up to the MacBook, just hit the spacebar and it will wake up again while closed.

icruise · Jun 11, 2006, 02:08 AM

Also, if you want to move the menu bar to the other screen, go to the Displays item in System Preferences and drag the little menu bar displayed on the illustration of the monitor where you arrange the physical location of your screens. Move it to the other screen. (Harder to explain than it is to do.)

enda1 · Jun 11, 2006, 12:59 PM

This has really really helped me out. Much appreciated, thank you

Chris

harrisjamieh · Jun 11, 2006, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by greenamp

If you have an external keyboard hooked up to the MacBook, just hit the spacebar and it will wake up again while closed.

You can't just have a keyboard hooked up. You need a keyboard, mouse, montior and power connection to use the MB in lid closed mode.

Gee4orce · Jun 11, 2006, 03:41 PM

Actually - I don't think you even need a keyboard, just a monitor, and (importantly) power. I think you can wake up the MacBook using the remote.

Of course, if you don't have a keyboard or mouse connected, it's not going to be much use other than for watching a DVD.....

greenamp · Jun 11, 2006, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by harrisjamieh

You can't just have a keyboard hooked up. You need a keyboard, mouse, montior and power connection to use the MB in lid closed mode.

That's implied.

harrisjamieh · Jun 12, 2006, 12:42 AM

Originally Posted by greenamp

That's implied.

is it? I know the external monitor being plugged in is implied, but why on earth would he think he would have to have the power plugged in for lid closed mode to work if I didn't write it above?

iREZ · Jun 12, 2006, 11:34 AM

you dont need anything but the 'book to be powered and something to trigger it to wake (ie. a mouse, keyboard...maybe a remote, not sure bout that one) and once its woken...you could open your computer display and use the macbook keyboard and trackpad if you want. ive seen this plenty of times and it works just fine.

harrisjamieh · Jun 12, 2006, 11:45 AM

Just tried that with my MacBook, and it didnt work..

Tried it again with just power and monitor plugged in, and again it didn't work

I used the remote to wake the MB up...

cornwallstone · Jul 9, 2006, 11:39 PM

Remote Buddy http://www.apple.com/downloads/macos...motebuddy.html
you can run more than just a dvd or mp3 with your laptop lid closed using your remote...You can run a variety of apps on your macbook......

This macbook is great (2 ghzs, 512 mg ram)... For those gamers worried about your Blizzard buddies.....Warcraft 3 is running great for me...and that is with only 512 mgs of ram

Cheers...

Dillon-K · Jul 14, 2006, 10:40 AM

isn't there just a way to set it to turn off the screen but not sleep when you close it? why is that such a novel idea?? should it not be expected?

kmkkid · Jul 14, 2006, 10:58 AM

Insomnia:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/22211

analogika · Jul 14, 2006, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Dillon-K

isn't there just a way to set it to turn off the screen but not sleep when you close it? why is that such a novel idea?? should it not be expected?

No, it shouldn't.

I'd venture that 999 times out of a thousand that an Apple laptop gets closed somewhere on the planet, it's because the person is done using it.

Gossamer · Jul 14, 2006, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by analogika

No, it shouldn't.

I'd venture that 999 times out of a thousand that an Apple laptop gets closed somewhere on the planet, it's because the person is done using it.

Ooo!! That means I know the one guy! He always docks his PB G4 under his 20" cinema display here at work, never takes it home.
But I still agree with you.

SkaGoat · Jul 15, 2006, 09:29 AM

There is no reason that Apple can't put an option in the power options panel that let you choose what it does when you close the lid... ala Windows.

Dillon-K · 03:54 PM

Exactly no, but really, I use Skype a lot on my laptop and what if I'm walking down the hall and I can't just put the thing to sleep?? And I hate watching people lug around open PC notebooks around because they're not smart enough to set it to not "hibernate" when they close the lid.

EDIT: all right, can anyone who already has a MacBook tell me how far you can close it without it sleeping...?