[boatrower1]

Hey Guys-

I just bought an external LCD for my Macbook. Right now, I just have my macbook screen 80% closed, with the backlight out. I am not neccessary looking for a docking station, but am wondering if there was a way to close the computer completely, without it going to sleep. I feel that in the long run having the screen positioned like this will hurt my precious hinge http://forums.macnn.com/images/smili...hool/frown.gif

Thanks guys-
Zach

[ibook_steve]

First, don't worry about the hinge. Second, look in your user's manual or search the forum for "closed lid mode." This is a built-in feature of your machine and all Apple portables.

Steve

[tsvb]

Don't do it. The macbooks release heat through the keyboard. You don't want a melted lcd do you?

[abbaZaba]

Originally Posted by tsvb 

Don't do it. The macbooks release heat through the keyboard. You don't want a melted lcd do you?

pretty sure you are incredibly wrong

[ibook_steve]

Originally Posted by tsvb 

Don't do it. The macbooks release heat through the keyboard. You don't want a melted lcd do you?

Sorry, that's not true. As I said, closed lid mode is a built-in feature. Some heat is dissipated through the keyboard but not nearly enough to get a "melted LCD." Most heat is dissipated through the case and the vents.

Steve

[Simon]

My MB has been running (24/7, no sleeping) in closed-lid mode for roughly the past 4 months and its LCD is absolutely fine. I just opened the lid to check and the LCD was barely warm.

[mduell]

If you don't want to do the sleep-and-rewake dance every time you close the lid of your Macbook, install InsomniaX.

[frankthetank966]

Originally Posted by mduell 

If you don't want to do the sleep-and-rewake dance every time you close the lid of your Macbook, install InsomniaX.

cool software.

[boatrower1]

Originally Posted by Simon 

My MB has been running (24/7, no sleeping) in closed-lid mode for roughly the past 4 months and its LCD is absolutely fine. I just opened the lid to check and the LCD was barely warm.

Do you leave your battery in the entire time? Doesn't this kill its life?

[Simon]

Originally Posted by boatrower1 

Do you leave your battery in the entire time? Doesn't this kill its life?

Ideally you would run down the battery and fully recharge it at least once every month or so.

OTOH running without the battery will reduce the clock and that's not something I wanted. In the worst case I'll have to buy a new battery. I can live with that. Of course YMMV.

[shifuimam]

Do Macbooks support an extended desktop configuration that allows you to spread your windows across two montiors?

If so, why not do that? Then you have more desktop space for an even better computing experience.

[monkeybrain]

Macbooks do indeed support an extended desktop.

[boatrower1]

My 2nd display is a 19 inch Samsung widescreen. I am not sure why, but when I use the MB's screen, along with the external, the external doesn't get full viewing. It is like there is an inch think black line all the way around the picture. I guess the video card isn't powerful enough?

Going along with that quesiton, is there anyway to make the external monitor the main displaly? ie have all of the menus etc. be on that, and make the MB the secondary montitor?

[ibook_steve]

Originally Posted by boatrower1 

My 2nd display is a 19 inch Samsung widescreen. I am not sure why, but when I use the MB's screen, along with the external, the external doesn't get full viewing. It is like there is an inch think black line all the way around the picture. I guess the video card isn't powerful enough?

Going along with that quesiton, is there anyway to make the external monitor the main displaly? ie have all of the menus etc. be on that, and make the MB the secondary montitor?

You're probably mirroring your internal display instead of spanning across to the external display. Press F7 (without pushing the fn key) to switch.

To make the external display the main display, go into Displays preferences. Go to the Arrangement tab where you organize the location of the displays and drag the little menu bar to the other display.

Steve

[frankthetank966]

Is there actually a true docking station for the macbook?

p.s. thanks steve I FINALLY know what the f7 key does.

[shifuimam]

There is one made by a company called BookEndz.

BookEndz - Docking Stations for Apple

Expensive, but it'll do the trick.

Targus also makes a number of USB-based docking stations, but I don't know if they're Mac-compatible.

[hookem2oo7]

like this? Docking Station for 13" MacBook - White - Docking Stations by BookEndz

[frdmfghtr]

That is a feature I have missed for some time. At my old job I had a Dell notebook witha docking station, and it was a pretty kicking setup; with Win2K I could keep my home directory on the laptop, synced with the server, and when I wanted to take it on travel, simply shut down and eject.

I have wished for a long time that Apple would make a docking station for its notebooks. While this solution isn't optimal (lots of individual connectors vice one large one) it could very wel be a godsend.

Now to wait until it actually ships in March...

[frankthetank966]

Naw, like one with speakers and that slants the computer up. I guess not. Thanks for the thoughts

[rickey939]

I'm confused why Apple has never offered a docking station/port replicator solution as well. I have a quite a few corporate transitioners that have gone from Dell Latitudes and IBM ThinkPads to Apple notebooks who were big fans of the docking stations.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by rickey939 

I'm confused why Apple has never offered a docking station/port replicator solution as well. I have a quite a few corporate transitioners that have gone from Dell Latitudes and IBM ThinkPads to Apple notebooks who were big fans of the docking stations.

It would require design changes (big ass connector on the bottom or back) and Apple doesn't have many corporate sales.

[frankthetank966]

Yea I know but I was wondering if someone created one somehow. Those other ones are somewhat useless.

[rickey939]

Originally Posted by mduell 

It would require design changes (big ass connector on the bottom or back) and Apple doesn't have many corporate sales.

Apple could engineer something that is small and functional. The "PC guys" make the ugly ass connector at the bottom.

As for the lack of corporate sales, that doesn't matter. Home users could make use of a nice Apple provided docking station as well.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by rickey939 

Apple could engineer something that is small and functional. The "PC guys" make the ugly ass connector at the bottom.

Apple could also use a connector at the bottom. It doesn't have to be big and they could hide it under a flap that opens only when you slide the MBP onto the docking station. That would be slick and the MBP would remain sexy - very Apple-like.

BTW, docking stations are not just something for the corporate world. In the academic world, especially in scientific computing, there are quite a few Macs around. While we do heavy number crunching on dedicated clusters, many of us have a MBP as a daily work machine. Not one of my colleagues here wouldn't want a docking station. Our Linux ThinkPads are all hooked up to a docking station when we're at a desk.

[Gutbloom]

I am getting a macbook from work. I'm dismayed to find out that there are no true docking stations for apple laptops. I'm a teacher. I want to have my machine hooked up to a 32" television for display, I want to add speakers, an external hard drive, and a CD/DVD burner. I don't want to use a macbook keyboard. I'd like to use a regular keyboard and a mouse.

I use a iMac at home. I'm not PC chauvanist, but, years ago, I had a Dell docking station that allowed me to use a regular display, a regular keyboard and a mouse and yet, at the flip of a switch, I could pull out the laptop and take it on the road.

[JRobinson]

Are there any alternatives to the Bookendz docking station?

[frankthetank966]

Originally Posted by JRobinson 

Are there any alternatives to the Bookendz docking station?

Thats the only one I have been able to find. I think it may be the only one on the market as of now.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by JRobinson 

Are there any alternatives to the Bookendz docking station?

Unfortunately it's the only one I know of. Too bad it's both expensive and clumsy.

I still believe there would be a lot more and better docking stations if Apple would integrate some kind of docking port on the bottom of the MBP.

[butterfly0fdoom]

Well, if you think about it, how should Apple design the docking station? The hinge prevents anything from being directly behind the computer, and if there's gap, it doesn't quite look Apple sleek anymore.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by butterfly0fdoom 

Well, if you think about it, how should Apple design the docking station? The hinge prevents anything from being directly behind the computer, and if there's gap, it doesn't quite look Apple sleek anymore.

The docking station doesn't have to be behind the MBP where it would get in the way of the hinge.

[mduell]

Put the docking port on the bottom, like Dell does. Also provides a bit of airflow underneath.

[lisa_is_not_mac]

Originally Posted by tsvb 

Don't do it. The macbooks release heat through the keyboard. You don't want a melted lcd do you?

no, your wrong

[Cold Warrior]

Zombie thread. Check the dates next time before replying to a post that's over a year old.