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mduell · Oct 10, 2005, 11:14 PM

I'd really like to use a laptop chassis as the console for a number of other computers, but all the ports go the wrong way.
Has anyone seen a PCMCIA card that can accept DVI as an input (and display it on the laptops screen) and USB as an output (and send the mouse/keyboard through it)? Preferably Mac and PC compatible.

ibook_steve · Oct 10, 2005, 11:25 PM

A Powerbook display cannot be used as an external display (except for some AV applications like a TV tuner or video input card or device) and certainly not as an external DVI display, even with a PC card. There is nothing in a Powerbook that could act as a TMDS (DVI) receiver. I don't quite understand what you want to do with USB, but it sounds more like you need a USB hub or a KVM switch.

Steve

mduell · Oct 11, 2005, 03:08 AM

Originally Posted by ibook_steve

A Powerbook display cannot be used as an external display (except for some AV applications like a TV tuner or video input card or device) and certainly not as an external DVI display, even with a PC card. There is nothing in a Powerbook that could act as a TMDS (DVI) receiver. I don't quite understand what you want to do with USB, but it sounds more like you need a USB hub or a KVM switch.

I want a PCMCIA card with a TMDS receiver (probably in a breakout box due to space), among other things.
I want to be able to use my laptops keyboard and mouse as a USB keyboard and mouse for another computer.

ibook_steve · Oct 11, 2005, 03:26 AM

There's no such thing as a TMDS receiver card. It wouldn't work anyway because the graphics chips in Powerbooks don't have access to the PC card bus. This is simply not possible. As for using the keyboard and trackpad for another computer, they're integrated into the internal USB of the machine and there is no way to bring them out. In theory, you could use Apple Remote Desktop to control another Mac or Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection to control a PC, but you can't do what you are suggesting.

Steve

tooki · Oct 11, 2005, 06:09 PM

Yeah, what you're suggesting is basically impossible.

Oh, and your signature's too big... the max is 4 lines of text (blank included) that don't wrap on a reasonably sized window.

tooki

mduell · Oct 11, 2005, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

Yeah, what you're suggesting is basically impossible.

Oh, and your signature's too big... the max is 4 lines of text (blank included) that don't wrap on a reasonably sized window.

tooki

They should note that on the signature editing page or make the box smaller.

Even if the connections can't be done in hardware, how about doing it with some software and still running a regular OS on the laptop? Like a video capture card (except with less lag and without the need to record), and then have the OS send the keyboard/mouse inputs out through USB.

Tesseract · Oct 11, 2005, 07:36 PM

VNC software will allow you to control the screen of another machine over the network. "Chicken of the VNC" is a VNC client (viewer) for OS X.

If the other machine is also a Mac, OS X 10.4 has a VNC server built in - it's the 'Apple Remote Desktop' opting in Sharing preferences. You have to go into the 'Access Privileges' and set a VNC password for it to work. Or you could install OSXvnc (works on older versions of OS X too).

If the other machine is running Windows, you have several options. TightVNC is one that comes to mind.

If the other machine is a *nix machine running X11, you could alternatively use the networking features of X11.

mduell · Oct 11, 2005, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Tesseract

VNC software will allow you to control the screen of another machine over the network. "Chicken of the VNC" is a VNC client (viewer) for OS X.

If the other machine is also a Mac, OS X 10.4 has a VNC server built in - it's the 'Apple Remote Desktop' opting in Sharing preferences. You have to go into the 'Access Privileges' and set a VNC password for it to work. Or you could install OSXvnc (works on older versions of OS X too).

If the other machine is running Windows, you have several options. TightVNC is one that comes to mind.

If the other machine is a *nix machine running X11, you could alternatively use the networking features of X11.

I'm aware of VNC/Remote Desktop, but with the lag and limited speeds it's annoying and I miss out on the eyecandy. Also, they don't allow for BIOS/firmware access or installing an OS.

tooki · Oct 11, 2005, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

They should note that on the signature editing page or make the box smaller.

Even if the connections can't be done in hardware, how about doing it with some software and still running a regular OS on the laptop? Like a video capture card (except with less lag and without the need to record), and then have the OS send the keyboard/mouse inputs out through USB.

The sig rules are in the General Forum Rules that are visible from any forum listing here.

Well, if remote logins like VNC don't work, then there is truly nothing you can do. Use a KVM and external display, that's all that you can do.

tooki

Tesseract · Oct 11, 2005, 10:48 PM

Some PC BIOSes (especially on servers) alllow serial access. That may be a possibility provided you don't mind a text-only interface, and provided your OS installers will work with a text-only interface.