Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

gbhgbh · Jan 12, 2005, 12:22 PM

Would there be any way to connect the Mac Mini to a Powerbook display? Taking it a step further, would it be possible to use a Powerbook's keyboard and trackpad with the Mac Mini?

OperaMan · Jan 12, 2005, 01:08 PM

If it's still possible to do IP over Firewire, you could VNC to it I guess. There are a few high bandwidth verisons of VNC, but I don't know if there are any for macs.

Hawkeye · Jan 12, 2005, 02:41 PM

Originally posted by gbhgbh:
Would there be any way to connect the Mac Mini to a Powerbook display? Taking it a step further, would it be possible to use a Powerbook's keyboard and trackpad with the Mac mini?

There is no practical way to use the laptop to control the Mac Mini. Sorry.

israces · Jan 12, 2005, 03:11 PM

How about ARD?

ivi · Jan 12, 2005, 04:07 PM

You can make it do anything you want over network, including running any X application, but you can't connect it the way you want

tooki · Jan 12, 2005, 04:17 PM

Timbuktu is the closest you could get, just doing desktop control, but the performance is nothing approaching the real deal.

As for actually physically connecting a PowerBook's display and input devices to it... not gonna happen.

tooki

gbhgbh · Jan 12, 2005, 10:01 PM

Well this would be an interesting product for someone to make, a portable keyboard, trackpad, and display in the form factor of a laptop to use with the Mini.

romeosc · Jan 12, 2005, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by gbhgbh:
Well this would be an interesting product for someone to make, a portable keyboard, trackpad, and display in the form factor of a laptop to use with the Mini.

Why?

That defeats purpose of both Mini (being mini) & PowerBook (being portable)!

romeosc · Jan 12, 2005, 10:16 PM

Ps.... I still think Mini (with bluethooth) is a great idea! I ordered one to leave connected to my 42 Plasma and use as a picture server etc.

darrick · Jan 13, 2005, 02:36 AM

i was about to suggest that the mini's existence suggested that a G5 powerbook was around the corner (the cooling problem being cured), but i checked and the mini is, of course, a G4.

Randman · Jan 13, 2005, 04:31 AM

I'm in the same boat. I'm happy with my rev c PB17 and think it'll be good enough for a couple of years. I don't have an external monitor but I'm considering getting one and a mini. I can let my g/f use the mini for her basic needs and use the rest as a server for mine, using the monitor for the mini as well as a second monitor to go with my PowerBook.

She was thinking of an iBook 12, but this will more than suit her needs as well as letting me gain an extra monitor for about the same price as the iBook.

gzeus · Jan 13, 2005, 04:42 AM

Dump the mini inside of an se/30 and we'll have come full circle.

http://www.nextro.com/nextro/english/i30.html

macdaemon · Jan 13, 2005, 06:30 PM

Originally posted by gzeus:
Dump the mini inside of an se/30 and we'll have come full circle.

http://www.nextro.com/nextro/english/i30.html

WOW you've got an expansive upgrade toy for real MacAddicts!