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Connecting a laptop lcd display to a 7500
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Hi,
I'm in the middle of converting my old 7500 into an MP3 jukebox, and, if possible, I want to make use of the 12" lcd display from an old Dell laptop.
My question is, well, how?? Is it simply a case of working out what cables correspond to the pins in the vga connector, or am I going to need a special card to convert to what the lcd is expecting? The laptop display will look a lot prettier on the bookshelf than a 12" crt monitor, but I don't want to rip the Dell apart unless I'm sure that I can get the screen working with the 7500.
There's gotta be a way of doing it, I'm sure...
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Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
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Most older laptop display connectors aren't standard and you would have to build a special adapter.
I don't think that it will work for you. Have you considered a small cheap standalone LCD screen?
drewman
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: MD
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Originally posted by tepeka:
<STRONG>Hi,
My question is, well, how?? Is it simply a case of working out what cables correspond to the pins in the vga connector, or am I going to need a special card to convert to what the lcd is expecting?
....
There's gotta be a way of doing it, I'm sure...</STRONG>
Not unless you are extremely crafty with solder, PCBs, and electrical engineering! But it's not impossible.
Maybe instead you should run VNC server on the 7500 and use the laptop to display the screen. Or just get a small screen that is made for VGA or RCA out. There are lots and lots of other options too (Linux on the 7500, export the display to Linux on the Dell) etc.
--Chris
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Current: iMac 20" 2.4/4/320 / iMac G4 800
Portable: iPhone 3G White/16 / 12" PowerBook 1.5/1.25/80
Former: PowerMac G5 Dual 1.8 / iBook G3 700 / PM 7500, 3G iPod 10GB, 5.5G iPod 30GB
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Hmm, so probably more trouble than it's worth, then? I didn't really want to go to the expense of a small lcd screen with vga - even on eBay they seem to cost big bucks (well, more than I'm prepared to pay...).
I'd actually already considered some of the alternatives, including putting Linux on the 7500. I installed Yellow Dog Linux 2.2, but ultimately decided that the user interface of iTunes was much better than any of the MP3 players available on Linux. The whole idea is that this thing should be easy to use for guests - and nothing seems to do it as nicely as iTunes.
And I'm not sure about running VNC server on the 7500 - when it's playing MP3s, the system slows down to a crawl. Mouse clicks take five secs or so to register. I think VNC might be the straw that breaks the camel's back... Also, does VNC allow streaming of audio, or just the video? I've never used it for that?
Anyway, I guess a rethink is required...
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: MD
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Originally posted by tepeka:
<STRONG>And I'm not sure about running VNC server on the 7500 - when it's playing MP3s, the system slows down to a crawl. Mouse clicks take five secs or so to register. I think VNC might be the straw that breaks the camel's back... Also, does VNC allow streaming of audio, or just the video? I've never used it for that?</STRONG>
You probably need more RAM and/or a faster processor. If you don't have a 200Mhz 604e you can get one real cheap ($15 or less). Don't spend too much on eBay, they tend to be overpriced there -- as an example, I won a set of two on eBay for $10, when I sold the extra it went for more than $30!
On my setup, I run iTunes and many other apps at the same time without a problem. Switching between apps can at times take a few seconds, but mouse clicks within apps are speedy. If you are running OS 9, drop it back to 8.6 which takes less processor resources and memory (iTunes 1.1 can be hacked to work fine in 8.6).
VNC only streams video as far as I know. Just running VNC server and iTunes should leave plenty of headroom for ya.
--Chris
PM 7500/604e 200Mhz
4 gig SCSI
LVD U2W SCSI Controller (no drives yet  )
256MB/512k cache
OS 8.6
(This machine rocks!)
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Current: iMac 20" 2.4/4/320 / iMac G4 800
Portable: iPhone 3G White/16 / 12" PowerBook 1.5/1.25/80
Former: PowerMac G5 Dual 1.8 / iBook G3 700 / PM 7500, 3G iPod 10GB, 5.5G iPod 30GB
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Originally posted by hempcamp:
<STRONG>
You probably need more RAM and/or a faster processor. If you don't have a 200Mhz 604e you can get one real cheap ($15 or less).
</STRONG>
That's an excellent idea! For some reason, I'd got bogged down with the notion that upgrading the 7500 meant a Sonnet G3 - hadn't even considered a 604e!
There're none going dirt cheap on eBay at the moment, but I'll keep a look out - this project is beginning to come together! 
Thanks for the advice!
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Portland
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I have a 180 604E that came out of a 8500. Don't know if it will work on your machine. $15 + shipping and it is yours.
X
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Originally posted by xmishx:
<STRONG>I have a 180 604E that came out of a 8500. Don't know if it will work on your machine. $15 + shipping and it is yours.
X</STRONG>
Anyone know if this will work in a 7500? (I presume it's the daughter card and not just the processor??)
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Chicago
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Originally posted by tepeka:
<STRONG>
Anyone know if this will work in a 7500? (I presume it's the daughter card and not just the processor??)</STRONG>
Yes of course it will. You just pull the processor card from yours and pop the new one in. 60 seconds max.......
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Barack Obama: Four more years of the Carter Presidency
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Portland
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A little help...
On this 180 MHz 604e processor is a sticker that says 8500 and 9500 only... you can see pics of the card here...
http://www.artistsimageresource.com/604e/
click on the thumbnail to enlarge.
Thanks for your help.
X
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: MD
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Originally posted by xmishx:
<STRONG>A little help...
On this 180 MHz 604e processor is a sticker that says 8500 and 9500 only... you can see pics of the card here...</STRONG>
Yep. Certain cards for the 8500/9500 have timing differences (involving motherboard bus speed) that make them incompatible with the 7500-like machines. Be very careful you get one that will work --- you could cause damage to your system.
--Chris
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Current: iMac 20" 2.4/4/320 / iMac G4 800
Portable: iPhone 3G White/16 / 12" PowerBook 1.5/1.25/80
Former: PowerMac G5 Dual 1.8 / iBook G3 700 / PM 7500, 3G iPod 10GB, 5.5G iPod 30GB
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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Originally posted by hempcamp:
<STRONG>
Yep. Certain cards for the 8500/9500 have timing differences (involving motherboard bus speed) that make them incompatible with the 7500-like machines. Be very careful you get one that will work --- you could cause damage to your system.
--Chris</STRONG>
Hmm, presumably this is the difference between the 45MHz bus speed of the 8500/180 and the 50MHz of the 7500/100... If that's the case, then an original Apple-supplied 200MHz 604e shouldn't be a problem, right? I'll do a bit more digging around the net...
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: MD
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Originally posted by tepeka:
<STRONG>
Hmm, presumably this is the difference between the 45MHz bus speed of the 8500/180 and the 50MHz of the 7500/100... If that's the case, then an original Apple-supplied 200MHz 604e shouldn't be a problem, right? I'll do a bit more digging around the net...</STRONG>
Not exactly, since the bus speed is actually determined by the processor card in these models. Basically has to do with clock differences between how some upgrade cards set the bus speed of the motherboard (which is limited to 50Mhz on the 7500, but higher I believe on the 9500).
Anyway, right, pretty much any original Apple 200Mhz 604e should work, as well as Umax cards. I use a Umax in mine because it was so much cheaper, and it works great.
--Chris
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Current: iMac 20" 2.4/4/320 / iMac G4 800
Portable: iPhone 3G White/16 / 12" PowerBook 1.5/1.25/80
Former: PowerMac G5 Dual 1.8 / iBook G3 700 / PM 7500, 3G iPod 10GB, 5.5G iPod 30GB
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