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steve1341 · Dec 8, 2004, 07:48 AM

Dear All,

I have a 20" iMac - the new ones - and i wanted to also have a PC - for work.

Is it possible to use the iMac as a monitor for the PC - there was no VGA port so i expect not.

Thanks a lot

deboerjo · Dec 8, 2004, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by steve1341:
Dear All,

I have a 20" iMac - the new ones - and i wanted to also have a PC - for work.

Is it possible to use the iMac as a monitor for the PC - there was no VGA port so i expect not.

Thanks a lot

Depending on what kind of work you need to do, I'd recommend you just use VirtualPC on your iMac for Windows software.

-Jon

steve1341 · Dec 8, 2004, 10:19 AM

Thats not possible - It will be way too slow - Compiling C# on PC

tooki · Dec 8, 2004, 11:21 PM

You cannot use the Mac as a display.

You can, however, use Windows XP Pro on the PC and run Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection to see the PC's desktop from the Mac. Over a local network, the display speed is quite respectable, and programs run at the PC's full speed.

tooki

deboerjo · Dec 9, 2004, 01:49 PM

Originally posted by tooki:
You cannot use the Mac as a display.

You can, however, use Windows XP Pro on the PC and run Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection to see the PC's desktop from the Mac. Over a local network, the display speed is quite respectable, and programs run at the PC's full speed.

tooki

Just what I was about to recommend, tookie, though I was going to recommend VNC. I didn't know a Remote Desktop client existed for Macintosh.

steve1341 · Dec 9, 2004, 02:23 PM

It does - and its a free download from Microsoft. But screen redrawing and resolution is not as good as if it were done natively

macaddict0001 · Dec 9, 2004, 05:25 PM

You could crack open the imac's case and take the cable to the pc, but remote access is a far better option.

tooki · Dec 9, 2004, 05:27 PM

Originally posted by steve1341:
It does - and its a free download from Microsoft. But screen redrawing and resolution is not as good as if it were done natively

Of course it's not as fast as natively on the PC. But it's completely usable for most purposes, and it's MUCH faster than Virtual PC or VNC.

tooki

tooki · Dec 9, 2004, 05:37 PM

Originally posted by macaddict0001:
You could crack open the imac's case and take the cable to the pc

Not a chance. You think there's just a DVI or VGA connector sitting in there? Think again. It's like any other computer with an integrated LCD: the connector is the raw flat panel's semi-proprietary connector, and will lack any useful way of connecting to a PC.

tooki

Calli46 · Dec 9, 2004, 10:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by steve1341:
It does - and its a free download from Microsoft. But screen redrawing and resolution is not as good as if it were done natively

I've just been using such a configuration for a month : imac G5 17 + P3 866. The P3 is mostly used for C++ programming, from the iMac running MS Remote Desktop. While the screen redrawing is too slow for most games, there's no problem using this combination for programming. One caveat though : get a 100 Mbps or better network card on the PC! It,s much much faster redrawing than a 10 Mbps card.

Good luck, anyway you choose...

Krusty · Dec 10, 2004, 04:51 AM

RDC is teh bomb. Yes, the screen redraw is relatively slow .. but remember, the PC that you are hosting is still running full speed ... whether or not that is reflected on you Mac/RDC desktop. Immensely preferable to Virtual PC, IMHO.

PBG4 User · Dec 10, 2004, 08:55 AM

Question for those in the know, does RDC only work with Windows XP? Or will it work with Windows 2000 also?

I replaced my PC with a 20" iMac in September but if I could use RDC to control my Win2K PC that would make my PC useable again.

Spliffdaddy · Dec 10, 2004, 12:03 PM

I don't remember seeing a 'remote desktop' option in Windows2000. Judging by the way it was hyped during the release of WinXP, I'd say it was a new feature.

VNC works well enough, though. And it's free.

tae667 · Dec 10, 2004, 05:38 PM

Originally posted by PBG4 User:
Question for those in the know, does RDC only work with Windows XP? Or will it work with Windows 2000 also?

It's XP Pro only, won't work with XP Home or 2000.

macaddict0001 · Dec 11, 2004, 01:49 AM

Originally posted by tooki:
Not a chance. You think there's just a DVI or VGA connector sitting in there? Think again. It's like any other computer with an integrated LCD: the connector is the raw flat panel's semi-proprietary connector, and will lack any useful way of connecting to a PC.

tooki

I thought you could unplug it and rearrange the pins with a home crafted adapder oh well

PBG4 User · Dec 11, 2004, 12:31 PM

Originally posted by macaddict0001:
I thought you could unplug it and rearrange the pins with a home crafted adapder oh well

You probably could, if you knew the LCD's pinout arrangement. Thinking about it, even though the GPU is soldered onto the mobo, wouldn't it be easier just to use the DVI pinout arrangement?

Apple doesn't make the LCD so the LCD manufacturer probably uses some kind of standard input pin arrangement to make it easy on all the 3rd parties using said monitor. At least, that's what I think.

tooki · Dec 11, 2004, 01:05 PM

The flat-panel connector is a flexible ribbon (the kind with no wires, just flat traces on plastic), and it's not VGA, and it's not DVI. Instead, it's a standard called LVDS, which is the standard for internal flat panels, but is no longer used for standalone LCDs (DVI completely took over that role). Most GPUs support LVDS output, but no mainstream graphics card has ever had external LVDS connectors. Adapters exist from DVI and VGA to LVDS, but they cost more than a small LCD. You'd also pretty much disable the iMac.

tooki