[Mithras]

If anyone has used their iBook with an external monitor or a VGA projector, I'd love your step-by-step or advice.

Summary:

A couple of weeks ago, I was to give a presentation. I thought I'd use my iBook to do so.

Well, it didn't work. I showed up early, plugged the VGA-out converter into the iBook, plugged the other end into the projector, and booted up.

Nothing.

I checked the projector, and confirmed that it supports 1024x768 at 75Hz, which is the iBook's output. I put the iBook to sleep, work it up, shut down, booted up, booted OS 9, etc. Nothing worked.

Fortunately, I had the Powerpoint part on a zip disk, and managed to use a PC they had.

I'm giving another talk soon, and really want the projector to work.

The only thing I can think is that I was on battery power. Does using the VGA-out port require plugging in to an AC outlet?

If not, should I assume something is broken on my iBook?

thanks,
mithras

[Eug]

Just plug it into a monitor and see if it works. If it works with the monitor then it should work with an LCD projector (that supports 1024x768@75 Hz).

On the iBook all you have to do and plug it in and the iBook should automatically activate the output.

My iBook is the department's default machine for PowerPoint presentations. "We need a laptop for this presentation. Get Eug's!"

The only problem I've run into is really related to the projector. Some of the cheaper ones don't support 1024x768, and some don't have very intuitive menus.

[Mithras]

So it should work even on battery?

(I don't ahve a regular monitor to try it on).

Then perhaps something is wrong with the iBook, unless I'm missing any steps...

[icebookdude]

It should work without any problem. Just plug in the connector. I used my ibook with a projector and it worked even on battery. Try to find someone with a regular Monitor to test it. Maybe there is something wrong with your ibook.

[-Q-]

A couple things to check with the projector:

• Make sure it can support the resolution of your iBook. That can definitely cause some issues.
• Make sure the VGA cable adaptor is plugged securely into the iBook-it can work itself loose pretty easily.
• Make sure that if you didn't set up the connections yourself, that everything is plugged into the right port. You never know when it could be something as simple as a cable not being plugged in correctly.

When I was giving a presentation for a friend, I let someone else set up the projector. After about 10 minutes of trying to find out why my iBook wouldn't send video out to the projector, I finally discovered that the A/V guy had hooked the VGA cable into the wrong port on the projector. Once that was corrected, everything was great...

But as mentioned above, it should be automatic once you plug the cables in.

[misc]

I know this may sound stupid, but i've seen people do it before: Make sure that the projector is on the right source input. It may be trying to get an input from RCA in as opposed to VGA.

[mac-at-kearsarge]

Another thing is the Apple VGA adapter, I can't stress enough that you amke sure it's in all the way. I'm under the impression that thiks is one of the first times of you using the adpater. When I first used mine, I paniced when it did work. I kept checking the connection and from QUICK glances it seemed secure, there was only a miniscule gap between the white casing on the adpater connecter and the side of my iBook, but that tiny little gap was the problem. After I gave the connecter a good push, I felt it lock into place and everything worked fine.

If this is the first time, you do have to apply some pressure to get the connection in all the way. I'm inclined to believe your problem was the same as mine

[PaleoJim]

Originally posted by -Q-:
[*]Make sure it can support the resolution of your iBook. That can definitely cause some issues.
[/B]

So, the iBook won't scale down to 800x600 when hooked up to an old projector? My Pismo does this quite nicely.

[Mithras]

Originally posted by mac-at-kearsarge:

If this is the first time, you do have to apply some pressure to get the connection in all the way. I'm inclined to believe your problem was the same as mine

Oh God. I'm sure that's it. Thank you so much.

I had just been practicing using VNC from the supplied Windows machine to the iBook, since I tried it again at the local copy shop (they have a projector) and again failed.

But now that you mention it, I haven't been pushing the adaptor all the way in. I left a couple of millimeters of metal out, because that's as far as it went in with a preliminary push.

I feel like an idiot.

Well, I give the first in a series of talks tomorrow, so I'll let you know whether kearsage got it.

The title of the thread may be more prescient than I originally thought...

[JoNoiD]

Originally posted by PaleoJim:


So, the iBook won't scale down to 800x600 when hooked up to an old projector? My Pismo does this quite nicely.

The iBook DOES scale down to 800x600, the same as your Pismo. I think the original poster meant refresh rate, or something to that effect.

[Eug]

Originally posted by JoNoiD:


The iBook DOES scale down to 800x600, the same as your Pismo. I think the original poster meant refresh rate, or something to that effect.

Not automatically. You have to adjust it in the Displays Prefs.

Note, even if the the projector supposedly supports 1024x768, sometimes it's better to use 800x600, if that's the native resolution. We have an old projector like this - terrible display of 1024x768 sources.

Our new one is 1024x768 native, but supports up to 1600x1200 I believe.

[mac-at-kearsarge]

So, did it work?

[Mithras]

Oh! Forgot to say -

it worked great. Presentation went great.

And I'm officially a complete idiot, for not pushing the VGA converter cable all the way in before. Oof.

Thanks so much for everyone's thoughts & words.

PS, I *love* the command-option-+ zooming feature - it worked wonderfully for helping everyone see an obscure bit of the screen.