Using external monitor as primary display

Question

Using external monitor as primary display

Hello,

I'm trying to use an external monitor as my only display for my old PowerBook G4. When I plug in the monitor, the computer automatically goes into multiple monitor mode (which, I must say, works so wonderfully, beautifully seamlessly compared to other operating systems [...cough...cough...Linux...cough...]). However, I want to use only the external monitor, not the screen on my laptop. If I try to use display mirroring, the screen size on the larger external monitor is shrunken to match the size of the laptop display. When in dual monitor mode, the display on the external monitor is the correct size, so I know the PowerBook is capable of producing the correct output.

Any thoughts? Thanks,
Adrian

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Sep 29, 2008 1:57 PM

Reply

Answer 1

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Sep 29, 2008 8:00 PM in response to parameter_poem

Hi, Adrian. In display mirroring mode, exactly the same signal is sent to both displays. That signal provides a display image that is 1152 x 768 or 1280 x 854 pixels (depending on which old Powerbook G4 model is being used) because that's how many pixels the built-in display contains. If the external display contains more pixels than that, some of them aren't used. To use them all, you have to be in Extended Desktop mode. That's just how it works.

Reply

Answer 2

Brent R

Level 2

199 points

Sep 30, 2008 6:14 AM in response to parameter_poem

- Connect the external display
- Put your Powerbook to Sleep
- Close the lid of your Powerbook
- Using an external keyboard or mouse (while lid is closed), wake up your computer

Now the only display that is on will be the external monitor. Feel free to open the lid to dissipate more heat, but if you ever hit "Detect Displays" or wake up the computer with the lid open, it will go back to dual head mode.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3131

Reply

Answer 3

Oct 3, 2008 10:28 PM in response to parameter_poem

Well, it seems that Apple's built-in multiple monitor support is excellent (just try setting up multiple monitors on Linux... or don't, if you value your time and/or sanity), but the solo external monitor support is pretty lame. I ended up using both the screen on my laptop and the external monitor, I just keep iTunes on all Spaces and have it sit on the PowerBook screen. The one drawback is that I can't use hot corners on one side of the external monitor because they're located on the PowerBook screen. The time to traverse both monitors with the mouse is usually greater than any saved by the hot corners.

Reply

Answer 4

Oct 24, 2008 7:34 AM in response to parameter_poem

Open the display preferences and click the "Arrangement" tab. It will show you both displays. Drag the menu bar from one to the other. Now the external display will act as the main display, with the menu bar and dock (and hot corners,) while the laptop acts as the external display. You can also fine tune the relative positions of the monitors here so the cursor shoots straight across the screens.

Hope this helps.

Reply