iMac 27" like monitor for Pc

Guys.

Just a heads up. The 57xx 58xx ati radeon cards doesnt work with the imac display.
Its been reported that older radeon 48xx works, and the new 5970.

Just i thought i should give u a heads up.

More here:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1462524&highlight=imac+radeon&page=9

Soundcave, I ve been asking all over for this & most people say it is Not Possible. The first Link you Provided, does not work. Safari could not find the Page. Please Repost the Link. I want one of these! Thank you!

i just came over a new gigabyte motherboard h57. Which supports the new intel i5 core duo cpu's. The exciting thing with gigabyte motherboard h57 is that it has displayport.

Im a total noob here, but could u run a cable between the motherboard to the imac, and then use a 5870 or something like that to give the PC more juice? Or is that not possible since ur already using the internal intel gpu.

Found out a couple of things in discussions with Dell, who made my the laptop. On the PC side of things (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 1GB) the options are duplicate mode and extended mode. In duplicate mode the PC screen is duplicated exactly on the 27" apple display but at the PC's resolution of 1920 x 1080. Dell says it's actually higher on the apple?? but not the full 2650 x 1440. Hard to tell how much higher, if any. This is evident simply by looking at the two displays side by side. The other mode is extended mode where the two screens act like one so... if you slide a window off the right edge of the PC screen it slides onto the left edge of the Apple... as if the two screens were connected to each other. In this mode the Apple retains it full resolution (2650) while the PC retains its full resolution (1920). Anyone know if it's possible to have duplicate mode but with the Apple at it's full resolution?? Help!! Note. The connector cable is a 2 meter curcuitassembly.com ; Displayport to Mini-Displayport.

By definition, the "duplicate mode" (often called mirroring ) will not have the 27-inch iMac's display at the native 2560x1440 resolution, because the laptop's display is being duplicated on the external display. And that resolution is 1920x1080. The only way to use two displays with different native resolutions at their full resolution is to use the "extended" mode. That's what you want to use anyways, because you can then show something different on each display.

Kenichi... I haven't messed around yet with settings on the iMac. Not even sure what it is set up in. Any thoughts on what mode the Apple display should be in with regards to how the Dell PC is set up. The disconcerting thing about running the PC in "extended" mode is that you can't see the "window" from the PC on the iMac until you drag it off the right edge of the PC's screen. Then you have to go over to the Apple display and drag it from the left edge of the screen to the middle of screen to use it. Also, I've noticed that when in the extended mode the iMac runs pretty hot. Any thoughts? Thanks.

First, I want to confirm you are doing all this in Windows, correct? Then the iMac's display is just acting as an external 2560x1440 display that connects via Mini DisplayPort. The fact that it is an iMac is not relevant. All display settings are controlled by the Dell laptop running Windows. The resolution setting is set up in the Windows control panel for displays. You should also be able to arrange how the two displays are located virtually, to match how they are located in the real world; so if the iMac is located to the right of the laptop, you should arrange it that way virtually.

The disconcerting thing about running the PC in "extended" mode

One keyboard and mouse/trackpad controls both displays. Therefore it should not be two separate actions; you should be able to drag the a window from the laptop's screen to the iMac's screen in one action, and start using it. It's like having one larger screen that spans two screens.

Also, I've noticed that when in the extended mode the iMac runs pretty hot.

Since the iMac is just acting as a display (in target display mode), it should not matter that you are mirroring or in extended desktop mode. The Dell laptop is doing all the work either way.

Yes, all of the display adjustments were made on the Dell laptop. I haven't touched the iMac. Haven't yet figured out how to set up the drag to the left side yet, which is more intuitive since the laptop is to the left of the iMac. I don't mind doing it this way (extended mode) since it's at the 2560 res., but for those who don't yet have their 2nd computer and want to try this, my suggestion is to try to get one with a 2560 res. card and then I presume they could run in the duplicate mode and still have 2560 res. Other than that I'm happy doing it using the drag off screen method. I've also made the iMac the "main" screen for the PC so whenever I turn on the PC (with the iMac on as well) it's automatically in extend mode. I then do the command / F2 thing to get the OS-X back on display. As long as I don't have any settings too still perform on the iMac, then I'm good. Earlier in one of your posts you discussed the "target" mode for the Apple. Is that not germane for this discussion as far as what I'm trying to do? Just a thought. Thanks again for all of your help. D.Cook

+Target Display Mode+ is the official Apple name for using the 27-inch iMac as a display for another device. When you hit Command-F2 with the iMac running normally, you are putting the iMac into +Target Display Mode+.

As long as I don't have any settings too still perform on the iMac, then I'm good.

The display settings in Mac OS X (on the iMac), such as the resolution used in Mac OS X, do not affect how the iMac's display is used in +Target Display Mode+.

Does anyone know if ati or apple are working on further support? I am specifically wanting to connect a ati 5850 from my PC to my iMac for Target Display Mode.

It seems like it should be possible for a target iMac to export its paired mouse and keyboard signals through an iMac USB port to a USB port on a connnected PC. This would greatly simplify and improve the experience of using the iMac as monitor (in my case at the office where I must use a networked PC but also like to keep a Mac). I know that this feature isn't available now, but is it something that might potentially be implemented through an OS-X upgrade or would it require a hardware redesign? (It would also be helpful if there was a way to import the audio signal from the PC to the target iMac, but that is much less critical.) Thanks for all your help.

Anyone have an update as to if ATI has fixed any compatibility issues with the 57xx line of cards connecting to a 27" iMac?

I can confirm that the ATI Mobility 4650 card works( display port supports resolutions up to 2560x1600 ). I connect mini-display on the I-mac to display on the Dell, turn on both computers and the Windows screen automatically shows up on the I-mac.
Toggle command>F2 to switch back and forth. You have to use separate keyboard and mouse for the two machines.

My iMac 27" works great as an external display for my MacBook, but I can't find a way to reverse this so that I can use the MacBook as an external display for the iMac. When I hook up the male-to-male DisplayPort, it automatically makes the iMac the external monitor to the laptop. I've tried using Command-F2 on both machines, but nothing toggles. The tech specifications say the video port is bidirectional. Any ideas? Thanks.

Thanks!!!
This is the best computing news I've heard in a long time. I read that the 27" imac could also be used as an external monitor, therefore I thought great! I can connect my business laptop(windows vista with office 2007, 14" 1280x800 display) to my new 27" imac(I will now definitely buy one) and enjoy a super resolution, 2560x1440 for (planning) applications which with a large display make your work more efficient and enjoyable. I also don't need to purchase an extra external monitor!

I'm so pleased because I inquired at my local apple istore who informed me that it would not be possible, a typical dutch answer(if a dutch person does not know something, he/she believes it doesn't exist, otherwise he/she would know)

Thanks again!