powerbook G4 using an external monitor

Question

Level 1

0 points

powerbook G4 using an external monitor

I'd like to use external monitors with my old powerbook G4. I've got the adaptors but when selecting video or the right imput on the external I get nothing or once I got my login screen and then the home screen but the screen never updated and was distorted. I've read something about mirrored but can't find that setting. I currently have my screen setting at 1280X854. I'm not sure if that is the default or the best for my 15" monitor.

powerbook G4, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 1.67GHz, ATI Video 32 Bit color, 64 MB VRAM

Posted on Feb 14, 2011 1:46 AM

Reply

Answer 1

eww

Level 9

53,122 points

Feb 14, 2011 5:51 AM in response to onehooptyman

You can toggle between Mirrored and Extended Desktop modes by pressing the F7 key. In Extended Desktop mode you will see a desktop background but no menu bar, dock, icons or windows on the external monitor until you drag icons or windows from your built-in display off the appropriate edge and onto the external display. In that mode you can also run the two displays at different resolutions, using the maximum capabilities of each and gaining maximum sharpness on both. In Mirrored mode, both displays will operate at the highest resolution that they have in common, which will usually be lower than the native resolution of the external display. Using any LCD display at anything other than its native (maximum) resolution will make the image on it blurry.

Reply