Removing the iMac Flat Panel display - and using VGA out

Hey all,

There used to be a topic about this, but it has since been archived, so I'm opening a new one.

Now, Here's what I'd like to do:

I have an iMac 800 G4, and I love the machine. It's still plenty fast for all of my needs. I would like to upgrade to the new iMac, but until Photoshop and the bunch are intel native, that's a no go. Anyway, the main reason I wanted to upgrade was for the resolution. Since spanning is out on my model, and the vga out port only mirrors up to the built in display resolution, my only choice is to upgrade.

I did some searching around, and discovered that someone (the originator of the old thread) had managed to remove the display and had gotten the vga out to support any resolution a connected monitor could support. The logic is that once the built in display is disconnected, the limitation for mirroring resolution is removed. Now, I don't need airport, so I could remove the screen without losing any functionality.

I just want to know a few things. First off - I don't want to take the computer apart - just remove the screen. That means that I'd still be left with the neck. This does't bother me, I just want to know if removing the display and "cutting the cords" will be enough to make the computer think that the monitor is gone, so I can use a higher resolution through the vga out port. Also, I want to know if this is safe - will just severing the cords (and covering them with electrical tape of course) harm the operation of the machine in any way?

Also, by severing the display and using vga out, will the external monitor essentially function as the only display? Meaning, will I ever have any issues with booting up where the computer might not find the monitor?

Thank you so much for any assistance you can provide - this would be a great go between while I wait for Adobe and friends to release the new apps.