When you using an external display how on earth do you get the laptop screen to turn off? I've managed it a few times by putting the mac to sleep and then starting it up again but it seems to show no patern. Help anybody please!?!?!
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Hmn. I'd suggest the brightness control - if you set brightness to zero (ie: hammer F1) the main screen will be on, but with no backlight, which is practically "off". The backlight control doesn't affect the external VGA port.
Curious: why do you want the local screen off and the external one on? Are you mirroring or spanning? I can't think of many reasons to turn the local screen off when there's another one attached, you see. -
I know you deffo can't do this with the iBook, perhaps Powerbooks follow with the same?
I understand why though, Paleface, I wanted to have the iBook going to my TFT and then use an external keyboard and mouse with the iBook closed when it was at home.Comment
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What you're supposed to do in order to enable clamshell mode is connect an external display, keyboard and mouse, close the lid so it sleeps then use the external beyboard to wake it.
This way the Powerbook knows not to turn on the built in screen. Quite useful since it lets the videocard use all it's resources for the external display.Comment
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Ahhh, I see. That would make sense. Its working know just after being asleep but sometimes it doesn't which is what I'm curious about. The reason for it is that my external display is of higher quailty and its irritating to catch glimpses of it in my eye, plus the mouse can sometimes wander onto the wrong screen.Comment
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Well, also, if you hit F7, you can swap between display spanning and display mirroring, so that will stop it wandering onto the wrong screen (so to speak) as both screens will be the same. Valken is right, though: that's the accepted (and only) way to get clamshell mode to work correctly. I'm afraid I've never tried using my 12"PBG4 clamshell so I can't offer more assistance.
(Superkully - ah, I see; even with external keyb/mouse/monitor, I'd still appreciate two screens over one. Also, you used to be able to make iBooks span (not mirror) by hacking the video chip firmware. Not sure it works any more, haven't googled around that topic for a while).Comment
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Btw, Clamshell mode is not recommended, cause the Powerbook breathes through the keyboard. Thus, it'll get hot+1.
If you can, just leave it a bit open.Comment
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Powerbooks are designed so they can run in clamshell mode. You will kill an iBook if you try to run it in clamshell mode with the hack though.Originally posted by Magnakai
You'll actually notice that right below the hinge there's a huge vent going along the back of the machine for cooling like this. It may run a little warmer, I can't say for certain, but they are designed to run like this, I don't know where you got the idea that it's not recommended. It's listed in the manual isn't it?Comment
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Oh really?
Maybe I'm getting it muddled up with iBooks then. I just read something about it on one of the million of Mac tips sites a little while ago.Comment
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Once you have enabled clamshell mode I believe you can open the lid and the display will still be off.Originally posted by Magnakai
but like Andrewfee said, they're designed to do it.Comment
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I just can't see why you wouldn't want to spread your desktop over two screens...Comment
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It depends what you're doing with it.Originally posted by Ish
If I hook up my Powerbook to my HDTV and sit at a distance with a Wireless Keyboard/Mouse I won't want to span, as I won't be able to read the other screen.
Or if you're doing something intensive, it always helps to have the VRAM on one screen, rather than being split 50/50 between the two.Comment
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