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    Hooking Up External Monitor

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by tianh, Dec 1, 2007.

  1. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    I want to hook up an external monitor to my macbook, unfortunately people have been telling me if you close the lid of the laptop, the laptop goes to sleep, disconnects wireless, no hibernation, e.t.c How can I prevent this from happening? I just want to use the monitor screen, not the screen of the laptop.
     
    tianh, Dec 1, 2007
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  2. stealthsniper96

    stealthsniper96 What Was I Thinkin'?

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    read this thread it has what u need
     
    stealthsniper96, Dec 1, 2007
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  3. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Thank you!
     
    tianh, Dec 1, 2007
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  4. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Also my macbook is 1900 1200, but my monitor is 1680 by 1050, will there be any distortion?
     
    tianh, Dec 1, 2007
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  5. system_159

    system_159 Notebook Deity

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    system_159, Dec 1, 2007
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  6. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    I dont quite get your post sorry ;(
     
    tianh, Dec 1, 2007
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  7. system_159

    system_159 Notebook Deity

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    Basically, the notebook goes to sleep when you close it. To get an external monitor to work with the laptop closed you have to have your magsafe adapter plugged in, your monitor, and a usb device(which wakes up the computer, so plug usb in last).
     
    system_159, Dec 1, 2007
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  8. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Couldnt I just use Insomnia?
     
    tianh, Dec 1, 2007
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  9. system_159

    system_159 Notebook Deity

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    If you don't want it to go to sleep in between using the built in screen and your external, then yes I'd suggest using InsomniaX. Otherwise, there's no reason to use that app unless you want your macbook to be awake while it's closed and not hooked up to anything.
     
    system_159, Dec 2, 2007
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  10. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    Do be aware that by shutting down your lid you are physically blocking your Mac's cooling system. So it is strongly recommend to not run intensive tasks for long periods of time with the lid shut.
     
    Budding, Dec 2, 2007
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  11. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Oh, I plan on hooking up my macbook to my monitor full time until I travel.
     
    tianh, Dec 2, 2007
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  12. stealthsniper96

    stealthsniper96 What Was I Thinkin'?

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    it might also be a good idea to just turn down the brightness on the screen all the way instead of leaving it on with the lid closed
     
    stealthsniper96, Dec 2, 2007
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  13. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Okay thanks
     
    tianh, Dec 2, 2007
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  14. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Wouldnt Turning the brightness down also turn the brightness down on my external monitor as well?
     
    tianh, Dec 2, 2007
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  15. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    No. The brightness of your external monitor would be controlled by the controls on the monitor itself.
     
    Budding, Dec 2, 2007
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  16. princealyy

    princealyy Notebook Evangelist

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    Unless you have applecare... Three sets of fans replaced... gotta love it.

    JK, I use my laptop on an external monitor and I would never close my screen. Have your prehaps considered doing an extended desktop to it??
     
    princealyy, Dec 2, 2007
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  17. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    No Unfortunately I do not have enough space for that ;(
     
    tianh, Dec 2, 2007
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  18. system_159

    system_159 Notebook Deity

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    There's plenty of ventilation at the back of the computer with the lid closed. I don't see any heat differences going from lid open to closed.
     
    system_159, Dec 2, 2007
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  19. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    The Macbook and MBP sucks cool air into its system via the keyboard. Therefore, blocking the keyboard would mean you are blocking the vent that allows cool air to circulate within the system.
     
    Budding, Dec 2, 2007
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  20. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Wow.. This sucks
     
    tianh, Dec 2, 2007
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  21. system_159

    system_159 Notebook Deity

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    Well, like I've said I've been operating with the lid down since I got my MBP in June. I've yet to see any alarming temperatures in either case, and I do some pretty intensive stuff(lots of audio conversion and software compiling that takes a lot of ram and cpu).
     
    system_159, Dec 2, 2007
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  22. tianh

    tianh Notebook Consultant

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    Ah okay that sounds good, thanks!
     
    tianh, Dec 2, 2007
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  23. saturnotaku

    saturnotaku Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Same here. Don't do any audio conversion, but I play games. Mostly Halo, and the system has been solid as a rock. The temperatures on my MBP are no different with the lid open rather than closed.
     
    saturnotaku, Dec 3, 2007
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