MacBook External Monitor Help

Akilae729

Hey, I've finally bought the adaptor to run an external monior on my MacBook.

How do I set it up so this external monitor is the primary display so I can run the MacBook with the lid closed through the external monitor.

I was told earlier on these boards that this was possible, but I just cant figure out how to do it.

Thanks

contraband

While I don't know offhand, nor do I own a Mac, I've read in several places before that it's not in good practice to do this. The laptop was designed to ventilate heat out the keyboard face and top while it was running--it wasn't built to run closed, in what's called "clamshell mode."

A quick Google search reveals that OSX will essentially stop you from doing this, sans a workaround...

http://www.ffnn.nl/pages/articles/apple-mac-os-x/macbook-clamshell-mode.php

Keep in mind that article was published October 2006, so OS X may have been changed regarding this feature. Hope that helps.

FirstComradeStalin

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this still applies because of how it disperses heat. It's not that big of a deal, though, just put it to the side and use a wireless keyboard/mouse, then it'll be effectively the same, albeit with the blank monitor staring at you. Or, even better, use both screens, have more real estate.

Food?

Simple. Plug the monitor in, shut the lid, and then press keys on the keyboard/jiggle the mouse (I haven't figured out what exactly you're supposed to hit). After a second or two, the external monitor will come to life.

And don't worry about the heat. I had my MacBook Pro closed and kept in a keyboard pull-out drawer for two semesters, while I played games on my external monitor. I didn't ever really see any heating problems

contraband

Food? wrote: »

Simple. Plug the monitor in, shut the lid, and then press keys on the keyboard/jiggle the mouse (I haven't figured out what exactly you're supposed to hit). After a second or two, the external monitor will come to life.

And don't worry about the heat. I had my MacBook Pro closed and kept in a keyboard pull-out drawer for two semesters, while I played games on my external monitor. I didn't ever really see any heating problems

Wow, honestly that sounds pretty incredible. The newest MBPs reportedly idle at 65 degrees Celsius...

Food?

contraband wrote: »

Food? wrote: »

Simple. Plug the monitor in, shut the lid, and then press keys on the keyboard/jiggle the mouse (I haven't figured out what exactly you're supposed to hit). After a second or two, the external monitor will come to life.

And don't worry about the heat. I had my MacBook Pro closed and kept in a keyboard pull-out drawer for two semesters, while I played games on my external monitor. I didn't ever really see any heating problems

Wow, honestly that sounds pretty incredible. The newest MBPs reportedly idle at 65 degrees Celsius...

Well

it got hot as fuck (had to let it sit for a while before I could touch it), but it never turned off, nothing melted, no artifacts on my screen or anything. I've been pretty impressed, as keeping it in such a small space and running demanding games with its lid shut should have easily caused problems.

I mean look, it's running this hot and all I'm doing is surfing in Firefox, chatting on Adium and using iTunes.

contraband

Just for comparison's sake, what temperatures do you get when you have the laptop open and on your desk, screen dimmed all the way off?

FirstComradeStalin

Do the newest MBPs still run that hot? I thought that much heat was really just due to very inefficient thermal paste spreading and a fan that was afraid of making noise and burning battery. I use a program called SMC Fan Control on my 1st gen MBP to ramp up my fan when I run it plugged in and the idle temp drops pretty well. I still don't understand why you really want to close the lid, though. Not much real estate on the desk?

Legoman05

Food? wrote: »

contraband wrote: »

Food? wrote: »

Simple. Plug the monitor in, shut the lid, and then press keys on the keyboard/jiggle the mouse (I haven't figured out what exactly you're supposed to hit). After a second or two, the external monitor will come to life.

And don't worry about the heat. I had my MacBook Pro closed and kept in a keyboard pull-out drawer for two semesters, while I played games on my external monitor. I didn't ever really see any heating problems

Wow, honestly that sounds pretty incredible. The newest MBPs reportedly idle at 65 degrees Celsius...

Well

it got hot as fuck (had to let it sit for a while before I could touch it), but it never turned off, nothing melted, no artifacts on my screen or anything. I've been pretty impressed, as keeping it in such a small space and running demanding games with its lid shut should have easily caused problems.

I mean look, it's running this hot and all I'm doing is surfing in Firefox, chatting on Adium and using iTunes.

Please tell me that's Fahrenheit.

Akilae729

Thanks, I'll try the mouse wiggling


I want the lid closed because I dont have much desk real estate and really for asthetic reasons.

I'll probably place the laptop on a cooling pad but I have a 6 inch tall space on my desk thats under a shelf that I want to slide the laptop into.

I really would just use the laptop itself but the 13 inch screen is just too damn small for me

Food?

I myself no longer have it in a drawer, I only did that when I had a small college dorm room desk.

And yes, the temps are in Farenheight.