Apple MacBook: Using an external monitor is PAINFUL

Apple Mac OS X is older than Microsoft Windows.

Still using an external monitor on the Mac is painful compared to Windows.

I connected one of my old LCDs to the Ruchika’s Mac just to find out what a hassle it is.

Apple gives me two options by default…

Either use the LCD in extended mode (dual screen)
Or make it show the same content from the LCD Display (mirror mode)

If I pick up the Mirror mode, it would resize the display on the LCD (19”) to the size of the MacBook display (13”). Total crazy.

I hate to use the extended display mode just because I hate dual screen modes.

So, I ventured online to find a solution. There is a solution…

Apple calls it the ‘closed clamshell’ mode…

The solution is. Connect an external keyboard or mouse.

Close the lid of the MacBook. This puts the laptop in sleep mode.

Use the keyboard or the mouse (external) to wake up the laptop.

This method works fine. But there is another problem.

If you are on battery mode, the display goes into sleep immediately! So, Apple requires you to be connected to power supplies.

That makes it work the way I want it to work.

Awesome job Apple!

niahuntio94

Apple MacBook? I would like to get an Apple Macbook, but I don't experience much regarding it. My dad told me that it's kinda, a entirely intelligence scheme to relearm and so on. what are the pros and cons regarding taking an apple macbook? or any apple computer

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Red Leader

Back to the topic at hand...has anyone heard of a way to keep the laptop in clamshell mode and be able to unplug the macbook?

I've gone through two batteries over the years by using a macbook or pro as a desktop.

Granted you can just remove the battery and it works fine...i would just rather not do that..it's PAINFULLY annoying

Amir

Actually I find it silly that I have to have the power plugged in all the time when I want to use my notebook as a "desktop", as Apple say on their battery information page that they do not recommend having the power plugged all the time, and in this case I have to have it plugged all the time, or I'll just be forced not to use an external screen. I guess I'll go to InsomniaX, which I don't think is very safe in other cases.

brabbel

You dont have to have the power plugged in... I figured out a way to let it run without power supply:

Go into closed clamshell mode, with the MacBook Monitor turned off and the external monitor on.
Then open up the MacBook (screen will remain off) and plug out power supply. Voila!

Dave

He is definitely not trolling you idiot. I did not know about the clam shell mode.

Thanks for the article.

OutOfLine

Connecting an external screen to a mac is ridicolously easy, as you yourself show with your little writeup. So whats with the off-topic subject. Are you just tolling for hits? If so, it seems to be working..

And by the way; You say "Apple Mac OS X is older than Microsoft Windows."

Microsoft Windows 1.0 was released in November 1985.
Mac OS X was first released June 22, 2001 (replacing Max OS 9).

Apoorv Khatreja

From where did you get the mini dvi to vga converter? And how much did you pay for it?

And maybe you can easily solve your problem by using Insomniax. You can sleep the MacBook display selectively without having to close the lid, and you can keep the display on even after lid is closed.

Sushubh

got it from apple with the macbook. i think they charge 20 usd for it.

Arunjeet Singh

"Apple Mac OS X is older than Microsoft Windows."

Eh?

:D you know what i mean.

let's assume X here means version x (like y or x) and not X (as in 10) :D

equark

dude, it's quite easy for me. Just close the lid and move the mouse after it sleeps. Then open the lid to make sure the thing doesn't overheat. That's all I do. Works fine. No problems AT ALL.

Now that I think about it, I never had to do the above hack on battery power. Wonder why you needed it. And if you are using an external monitor anyway, you probably have a power source near you, just plug the AC adapter into it. Or just use the extended mode, it's not as bad as you make it out to be.

And your post is weird -- in the end you say it's just a minor issue, but the title says its PAINFUL.

I would say that using an external monitor in Windows is much more painful, having dealt with several external displays and projectors with both Windows XP and Windows Vista. Vista is especially painful when it comes to external displays/projectors.

i said there is 'another' minor issue.

as for using external monitor on windows (or linux) i have found them to be better compared to mac os x.

in fact using external monitor has been made even more easier on windows 7...

I wish one could have version control in blog posts..

WORDPRESS HAS VERSION CONTROL IN THE BACKEND.

I JUST ITALICIZED THE CONTENT I UPDATED TO MAKE IT A BIT MORE CLEAR.

Dan Shockley

I'm confused. Your conclusion seems to contradict your title and early comments. Is it painful, or does it actually work well? Was the painful part just due to your own personal preferences not matching what works best for most people?

its painful coz it does not work out of the box.

even linux gives me the option to disable laptop display if i have connected an external LCD.

what apple wants me to do is to always perform certain steps to get in work mode.

and they require the laptop be connected to a power source to even let that happen.

what i need is that the laptop display should not be used when it is connected to an external display. maybe i want to use the laptop's keyboard and trackpad... but no. that is not possible.

falsepod

why would you want to use the macbook keyboard with an external display? the macbook screen will get in the way. its hardly an issue using a power supply either, if your connecting to a desktop monitor then your going to be near a power source?

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Apple MacBook: Using an external monitor is PAINFUL