External display and macbook display

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18 Oct 2002
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Some help here, not quite sure if it's possible within OSX or not.

I have an external display attached to a macbook, in order to run in external display mode only the macbook has to be switched to clamshell mode. This can be achieved either by

1) Power on and immediately shut the lid
2) If already running, the macbook must be put into clamshell mode then awoken with external keyboard/mouse hooked up.

Option 1 is fine and what i tend to do either at home or moving offices, however on occasion will need to use the macbook display at the same time (mirroring or not depends on the circumstances). That's all good the issue is when i need to switch the macbook display off running just the external display. It seems, unless someone has a tip, you cannot just tell OSX/mac to turn off the macbook display and run on the external display unless you go through option 2, put into clam shell and then awaken again. Doing this every day, sometimes a few times a day is tedious and may also add to the wear and tear of the mac as it is going to sleep mode then being awakened.

Any solutions to the above?
Turning the brightness down/off on the macbook display is an inelegant solution and doesn't work as well. You have to stay in mirrored mode and the resolution may not be quite what you want. I have tried using InsomniaX but it does not seem to do what i want above....

To add fuel to the fire this is a standard feature in Windows where you can specify which monitors to use, when to use and how to use so none of the it's the mac way replies please:D
 
Not sure what you mean. If you close the MacBook it will sleep.

If however you then connect an external display (whilst in clamsheel mode) it will power up and use the external display as primary.
 
I do not want to close the macbook just use the external display as primary and have the macbook display switched off. There doesn't seem to be an option to sleep the macbook display while having the external display remain on as the only functional display. Or am i missing something?
 
Not unless you close it. You may find a hack somewhere, but I'm not aware of a way.

What's the bother closing the laptop if you aren't using the display? :confused:
 
If you close the lid it goes into sleep mode, it's a design/software fault if you have to do this just to turn the macbook display off. All i want is a way to switch the display off without having to close the lid or turning the brightness off. Also the lid is kept open to use the webcam when needed.

Oddly (or not) if using bootcamp you can do this quite easily ;)
Looks like it hasn't changed in the last few years then and i haven't been missing anything:(
 
Ctrl + Shift + Eject

Should put your internal display to sleep immediately.... I think.

[EDIT] which wasn't your question at all... whoops!
 
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