MacBook external monitor resolution??

lloydsj · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:09

Hi,

Im thinking about buying a macbook in the coming weeks. I can see on the apple website that the graphics card supports upto 1920 x 1200 on the external monitor. Does anyone here use their macbook on that res? and does it start to slow down when using it at this resolution? do videos run smooth full screen at this res? etc... you get the idea.

I'm not going to be playing games on the macbook, but would like to plug it into an external monitor with a higher resolution for graphics and design work. Just wondered how the gfx actually performs.

Cheers.

kvfb97 · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:15

I used to run it at 1680x1050 and there was no slow downs. Not much help but.. meh.

WotDa · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:18

kvfb97 said:
I used to run it at 1680x1050 and there was no slow downs. Not much help but.. meh.

If you're doing it, so am I.

My MBP runs 1920x1200 fine with Photoshop/whatever.

lloydsj · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:24

kvfb97 said:
I used to run it at 1680x1050 and there was no slow downs. Not much help but.. meh.

No that does help cheers. I'm interested in running in any res above the norm. Did you run dvd's full screen and other things which are likely to push the gfx card to its limit? (obviously without playing games which I don't expect this to do).

I'll be doing photo editing, running virtual machines (parallels and vmware etc) and website design etc. I like to play around with video's too. I'll have atleast 2gb memory in my macbook too.

JUMPURS · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:24

Sorry to interrupt your threat, but can you work the mac with an external monitor with the lid closed yet?

lloydsj · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:27

JUMPURS said:
Sorry to interrupt your threat, but can you work the mac with an external monitor with the lid closed yet?

No worries, I'd like to know that too.

Ender · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:50

lloydsj said:
No worries, I'd like to know that too.

yup, just need an external keyboard/mouse obviously

hyper_piper45 · 31 Jan 2008 at 20:59

kvfb97 said:
I used to run it at 1680x1050 and there was no slow downs. Not much help but.. meh.

I also run mine at that res pretty much all the time.

And to confirm you can run it with the lid shut, as long as you have a mouse and keyboard attached.

nav... · 31 Jan 2008 at 21:39

which is annoying for front row.

a macbook fits so perfectly into a home entertainment center.

Mr Jones · 31 Jan 2008 at 21:43

nav... said:
which is annoying for front row.

a macbook fits so perfectly into a home entertainment center.

A wireless mighty mouse = win?
Plus, you'll need a mouse for the most basic of task anyway for your Home Entertainment Centre - which is more or less where my MacBook is going to head if I save up enough for a MBP

Ender · 31 Jan 2008 at 22:01

nav... said:
which is annoying for front row.

a macbook fits so perfectly into a home entertainment center.

Actually you dont need a mouse and keyboard attached, if you close the lid the macbook will go into sleep mode, but hold the menu button on the remote and the macbook will start up again, therefore allowing you to enter front row without a keyboard and mouse attached.

WotDa · 31 Jan 2008 at 22:03

Ender said:
Actually you dont need a mouse and keyboard attached, if you close the lid the macbook will go into sleep mode, but hold the menu button on the remote and the macbook will start up again, therefore allowing you to enter front row without a keyboard and mouse attached.

Bingo.

Not fun with an iPod dock nearby though.

LordSplodge · 31 Jan 2008 at 22:06

hyper_piper45 said:
I also run mine at that res pretty much all the time.

And to confirm you can run it with the lid shut, as long as you have a mouse and keyboard attached.

On an interesting side note, the wife was watching Doctors

rolleyes:

) on BBC iPlayer last night and when she was done she played a game of seeing at what point the MacBook went to sleep.

Silly girl...

Ender · 31 Jan 2008 at 22:21

WotDa said:
Bingo.

Not fun with an iPod dock nearby though.

Just synch your apple remote with the laptop, that way it will only work with it and not effect the dock, then you can use the other remote to seperately control the ipod dock

WotDa · 31 Jan 2008 at 22:51

Ender said:
Just synch your apple remote with the laptop, that way it will only work with it and not effect the dock, then you can use the other remote to seperately control the ipod dock

I only have 1 remote.

kvfb97 · 31 Jan 2008 at 23:16

I ran DVDs on the screen all the time, still do with my friends Macbook. It was fine. Any I ran design programs 24/7 on it and was fine.