Enable iBook Monitor Spanning in OSX and OS9 (700Mhz ONLY!)

mrmistermrmister
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I accept no responsibility, but here are the instructions:



<a href="http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html"; target="_blank">Firmware Instructions</a>



I have tried it on an iBook I have access to, and it worked for me.



edit: added a slight warning to the thread title. don't want anyone getting over excited and not reading the entire thread, then finding out they just hosed their iBook.



-alcimedes



[ 10-23-2002: Message edited by: alcimedes ]</p>
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 60
    ringoringo Posts: 329member
    Has anyone tried it on a 1st gen. iceBook?
  • Reply 2 of 60
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by Ringo:

    <strong>Has anyone tried it on a 1st gen. iceBook?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    If it won't work on the 600MHz ones, I doubt it'll work on the 500MHz ones.
  • Reply 3 of 60
    stoostoo Posts: 1,490member
    I hope it works on the iBook G4
  • Reply 4 of 60
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    Yes--for all those who don't read closely before using dangerous open firmware commands, you can only use this on the latest iBooks.
  • Reply 5 of 60
    stoostoo Posts: 1,490member
    Would zapping the NVRAM sort OF errors?



    (cmd+option+p+r when cold booting the Mac: wait for two sets of chimes)
  • Reply 6 of 60
    apap Posts: 29member
    This sounds really cool!



    Would it be able to use the external monitor only (without spanning), and at higher resolutions?



    This would mean that you could use the ibook as a real workstation with a 21" monitor while not on the road.



    I've always missed that feature.



    Did anyone try?





    ap
  • Reply 7 of 60
    cyko95cyko95 Posts: 391member
    I did it with mine, but nothing changed. I boot to OS X and the other monitor just mirrors like before. Any ideas?
  • Reply 8 of 60
    mcqmcq Posts: 1,543member
    Mine works, but since I never really understood the difference between mirroring and spanning I'm not sure if it works completely on mine, since I'm trying to hook it up to a 17" LCD... the mirroring sorta works, but it just centers it in the middle of the screen and leaves a huge black edge, makes it look like my 12" screen was replicated (I guess that's why it's mirroring?)... I thought it could just simultaneously account for the difference between the 1024x768 of the iBook and the 1280x1024 I want my 17" LCD to run at.



    Spanning works fine, just had to position things so I could get everything on the 17" (menubar, dock, etcc.). That does work in 1280x1024, and it's awesome.



    Btw, the people over at Ars noted a way to do the firmware change temporarily as a one-time deal without storing it.



    Don't include the nvedit line, and only do the "select dev line", and "00000.. 2drop !" line, then do "mac-boot" and enter to continue booting.
  • Reply 9 of 60
    stoostoo Posts: 1,490member
    Mirroring: both displays show the same image. (e.g.: TV out on most video cards, stock iBook)



    Spanning: both displays show different images.

    (e.g. two separate graphics cards in one Mac/PC, dualhead cards, TiBook, modded iBook).



    Can you still overlap parts of spanning displays?
  • Reply 10 of 60
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Be careful. There are two people at Ars with 600/DVD/Rage128 iBooks that are now dead.
  • Reply 11 of 60
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    [quote]Originally posted by murbot:

    <strong>Be careful. There are two people at Ars with 600/DVD/Rage128 iBooks that are now dead.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    D'oh!



    Is the problem only with the 8meg card version of the 600 or is it also with the 16 meg version too?



    edit: I guess what I'm asking is: does this work on any ATi Radeon card or only on the 700mhz iBooks? It was unclear from the how-to...



    [ 10-23-2002: Message edited by: torifile ]</p>
  • Reply 12 of 60
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Looks like it works on the 700s, but it's a crap shoot on the 600s. I wouldn't even bother if I had ANY 600.



    Maybe it's a good thing I don't have mine here today.
  • Reply 13 of 60
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    [quote]Originally posted by murbot:

    <strong>Be careful. There are two people at Ars with 600/DVD/Rage128 iBooks that are now dead.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    It might help to reset OF by booting into OF and write:



    set-defaults (and hit return)
  • Reply 14 of 60
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    [quote]Zapping PRAM, booting into Open Firmware, booting into the boot manager, none of these work.<hr></blockquote>



    From a guy at Ars. Apparently he can't boot into OF.
  • Reply 15 of 60
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    [quote]Originally posted by murbot:

    <strong>



    From a guy at Ars. Apparently he can't boot into OF.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Why did he even try? There is a big warning on the page with the instructions.
  • Reply 16 of 60
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    That specific warning for the 600 was just added late this morning. It wasn't there last time I checked... he probably got a few emails and threw that up there.
  • Reply 17 of 60
    macasaurusmacasaurus Posts: 243member
    Does anyone know if doing this will void my AppleCare coverage?
  • Reply 17 of 60
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Did anyone trying it with a 12 inch iBook with 700 MHz *fail*?
  • Reply 19 of 60
    cyko95cyko95 Posts: 391member
    [quote]Originally posted by Chucker:

    <strong>Did anyone trying it with a 12 inch iBook with 700 MHz *fail*?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Well I wouldn't say mine failed, because it's still running. But it didn't work either. I did exactly what it said, but it still just mirrors the desktop, it still won't span.



    Anyone's help is still appreciated! =)
  • Reply 20 of 60
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Oooookay... *breathes*



    I'll try.
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