iMac adapter that allows LCD as external monitor
The 17" iMac model was already tempting, but a 20" (at 1680 by 1050 resolution!) just about closes the deal ...
Will somebody (Belkin, others?) be coming out with an adapter that will allow an iMac LCD to be used as external monitor (for an ugly PC hiding under the desk ;-) ???
Has anybody done this? Are there links to the pinout of the LCD connector somewhere? Google is not (and this is not the first time I search on this topic!)
Will somebody (Belkin, others?) be coming out with an adapter that will allow an iMac LCD to be used as external monitor (for an ugly PC hiding under the desk ;-) ???
Has anybody done this? Are there links to the pinout of the LCD connector somewhere? Google is not (and this is not the first time I search on this topic!)
Comments
Plus, when the iMac is old and slow, you could always keep it around as a paperweight with cool monitor attachment! *smirk*
Originally posted by Keda
iMac as an external monitor?
This is a feature I've wanted since the Bondi Blue days. It would be very helpful in an office or computer lab. Computers break down and it's nice to be able to swap monitors in an emergency.
Originally posted by JJMata
Not *just* as an external monitor. I tend to always have a PC and a Mac running simultaneously. It would be killer if I didn't have to set up *two* monitors on my desk.
so buy one 20inch or larger cinema display (or wait to see if new aluminum bezels arrive)
and buy a KVM monitor switch
bingo. one spiffy WideScreen LCD. ports to share it with lesser computers.
less desk clutter. cheaper than an iMac20
The argument against the 20 inch lcd iMac is that in two or three years it will feel pretty antiquated (especially w/ a 1.25 G4) and you'll have a crappy computer with a great monitor, but you'd want to upgrade. But, around 50% of your purchase (iMac costs 2199, cinema screen alone costs 1100) is still perfectly fine and an amazing screen to use as long as it possibly can.
As of now I would never buy the iMac until it gets a G5, but if you could hook it up to another computer once its useful life is gone, I'd give it a much more serious look.
Granted, I'm no fan of Windows, but it would be sweet to have a gaming machine hooked up like that.
Pardon the sloppy photoshop work, but I think this is what Apple should offer with future iMacs if they intend on continuing their trend of using displays that are worth more than the iMac itself. If nothing else, it gives the customer the comfort of knowing they can reuse that beautiful display when the computer becomes obsolete. Plus, it almost guarantees their future computer purchase will be another Apple system.
Seriously, if you are prepared to have a PC tower, there is no reason why your Mac shouldn't be a tower either.
Barto
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherpr...edesktopclient
to control your PC under the desk with the iMac.
DVI is going to be around for quite some time now, it's the HDTV standard, provides about as much resolution as most systems will be able to comfortably drive for the next 3-4 years, and can always just spawn an extra link or two if more bandwidth is desired.
The 20" display is right at this "large screen" threshold that big CRT's were at. Recall that 20-23" CRTs remained quite pricey even when 17" CRT's and to a lesser extent 19" CRT's had fallen substantially. Don't expect that even in 3-4 years time, 20"+ widescreen LCDs will be much under 900USD even while 17-19" units will range from 200-500 -- a substantial jump at that point.
So, in three years, when an iMac is feeling sluggish, the screen will still be something expensive (and valuable) by market standards.
If a company could hack a KVM into the iMac, that would indeed be a very sleek hack. The same keyboard and mouse could control both the iMac and some computer connected to it.
Definitely something for a third party mac dev to consider. Imagine if you will, using your old iMac (20") as the display for your late 2006 12" PB G5 3Ghz ? In the meantime, the base itself is still working for ya as a secondary machine, perhaps running a small server, or streaming MP3's around the house, or even finishing off a DVD-burn while your main machine is unencumbered yet using the large display you already had ready.
It makes sense for something like the 20" iMac, of course nothing would stop you from using it on a 15 or 17" machine either.
I'd buy the low-end G5 with a Sony DVI LCD and a KVM switch. You'd end up spending a few hundred more than the iMac, but better performance, a much better display, the hardware interoperability you're looking for and expandability you could never dream of with the iMac.
computer. KVM extenders are ideal for applications like public broadcasting, banks, classrooms, tradeshows, and other mission critical locations.
http://www.digitalview.com/controllers/products.php