Thinking of getting an iMac. Anyone know if I can also plug in a PC & share monitor?
Don't know if there is a switchable alternate video input to say, the current iMac 20" ? I still need to have a Wintel box hooked up on my desk for work. Was thinking of buying a mini and using my current video switchbox setup, but by the time I loaded up a mini, the price was getting up to the iMac range. Anyone know if I can share the iMac monitor, with say, an S-video or HD15 cable going to a PC? Thanks.
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Don't know if there is a switchable alternate video input to say, the current iMac 20" ? I still need to have a Wintel box hooked up on my desk for work. Was thinking of buying a mini and using my current video switchbox setup, but by the time I loaded up a mini, the price was getting up to the iMac range. Anyone know if I can share the iMac monitor, with say, an S-video or HD15 cable going to a PC? Thanks.
Not that I know of. But if you can connect a Gigabit Ethernet cable between the PC and Mac, you might use Vine/VNC to access the PC from a Mac without using a switchbox. Lag issues there though...
The long answer is that some people have tried, but it involves jumping wires on the iMac mobo, and it looks like those that claim to have succeeded always fried something to get there.
Get the mini and a KVM!
I'd probably go the VNC route if it didn't lag so much because you can use the same keyboard and mouse for both machines that way. It's quite ridiculous that a VNC connection lags over a gig ethernet connection and it does.
If you are getting an iMac with GMA then I'd go for the Mini too, otherwise we come across yet another scenario where a mid range headless Mac would suit better [/yup, this subject again].
If you don't need/really want an iMac, I'd shoot for the mini.
If you think the iMac's power is important, you could probably find a video solution via ethernet.
Also, if you don't need/really want this right now, it wouldn't hurt to wait a little longer. The Mini, in my humble opinion, is due for an update...
Don't know if there is a switchable alternate video input to say, the current iMac 20" ? I still need to have a Wintel box hooked up on my desk for work. Was thinking of buying a mini and using my current video switchbox setup, but by the time I loaded up a mini, the price was getting up to the iMac range. Anyone know if I can share the iMac monitor, with say, an S-video or HD15 cable going to a PC? Thanks.
What are your reasons for not just using the iMac to run the Windows apps that you need and getting rid of the PC altogether?
Yup, been using Macs since before they were called Macs and my current machine is an ancient G3/233, so still want to keep using the brand. Do think you are right in that they are due for an update, so would hate to buy one now and have some cool update happen two months later! Thanks
Well, there are lots of updates expected within the next week or two. If there are redesigned iMacs and leopard does have the ability to run 3 systems simultaneously, you may not even need the PC at all.