VGA is pure analog. DVI can be a either be pure digital, or digital+analog. It also allows pure analog, but as far as I know, nobody uses DVI in this mode. Most often, DVI is pure digital.
So, your powerbook analog VGA output will need to be digitized if you want to drive a digital display. Hence, those boxes which do the analog to digital conversion. Typically, these are very expensive and not worth it IMO. LCD displays that accept VGA inputs have their own converter built-in, which is kinda silly because you have a digital signal, converted to analog and back to digital again. Hence, LCDs with DVI inputs are typically of a better quality.
Part answer to your question, no, there is no easy solution.
I have an LCD monitor that has DVI-I and analog inputs and occasionally on the DVI-I input, which carries both analog and digital, the monitor will use the analog channel instead of the digital one (kind of strange but used to occur for me when I took my computer out of sleep). Which means you could theoretically plug the DVI interface to a VGA port and have it work (provided that the analog signals in DVI-I and VGA are identical).
Now if you can do that with Apple's displays is another question... I would doubt it as they probably do not have an a/d convertor, as they were only meant for digital interfaces. However I may be wrong... if Apple's displays have a DVI-I connector instead of DVI-D, then there may be a slight possibility that it can be hooked to a VGA port (after doing some port conversions).
But in the end, it probably is too much hassle to do this, just go with a display with VGA inputs.
applenut: Yes, there are VGA-to-DVI converters. But they cost $300. Check out Dr. Bott's VGAtor. IMO, not worth the price to use a fancy Apple display.
Escher
Edit: It's the VGAtor, not the DVIator. Added link to German Dr. Bott site because Dr. Bott US site was down at time of this post.
applenut: Yes, there are VGA-to-DVI converters. But they cost $300. Check out Dr. Bott's VGAtor. IMO, not worth the price to use a fancy Apple display.
Escher
Edit: It's the VGAtor, not the DVIator. Added link to German Dr. Bott site because Dr. Bott US site was down at time of this post.
ah, thanks. yea, 300 dollars would be better spent towards a new powerbook or something.
sigh. it kind of sucks because this powerbook serves me very well, just would really like to add one of those 20 inchers.
Comments
So, your powerbook analog VGA output will need to be digitized if you want to drive a digital display. Hence, those boxes which do the analog to digital conversion. Typically, these are very expensive and not worth it IMO. LCD displays that accept VGA inputs have their own converter built-in, which is kinda silly because you have a digital signal, converted to analog and back to digital again. Hence, LCDs with DVI inputs are typically of a better quality.
Part answer to your question, no, there is no easy solution.
Now if you can do that with Apple's displays is another question... I would doubt it as they probably do not have an a/d convertor, as they were only meant for digital interfaces. However I may be wrong... if Apple's displays have a DVI-I connector instead of DVI-D, then there may be a slight possibility that it can be hooked to a VGA port (after doing some port conversions).
But in the end, it probably is too much hassle to do this, just go with a display with VGA inputs.
Escher
Edit: It's the VGAtor, not the DVIator. Added link to German Dr. Bott site because Dr. Bott US site was down at time of this post.
Originally posted by Escher
applenut: Yes, there are VGA-to-DVI converters. But they cost $300. Check out Dr. Bott's VGAtor. IMO, not worth the price to use a fancy Apple display.
Escher
Edit: It's the VGAtor, not the DVIator. Added link to German Dr. Bott site because Dr. Bott US site was down at time of this post.
ah, thanks. yea, 300 dollars would be better spent towards a new powerbook or something.
sigh. it kind of sucks because this powerbook serves me very well, just would really like to add one of those 20 inchers.
Originally posted by wmf
The VTBook is only $245, but you're probably better off buying a VGA LCD. May I suggest a ViewSonic VX2000? Cheaper and more pixels.
25 ms response time
Originally posted by applenut
25 ms response time
You're playing games on a 667 MHz PowerBook? Come on!
Originally posted by wmf
You're playing games on a 667 MHz PowerBook? Come on!
you'd be surprised