Ask Jacob

The 30″ Apple cinema display uses a version of DVI called “Dual Link” that provides the bandwidth needed to support such large resolution. To connect the current model Mac mini with your current display, all you need is a Mini Displayport to Dual link DVI adapter.

The display settings should auto-configure as the adapter and display are discovered by the Mac mini.

Dennis Beaman
Ask Jacob Team

The G3 and G4 notebook computers have several cables that pass through the hinge mechanism. Repeated opening and closing of the hinge may have worn one of the cables that passes power through to the backlight of the display. Depending on what model of notebook, the cables may be considered as part of the display unit, and should be replaced.

I hope this information has been helpful for you.

Dennis Beaman
PowerMax Support

You can force the disc out of the drive by holding down the main button of a USB mouse when the Mac mini is starting up. That should force out the disc. Most VGA displays should work on the Mac Mini.

What model display are you using that will not work? It is OK to use a PC display on a Mac, almost all of the modern PC displays will have no problem working with any Mac, even refurbished Mac minis.

Jacob

It is my understanding that the only appreciable impact of running a second display on a 27″ iMac is with the video cards GPU and VRAM. The VRAM will be split between the internal display and the external display.

The GPU will have to work almost twice as fast to redraw the screen. Your processor will be mostly unaffected except for the added overhead of managing that much more desktop space.

- Jacob

Apple laptops run display cabling through the hinges so hinge damage will quickly start to affect the display cables.

There is probably a short in the display cable from its contact with the sharp edges on the crack. You should take it into the Apple or Mac Store for support and to get a repair quote. It will likely require a new display housing with the display, it will not be cheap if it is not covered by AppleCare.

Hope this helps sorry tot hear about the problems.
- Jacob

The DVI Apple Displays work nicely with the Mac Minis. If you have a Clear plastic ADC display you will need a DVI To ADC Display Adapter.

I think other than that you should be set to make the switch and use the new Adobe CS Software but you should check the graphics card requirements for the applications you are planing on using. Some features may not work perfectly on the Integrated Graphics cards used in the Mac Mini.

Jacob

Yes you are correct that the Apple Cinema HD Display 23″ will require a better video card than what your Cube has.

That display needs an ADC connection from a card with 32MB of Video RAM. It is likely that your video card is underpowered for that display. Replacement parts are hard to find, we do not have any, but you may be able to find a card from a high end Cube for sale online.

Hope that helps
Jacob

The glass can be replaced easily, it is held on with magnets. However, there could be a problem if the bend in the case prevents the replacement of the glass. If the glass can not lay flat on the case, it may cause it to crack or let dust in. The glass for a 27 inch iMac should be $120-200 to replace but again the bent case is the X factor.

Bring it into a service shop for a better estimate of the work needed to get the glass replaced.

Hope this helps
- Jacob

A LCD TV could work as a digital display, but I would make it only one, of at least two displays. A 1080p TV will display a resolution of 1920 × 1080. Where an Apple 24″ LED displays 1920 x 1200. The difference is that the 24″ display basically displays the same info in 24 inches that the HDTV will display in 32 inches.

The TV will have to be set further back for you so that the image the image does not look pixelated. That may work in your studio, but having a high-density display close to you can be better for long term detail work.

This Acer 24″ display could be an interesting mix of a TV and display for you. It has a HDMI and DVI input, to support a video device and computer.

There is not any 3 display video cards for a G5, but you can get a PCI video card to support another display, after you fill up the first two ports that you get with the Apple supplied card.

- Jacob

The ADC video port on your Quicksilver G4 Mac is actually DVI with power and USB connections bundled in with it. So a simple adapter should let you hook up your Dell display via DVI. This Apple ADC to DVI video adapter should do the trick.

As for the buzzing noise, open up you computer and make sure that there are no cables resting on the various fans in the computer. You can have a G4 running when the case is open, just make sure not to touch any of the circuitry. Look to see if there is a fan on the video card. Those little fans can make extra noise as they age. There could also be some loose drive sleds on the bottom of the case making a metal on metal noise.

I was not able to see where we listed the ports on this G4 PowerMac, but these Macs have two USB ports and two FireWire ports on the back of the units. I think you might have confused USB and FireWire, as most printers and scanners use USB and not FireWire. Apple often lists the computers as having additional USB ports because the Apple keyboard comes with two USB ports built in. So the one USB port that the keyboard uses, is replaced by two extra on the keyboard. That would give you a listing of three USB ports. Perhaps that was the discrepancy you saw in the description.

A good option to get extra USB connections at a higher speed than the internal USB 1.1 ports, is with a Sonnet USB 2.0 PCI card.

- Jacob

I do not have personal experience with that brand of KVM but I know some KVMs will have problems passing along settings data to a Mac. When you power on the G5 Power Mac, you have the KVM switched to its port right? In many cases that is essential for the video card to find the proper resolution.

Aside from that, it should work. Please let me know if the other video card makes a difference.

- Jacob

Yes – every new Mac Pro has a Dual-Link DVI port on it to connect your 30″ Cinema Display. There is also a second connection point with a Mini DisplayPort connector. That can run near any display with the proper adapter, even a second 30″ Display.

- Jacob

Unfortunately Apple has done it again. They jumped into a new connector format without a thought about the Mac user who has older Mac equipment. The 24″ Apple LED display is a truly great companion to the new Mac laptops. Although they work on all new Macs, the 24″ display is a docking station for laptops. They provide power and a host of desktop features to give you two macs from one. A Mac Laptop tied to a 24″ Apple display is a perfect package, and I would like you to have that experience. Sadly that the new display will not work on your G4 tower. It may be better to just get a low end LCD display for the G4 and then use the 24″ LED display as your MacBook’s docking station.

Here is a nice one but there are many good sub $150 displays.

- Jacob

What you need is a KVM switch and there are two you should look at. The IOGear KVM switch is particularly nice for this kind of device switching. Many KVMs do not have audio switching or us DVI, but this IOGear Micro View KVM Switch will do.

Which ever unit you get should help with the monitor an speakers. The wireless keyboard mouse combo should work as long as it is the kind that uses the USB dongle attached to your current Mac computer. Otherwise you will have trouble pairing those devices with two computers. You may need to use the Keyboard and mouse that come with the Mac Pro until you retire the PC. After that a PC bluetooth keyboard/mouse will work well on the Mac.

- Jacob

Your Mac computer should connect just fine to your HD TV and kick-out a full HD signal. I have an old PowerBook G4 connected to my HDTV at home. I mostly play standard definition TV from my EyeTV archive upstairs but we have played HD shows on the TV though the Mac. The PowerBook G4 has trouble keeping up with decoding the HD signal, your Intel Mac should have no problem with HD shows. You will need three cables to connect to your TV through HDMI. Your TV will need to support HDMI with an RCA audio connection for this to work.

Here is the list.
• The Mini DVI to DVI cable to get DVI from your MacBook.
• A DVI to HDMI cable.
• Then an audio cable for the, uh, audio.

Later when you move to the Mac Mini, you can reuse these cables. Most web pages are very readable and recorded TV looks great. Consider also getting an EyeTV system to record HDTV and this Adesso Keyboard / Trackpad combo (note it is Windows keyed but works on a Mac).

- Jacob

There is no physical way to connect the screen of an eMac or iMac to another computer. They are hardware locked to the logic board of Apple computers. You can, however, use the built-in screen sharing feature of 10.5 Leopard to view and control the Mac Mini remotely. They both need to be connected to the same network and the Mini would need to be configured to allow remote connections. So it would need to be connected to a monitor and keyboard-mouse for the initial setup. You would also need to upgrade the eMac to Leopard to control the Mac Mini. After that it the eMac should be able to see the new Mac Mini as available for screen sharing in the sidebar of any Finder window. If this is just a matter of saving money, you can get an LCD display that will work on your Mac Mini cheaply. It will work two times better than Screen Sharing, perhaps ten times better.

- Jacob

Because the Apple ADC based LCD displays received their power from the ADC port on the older Macs, you will need more than a simple cable adapter. You need the powered Apple DVI to ADC Display Adapter.

You could also consider getting a newer LCD display, like this Acer 19″ display, that is bigger for just a little more than the powered adapter.

- Jacob

There are some graphic performance differences between higher and lower resolutions. Particularly when it comes to consuming VRAM. However, with modern video cards, they don’t exhibit too much
difference between the 20″ and 24″ iMac native resolution resolutions. This is particularly true when you have 512MB of VRAM. Each extra pixel on screen has to be stored in VRAM on your Apple computer. So with only 256MB of VRAM, the difference between 1680 by 1050 and 1680 by 1050 can be enough pixels to push data out of VRAM. When that happens your Frame Rate drops.

Although you can set the screens for a lower resolution, LCDs really should be run at there native resolution for best performance.

- Jacob

My daughter has one of these G4 iBook. The only computer display port that you can use is VGA, an analog connection. You will need a Mini-VGA to VGA adapter cable to connect a VGA display.

The good news is that many LCD displays support both DVI and VGA connections, or have only VGA ports. Take a look at the 17″ LCD displays with VGA. You will be limited to a 1024 X 768 image, no mater how big the display, the iBook is set to only Mirror what is on the laptop display. That limit on your iBook is 1024 X 768 pixels, so do not over spend on a display.

- Jacob

Well the first step in troubleshooting a ADC monitor is to remove and then reinstall the video card. Believe it or not just reseating a video card can help. I assume these are LCD based Apple 17″ Displays, if they are CRT displays, then there are a host of issues that follow the CRT models. First the CRT models will not run off DVI to ADC adapters, and second the CRT models draw so much power it can be under powered on on many ADC video cards.

If the problem is with the LCD ADC display, then it may be a USB problem inside the display. When using the DVI to ADC converter, try not connecting the USB plug to see if that has any effect. Also make sure the computer is directly connected to the wall outlet. That should eliminate under powering issues.

Let me know how that works out,
- Jacob

The SpectraView II software is used to calibrate the display itself, and not the video card settings in the Mac computer Displays System Preferences. All you should need to do with the Mac OS preferences is find a baseline setting, then just let the SpectraView II software calibrate the monitor to true color.

- Jacob

You have many monitor options that will work with a Mac G5 Tower. The best kind of display to look at would be a DVI based LCD monitor. Almost any of these 20″ displays will work well with your G5 and many are priced to fit a tight budget. The Apple displays are certainly nice but not everyone needs that exact quality of display.

Hope that helps,
Jacob

There was only one Repair Extension program for the G5 iMac that I know of and that covered the logic board and power supply. That program is over now but it would not have required the replacement of the LCD. You may be able to convince Apple that this is an unacceptable product lifespan for your iMac and would like them to consider other options, I just do not know how successful that will be. If the LCD work was done by an Apple Authorized service center you should have enough justification to a least start a conversation with Apple Support.

Sorry to hear about your problems and I hope it works out for you.
Jacob

The answer is a yes and no answer. The eMac does support an external display via an Apple Mini-VGA to VGA adapter.

The Apple driver only lets you mirror what is displayed on the built-in screen of the eMac, you will not be able to extend your desktop as most would want to do. That being said, a clever fellow created an application that will allow you to unlock the Extended Desktop mode in some iMac, eMacs, and iBooks.

But check the list of supported Apple machines before you install and remember this is unsupported by anyone, especially Apple.

Hope this helps,
Jacob

Both new and used Mac minis supports two video connection types called DVI and VGA. VGA uses a D-sub 15 pin connection, so your old PC monitor should work fine. The Mac Mini has a DVI port on the back of the unit but it will allow your VGA monitor to connect to it via a DVI to VGA adapter. New Mac Minis come with that adapter but not all used systems ship with adapters. If you find that your Mac Mini came without an adapter, then you will need this DVI to VGA adapter.

You should have no fear about plugging that monitor into Apple computers, except the fear it may fall over. A well-placed, heavy lamp can hold the display upright when the rear foot is missing. This is a common failure of the clear plastic Apple LCD display. That is not to say that it happened all the time, but the displays are so solid everywhere else that the foot became the only weak point in the display. Many displays have suffered the same fate as yours and have gone on with productive lives. Images on the display will still look just as good as they did before, after you get it in the proper position, and stable.

After the visual inspection, reconnect the cable and power up your computer. If it is still rose-coloring your image, start moving your display cable to different positions, watching for a change in appearance.

If all that fails, it could be time to let the display rest in peace and replace it with a new Apple 23” Cinema Display.

Yep, we think the screen on the 24 iMac is better than the 20″ iMac, and not just four inches better. The display is brighter, by close to a third the brightness of the 20″ iMac. This is important with glossy screens because it can counteract glare from overhead lights or a window, while still providing sharp color. Also the display has a greater viewing angle, 178° verses 160°. What this means is that you will have better color representation across the screen as your eye moves around. The lower the viewing angle the more washed-out images look from the corners of your eyes.

On a much more anecdotal note, I have yet to hear anyone complain about their 20″ iMac. Whatever you’ve heard could just be the number of 20″ iMacs sold compared to the 24″ iMac, but still, of the rare complaints I hear regarding iMac screens, all are about 20″ iMacs.

Displays, in general, often are not worth the cost to repair. This is true for not only Apple displays, but for any brand of monitor. Three years is the longest that Apple will cover a display’s repair costs and that requires the purchase of AppleCare for the display. Without AppleCare, it is covered for the Apple standard of 1 year. Sometimes Apple identifies higher than average rates of failure in certain products. When that happens they will extend the repair warranty on a product. Those products and conditions are listed on Apple’s exchange repair page.

Of course class action law suites are not listed on that page. This is the link to the Apple 17″ Display Lawsuit you mentioned, which has already ended. The settlement covered a yearly decreasing dollar amount for the repair covering to that three-year mark. As it stands the display can still be fixed if it is just an inverter board, like what is described in the lawsuit. That part (when you can find it) costs about $70 and Labor could run another $45.00 to install the part. The product is marked as “vintage” and that designation could make it difficult for you to find the parts in stock.

It may be better to invest that money in a newer Acer 19″ display.

A lot of time has gone by and Apple does not seem to have any intention of dumping the glossy “iPhone like” iMac screen. I have heard many complaints about this and I only have two practical solutions. The first would be to buy one of our Pre-Owned Intel iMacs, pre-Aluminum. The other option would be to get a smaller-screened 20 inch iMac and a 23″ Apple Cinema HD Display and run them together. I do this at home and extended desktop works perfectly on iMacs. Make the 23″ display the primary and the iMac with its screen can be the pallet monitor.

Mull it over I think it may be the right solution for you. Remember that you will need an Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter cable to connect the two together.

Well the display blacking out could be a few things. The system could have gone to sleep; you can wake it by pressing the space bar. The battery could have run out of charge. Press the button on the bottom of the battery to check the charge indication lights. If only one light flashes than it is not charged up. You could have also turned the display brightness down. Turn the brightness back up via the larger of the two “Sun” keys. The big and small suns will be printed on two of the function keys.

It could also be a failed backlight in the display, which is a big problem. You can test that by shining a flashlight on the display and seeing if you can see items on the display but darkened.

You do not have to be in a war zone to have lost a laptop screen to an accidental drop. Most often, I hear about this happening with systems used in schools, but this scenario can bite anyone. There are several positives in regards to Macs with broken screens. In most cases your computer can still be turned on into what is known as Target Disk mode. Hold down the “T” key when you start up the computer. After 30 seconds or so you can let go of the key. After that, you just need to connect your damaged Mac to a working Mac via a FireWire cable. In a way, the Target disk mode turns every modern Mac into an external hard drive.The good news is that when you start a new Mac, you are given instructions on putting your old Mac into Target Disk mode. Once the computers are hooked together, it will automatically move all your old data over and setup the new system just like your old one. Even if your computer can’t boot into Target Disk mode, you can put the drive into an external drive enclosure, or another similar Mac, and move the data over as if it were on your used Mac. I have done this many times and it makes switching Macs as easy as changing a shirt.The other nice feature of your MacBook is that even with a broken screen you can use it with an external keyboard, mouse, and display. This will turn your laptop into a desktop, which is still better than tossing it away. Your MacBook will need an adapter cable to work with a display, and the cable you use depends on the connection on the display. Typically DVI displays are better and they use a Mini DVI cable adapter. Another option is a VGA display adapter.You can use any USB keyboard and mouse you like. I personal like the new Apple Aluminum keyboard and a Logitech wheel mouse.

Sadly, no, the Aluminum 20-inch Apple Cinema Display will not work with your Pismo G3. It is a shame because the Aluminum 20-inch Apple Cinema Display is a beautiful display, I am working on one as I type this.

The problem is not just your video card and processor, but the type of external video connection the Pismo came with. You have a VGA connection on your Laptop and you need a DVI connection to run an aluminum 20-inch Apple Cinema Display. You would also need a better video card with extra VRAM. It is probably not the best choice for older Macs. There are many LCD displays that will work with your VGA connection.

The Apple Cinema Displays have many cables combined into one connector. Each has DVI, USB, and power wrapped together in a single cable and plug. Although it is a wonderful reduction of clutter, this can create problems.

The first place to check for problems is with the pins in the connector. Look and see if any pin is bent or missing… with that many pins it is possible for one to get misaligned. Provided that the pins look intact, you should next reseat your video card by removing it and then reinserting it. Every feature that runs through the ADC connection also goes through your video card and its connection to the logic board.

If the problem persists, then it could be a short in that ADC cable. See if you can cause and then fix the problem by manipulating the monitor’s cable. If moving the cable has no effect, it is most likely a faulty USB hub in the display. I have seen this before but not too often. In the case of a bad USB hub, it is best to use an available USB port on the computer or get a desktop USB hub

This is personal taste at its purest.

I like a matte screen and my wife loves glossy. We have had many an argument about it when buying a monitor. In the case of the iMac, it is not a big issue, and I have not been disappointed with the glossy iMac. A nice option with the iMac is that you can have both matte and glossy. The iMac supports two screens, one internal (glossy) and one external. If you bought a 20″ iMac and a 20″ Apple display together, you could use both displays side-by-side. One would be matte and the other one glossy, but it’s really mostly a matter of personal taste (and probably just getting used to one or the other as well).

These things do happen from time to time and Apple has you covered. Built into every Mac is a general fix-all startup command that can get you out of monitor resolution errors and some startup errors. It is probably the first troubleshooting step you should use with any hardware problems on your Mac. It is called “Zapping the PRAM” and all it does is erases whatever your Mac had once known about its hardware configuration. Your Mac then searches for devices connected or installed and sets itself up in a compatible way.

With the computer off, hold down the “P,” “R,” “Option,” and Command/Apple Keys. Continue to hold down those four keys and turn on your computer. Let your Mac chime four times before you release those keys. You should now be able to see your Mac booting up and things should start to look normal again. You may have to reset the date and other settings, but none of your data will be lost.

Well, whether you like a glossy or matte finish on your display screen is like asking "do you like butter or jam on your toast?" The answer is of course I like both, but you may not. The glossy screen provides vibrant color that draws you in. Matte-finished displays are good in many different lighting situations and are what we are accustomed to. Matte displays offer accurate color but glossy displays offer brighter, more saturated images. Many people who work outdoors prefer glossy over matte because of the brightness. In the end it has more to do with individual taste, but overwhelmingly the public chooses matte displays. Glossy is not often selected and it sometimes is returned.

I hope this helps some, but if you can’t find a glossy screen MacBook to examine in person, then you should buy a matte screen model.

Video artifacts can be the result of several causes. Drivers would be the first thing to check and the simplest fix. During your upgrades to this B&W PowerMac did you install a new video card? If you did, look for an updated video driver for OS X. Also look to see if the processor upgrade card you are using has two drivers. Perhaps one is for OS 9 and the other is for OS X, and only one was installed. Because the green lines are only displayed in OS X and not 9, it suggests a problem with just the OS X operating system. However a hardware problem can cause this as well. Bad video memory on your video card can result in symptoms like this. I have seen video RAM issues that only appear in OS X and not OS 9, so it would fit your experience. The only way to fix bad video RAM is to replace the card. However, before you go and buy a new video card, I would first check the next reasonable suspect. That last suspect is your firmware on the logic board. Follow this link to a list of firmware upgrades and check to make sure that you are up to date. If all else fails, replace your video card. The ATI 9200 is a good choice.

There are a few things that can cause an issue like what you described. It could be a loose cable in between the logic board and the display. It could also be a faulty cable shorting out. There is also a chance that your iBook is part of the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension. If you go HERE and check your serial number as described on that web page you will be able to determine if it is covered for repair. Apple could cover your repair and save you a good sum of money.

Take a look at the link and see if it saves the day, otherwise take it in for service.

Over the past few years I have found that Sony’s quality and competitive edge has diminished. The simple answer to your question is the Sony display has no advantage to the Dell display. The Dell display is a great monitor, and I can say this because both Apple and Dell use the same LCD panels in their equipment. There are a few advantages in working with Apple displays for color correction, but the Dell displays should look the same as the Apple displays when uncalibrated. You may want to give the Apple another shot in a side-by-side comparison, but I do not think that the Sony display is superior.

Losing video when the laptop’s lid is in a certain position, or when wiggled, is a definite cabling issue. Inside every laptop is a thin ribbon cable that works similarly to a full-sized monitor’s data cable. In addition to the data ribbon cable, there is a thin power cable that powers the LCD backlights. Backlights are like mini florescent tubes at the side of each LCD panel. If any of those two cables are loose or damaged, your screen could black out. These cables are constantly being moved as you open and close the lid of your laptop because the cables are routed through the LCD hinges.

Whatever the cause, you will need a qualified Apple technician to open up your laptop. If it is just a loose connection, then it will be a simple fix. If however, the cables need to be replaced, then you may want to consider spending the money on a new computer.

You may just want to keep using your iBook until the display cables wear out but it will progressively get worse. If the display turns permanently dark, you can always connect the iBook to an external display with a VGA adapter

You could use a Plasma screen as a computer monitor, but it would be so blurry you would not want to do much work on it. Here is a way to visualize it. At the highest broadcast level of HDTV, 1080i, you have a picture of about 1920 X 1080 pixels. An Apple 23″ LCD (Apple 23″ Cinema Display) has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. If your HDTV is bigger than 23″ but has the same 1920 x 1080 resolution, then the picture will be enlarged but with less detail. If you are seated far enough away from the screen it could work, but that adds a distance strain to working with the display. Also many Plasmas will not work well with computers on a hardware level. Your Mac mini can take up to a 23″ Apple display which is close to the resolution of HDTV. A 23″ display makes a good TV as well as a great display.

The permanent sleep of your computer is not related to your display. It is a problem with some USB 2.0 cards.. Certain cards will prevent a Mac from going into deep sleep mode and that will keep a Mac in a semi-sleep state perpetually. It will stay that way until you restart the computer. There are many reports of this exact problem and in nearly every case it is not a monitor problem but related to the card. Your solution will work in the short term, but never letting your computer sleep will reduce your hardware’s life-span. Another option is to buy a new card that will work well with Macintoshes. Apple does not have a list of cards that work with deep sleep but they do have a list of USB 2.0 cards that work with the iPod and that list is likely to reflect cards that also work with deep sleep (a href=”http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93405″>Apple Tech Article). I like IOGear and they make a nice USB 2.0 / FireWire card (USB2 FireWire Combo Card).That should get your Mac sleeping again.

Every 20″ Apple LCD has had OS X as one of the system requirements. This has caused some debate among Apple users because it’s difficult to imagine a display needing a particular operating system. Graphics cards are an understandable requirement, but an OS has little to do with the performance of most displays. The reason that you need to have Mac OS X with these displays is that the control for the brightness and contrast are only available trough the OS X Display Preference. The display will work with OS 9, but won’t be adjustable. What you see is what you get in OS 9. However, it is an Apple display so chances are good you will like what you see from that display in any OS.

It is certainly possible that poor or excessive power could have created your display problem. What you describe is symptomatic of a LCD backlight failure. It could be that the power adapter damaged the LCD’s power inverter. A damaged inverter will prevent a backlight from turning on and make the screen constantly look dim. You may be able to reset the power manager and fix your problem. First zap you PRAM repeatedly. Do this by restarting the computer holding down the Apple, Option, P, an R keys. Let the computer chime four times. Next locate the reset button on the back of the computer near the connection ports. With the battery out and power unplugged, press the button. Plug the power cable back in and press the button one more time. Now press the power button and see if the video comes back. If not you are probably out of luck because there are no replacement parts for the 5300cs outside of perhaps eBay.

The display controls for an iMac’s LCD are software controlled. You access those controls through the “Displays” section of System Preferences. The backlight brightness is adjusted from a slider underneath the resolutions section. You can set the screen back to its default color settings under the “Color” tab. Then click on the Profile that says it is for your iMac. Next to the Profile list is a “Calibrate” button that will help you to adjust color, luminance, and white-point but your Spyder should take care of all those settings. I hope this gets you back in tune with your color.

Marathon Computer used to make desk-mounting arms for those ADC displays that could also wall mount, but Marathon has gone out of business. Now that the Apple ADC displays are discontinued I have not found any company picking up the torch from Marathon Computer. You could try to find a used Marathon display arm, but I have another idea. If you don’t need to move the display around, you can secure it to the wall with an L bracket. The back foot will detach from the display and leave a small metal tongue with three holes in it. Take a trip to the hardware store to get an L bracket that can be modified to connect to the tongue on the back of the display. It may take some time to find the right thing, but a hinge may even work. When you attach the bracket to the wall it needs to be connected to a wall stud in order to hold the weight of the display. After you get the display hanging on the wall you will need to use spacers behind the display to get it at the proper angle. It is some serious work to do, but you will have a truly unique setup at the end of it all.

This sometimes happens to computers and it is never easy to fix when it is an all-in-one system like the eMac. What you heard about the video card being part of the logic board is accurate. Just like iBooks and PowerBooks, an eMac has most of it components, including the video card, on the main logic board. You can have the logic board replaced but that can be very expensive. Also I do not believe that your graphics card, and by association your logic board, needs to be replaced. My guess is that the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) is the weak point that failed in your eMac. The best way to test and potentially bypass your problem is to use an external monitor on your eMac. Often this is what laptop owners do when the LCD in their computers burns out. You will have to buy a $19.00 cable to connect a VGA display to your eMac. The “Apple VGA Display Adapter” (PN M8639G/A) will plug into the Mini VGA port on the side of your eMac. Then you can attach any VGA display to the cable and start up your eMac. If all goes well you should see your old desktop on the external monitor. Ask around to some of your friends and see if they have an old CRT monitor in the basement. You would be surprised how many people are looking to get rid of old CRT displays.

See if that helps and start saving for a new system, If this works, your eMac should last you a few more years.

The iBook is the only current Mac computer that will not support an Apple display. Apple displays use a DVI connection, and because the iBook only has VGA-out support, you will have to use a non-Apple display. The good news is that VGA displays are common and often cheaper than the Apple displays, just not as sharp. You will need an adapter to connect a VGA display to your iBook. The iBook uses a Mini VGA connection so if your iBook did not come with one you will need to buy an Apple “Mini VGA to VGA Adapter” (PN M8639G/A) as well. I would also recommend that you buy a USB keyboard and mouse to place in front of the new display. The iBook, by default, will only allow you to run a display at 1024 x 768 resolution, which is no bigger than the iBook’s screen. Also, the iBook only supports mirroring mode, so both displays will show the same images.

There is a free tool that will let you change this limitation on your iBook, but it is NOT supported by Apple in any way. Found here, Screen Spanning Doctor (SSD) will allow you to run a display up to a 1920 X 1200 resolution. Also you can run in spanning mode, which will split your desktop between the external display and the iBook’s display. Please use caution when using SSD and read through the support documentation found on the site.

There are two ways to use external displays on PowerBooks: Mirroring and Spanning. Mirroring is when the laptop screen and the external screen show the same images. Spanning is when each display shows a different section of the desktop. Spanning is often used because it will give you the combination of both the built-in and external monitor’s screen space, allowing you to have more things open. You can even change which monitor your dock and menus are on.

To make adjustments to your displays go to the System Preferences and click on “Displays.” A window will open on each display if you are in Spanning mode. Look for a tab labeled “Arrangement” and click on it. There you will see icons representing your two displays. You can drag the icons around to change their orientation toward one another. To change what display has the menus and dock, just drag the bar at the top of one display icon to the other. This same “Arrangement” preference window will also have the checkbox that allows you to Mirror the two displays.

Technically there is a third way to use an external display with your PowerBook. If you close the lid on your running PowerBook and have an external keyboard and mouse connected you can press the space bar to wake the computer up. The PowerBook will then only use the external display and act like an expensive Mac mini.

The defining question is what kind of connections does your video card have? All G3 B&W computers shipped with only a single VGA video port. VGA is an analog video signal and will not support any of Apple’s ADC-based displays. Because you upgraded your video card, there is a good chance you have an additional connection. Many ATI Radeon cards will include not only a VGA connection but also a DVI and S-Video connection. If you do in fact have a DVI video port then you are in luck. With the additional purchase of an Apple DVI to ADC adapter, you will be able to connect the 17″ Studio Display to your B&W.

The $99 Apple adapter is a good solution if you already own an ADC 17″ Studio Display. It is, however, a large added expense if you are looking to buy both. If you want to buy an LCD for your B&W you would be better off finding a DVI or VGA based unit. For close to the same price you could find an equally good new display and have fewer cables to deal with.