Hi,

I'm about to place an order for my first mac, the iMac G5, and I'm also keen to have a second monitor (possiably an apple cinema display) but I'm not sure how to connect the two components... firstly, is it possiable, and secondly, how?!

Also, is cwonline.co.uk a good place to buy from (im in the uk)...

Cheers,
Adam

Your only official options are TV video out through S-video or composite. Both are much lower quality than a proper external computer monitor. Anything involving a second computer monitor would be a hack that voids your warranty and might not work later. If you must have a second monitor, you should order a G5 tower...the prices on the previous generations should be dropping now that the dual-cores are out, or another way to save money is to get a refurbished model.

The iMac G5 has an external video out, and uses a mini-VGA adapter that can be found at any Apple retailer. You can add an external VGA monitor through that connection. It will only mirror the internal display, however.
There is an open-firmware hack that should give you a two-display output, which seems to work on the iMac G5.
This site can be helpful - http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html

Thanks for the help guys :-)

yup and it works too, I had to set this up for a user once. Can't remember exactly how I did it, but there was sufficient documentation to figure it out.

what are the downsides (if any) for using a 'hack'

Its not supported by apple and at any time an OS update can render that 'hack' useless.

ok, I can live with that. Is it also true that I would loose my claim to warranty? (I think someone mentioned that earlier)

I have a situation here, regarding an iMac and a 17" Apple Studio Display.

In July of this year, I had to buy a 17" iMac G5 because my 400Mhz G4 was simply getting too slow for certain jobs. Since I didn't have much money (I was just starting to work freelance and was on a tight budget), I didn't get a PowerMac, so I settled on the iMac. Ever since then I've been meaning to find the adapters to hook up my old 17" Apple Studio Display to my new iMac, but I've had lots of work (thankfully!) and hadn't gotten around to it. Now that the dust has settled, and I have some money in the bank, I went ahead and ordered an Apple VGA connector, a VGA-to-DVI adapter, and an Apple DVI-to-ADC adapter. My idea was: connect the ADC Studio Display to the DVI-to-ADC adapter, then connect that to the VGA-to-DVI adapter, and finally, connect that to the VGA connector that hooks up to my iMac's mini-VGA port.

All set, right? Wrong.

When I start up my iMac, it behaves like there's a VGA monitor connected, but the Studio Display doesn't turn on at all. I know this monitor is fine, since I've recently used it on my old G4, which I keep for small tasks. I installed the software (hack) mentioned in this thread, but still nothing. Then I read this article, which mentions:

However, according to Wikipedia, "the Apple Display Connector (ADC) [...] carries the analog (VGA) and digital (DVI) video signals, USB, and power for the monitor all in one cable." [source] So now I wonder: if the ADC connector carries a VGA signal, why can't it carry the signal coming out of the mini-VGA port on my iMac?

I'm looking to see if there is any software-oriented solution to this problem. Mainly because the VGAtor mentioned in the MacWorld article costs none other than $300, but also because I feel like Apple has pretty much ****ed me. I spent good money for that 17" Studio Display, and I intend to use it. I understand that the iMac is a "low-end" Macintosh, and if I can't afford a high-end product I shouldn't expect high-end results. But I did spend the money on this monitor and it's still in mint condition. So why should I have to go out and buy a new (lesser) monitor or spend money I don't have on a new PowerMac just to have some extra desktop space?

So, if anybody knows of a software-oriented solution to this problem, please let me know. I'm a bit desperate to finally get this monitor back into daily use and take advantage of its superior color-rendering features.

First of all, please define which 17" Apple Studio Display you are referring to. There are at least 3:

1. CRT, with a VGA input:
http://www.applebits.bigstep.com/Ima...moxcapsdgr.gif
(I don't think you are referring to #1, since you talk about an ADC input. What is much less clear though, is whether you are talking about #2 or #3.)

2. CRT, with an ADC input:
http://www.theapplecollection.com/de...dio17_side.jpg

3. LCD, with an ADC input:
http://www.usedmacs.us/incEngine/sit...ple_lcd_17.gif

Second, please tell us exactly which convertors you are using. Give brand, model, and details. For example, to convert DVI to ADC, you will need to provide power from somewhere. Does that convertor plug in to wall power? Give us all the details.

Trevor

Hi, Trevor... thanks for your reply.

I'm referring to the LCD version. This one:
http://www.usedmacs.us/incEngine/sit...ple_lcd_17.gif

Alright, here's all the info:

Apple VGA Display adapter (hooks up to the mini-VGA port on the iMac):
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....8.25.7.11.1.3
http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/...dapter_125.jpg

Belkin VGA-to-DVI adapter (connects into the VGA display adapter):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/l...ges/307812.jpg

Apple DVA-to-ADC adapter (connects from the Belkin adapter into the ADC cable on the monitor):
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....8.25.7.11.0.3
http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/...to_adc_125.jpg
(Yes, it has a separate plug for power, which one must plug into a power outlet, as well as a separate USB plug to use the USB bus on the display.)

Please let me know if there is any other information you need... thanks again!

Warranties are legal matters, and, as such, questions about what does and does not affect a warranty can only properly be answered by a qualified lawyer--which I am not.

I will, however, observe that, as best I know, anything that you might do with OF would be undone by resetting the NVRAM. That has two implications: what you do in OF is software, and resetting the NVRAM would tend to remove traces of whatever you did.

Also, Apple is generally not known for being aggressive about trying to get out of warranty repairs. There's a fair amount of Internet folklore that includes tales of people who, for example, had damaged one part of their computer, had troubles with something completely unrelated, and still got warranty service for that unrelated problem. The consensus is that Apple doesn't mind fixing problems that are reasonably their fault, though they will charge you to fix problems that are reasonably your fault. (Do please note the weasel words I used, like ``generally,'' ``fair amount,'' ``consensus,'' ``reasonably,'' and the like. There are exceptions, some of them quite vocal, perhaps rightfully so, perhaps not.)

What you do with this information, of course, is up to you and your legal counsel.

Cheers,

b&

OK, I think that this is where your problem probably lies. This VGA to DVI adapter does not actually convert the analog signal to a digital signal, instead it passes the analog signal onto the analog pins of the DVI connector. In the description at B&H, note that it says, "it is capable of accepting both digital and analog source signals but has an analog output."

As the DVI to ADC adapter requires digital signal, which it is not receiving from this Belkin adapter, you get no image on your LCD display.

The type of VGA to DVI adapter that can do what you need, such as this one: http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=1310 is much more expensive than the simple adapter you purchased. Which, unfortunately, makes the Dr. Bott unit that you mention above all the more desirable.

Trevor

Damn... now I see. So even though the ADC cable may carry an analog signal, and the monitor itself may also display an analog signal as well, the DVI-to-ADC converter simply will not let that analog signal through. That sucks.

So, do you know if this LCD Studio Display accepts an analog signal? If that's the case, then I'll just need to find a DVI-to-ADC converter that will accept and translate an analog signal. I'm trying everything I can to not have to spend so much money to use a monitor that I spent good money on and is still in superb condition.

Nevermind, I checked the specs for this monitor and found out, much to my chagrin, that this monitor only accepts a digital signal. So, it looks like I'll have to buy a VGA-to-DVI adapter that converts the analog signal into a digital signal. That's $300 less in my bank account... and that sucks donkey dick.

Anyway, thanks a lot for your help, Trevor. You helped me pinpoint the exact cause of my problem, and that is much appreciated.

BTW, for $300 you can probably get a decent LCD screen with an analog (VGA) input. While Apple's LCDs are DVI-only, most others that I see have both VGA and DVI input. Get a new display and sell the old one on eBay. :D

I dunno... I'm very jealous with my color calibration. I'd have to look into good color-rendering LCD screens. For now, I've resigned myself to setting up the Studio Display with the old G4. I figure, when I finally buy myself a G5 tower, I'll get one of those big-ass Studio Displays. I installed Kubuntu on the old G4 and now I'll be occasionally playing with that.

Thanks for the suggestion, though. Helps put things in perspective.

Extending My Desktop
 

Hi guys, Im a first poster so Im sure you have heard this before but here goes.

I have an IMAC Lampshade 800Mhz running Tiger I have just aquired this machine and wish to extend my desktop to handle my IBM 19inch LCD? How do I do this?.

Should I use the crack that was previously mentioned here on this forum?. Or do I have to go through a more expensive box like configuration.

Thanks, any help would be just great

cheers

There are three different iMac G4 800 MHz models. Two of them are not supported by Screen Spanning Doctor (what is called 'the hack' in this thread), but one of them is. If you have the model with the Geforce 4MX, then your iMac is supported with the hack, if you have a model with the Geforce 2MX, then your iMac is not supported.

Extended Desktop - List of Supported Machines

We don't know what type of input your IBM 19inch LCD has, so we can't give you any further advice. If you would like help with that, please give us details, like what kind of input it accepts, what it's model is, etc.

Trevor

For Trevor
 

Ok, and what do you think about this:

http://www.lenexpo-electronics.com/G...L-p-17017.html

Will it work?

Finally, I need to see in the MAC display the ANALOG signal of an HD Camcorder (through a component to VGA adapter cable that I'll fit in the CONVERTER-SCALER): so not a computer, laptop, PC or old mac, but a video device.
According to you, will it work?

Thank you very much.

Sorry, I don't have experience with dealing with the idiosyncracies of the video outputs of camcorders, or with scalers either for that matter. Does this HD Camcorder not have a FireWire output?

Trevor

yes
 

Yes, it has. But only to your precedent answer (if I was not connecting a camcorder) is the VGA to DVI scaler that I wrote good?

delay
 

My question drop behind due to the first posts security restrictions of the forum.

Hi drywood. Sorry, I just don't know enough about scalers to make any kind of recommendation.

Trevor

ok
 

thanks a lot.
We'll see...
Bye.