Laptop 'Clam Shell Mode' operation question

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:33 am

I would like to make my apple 15" laptop operate in clam shell mode with external video glasses plugged in.

Currently the laptop sleeps when lid is closed overriding setup in prefs.

I would love to save energy and use these video monitoring glasses.

comments?

methezer · Post by **methezer** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:05 pm

Heres an idea. When it happened to me it was just weird but maybe you can use it to your advantage. I may have the wrong idea about what you want to do though. Video glasses? Sounds very sci-fi....

I have closed the lid on my laptop before which will put it to sleep. I have then plugged in a USB device which seems to wake up my computer but the display stayed asleep. Perhaps an external monitor would work then....I don't know I'm talking out of my @ss....

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:24 pm

No your on the right track. So... If you plug in a USB device the computer awakens. This is interesting, i will try it. I wonder if a wireless mouse would also wake it. Must find out.

The video glasses are like these:
http://www.firststreetonline.com/produc ... tion=81990

methezer · Post by **methezer** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:24 pm

I haven't investigated this fully but....
You may have better luck operating from the DVI port with the notebook closed. They make DVI-Video adapters which usually go around $20. I've got one on hand actually so I'll see if I can get my laptop to display on my TV while closed through the DVI port.
I'll let you know what I find...

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:31 pm

methezer wrote:I haven't investigated this fully but....
You may have better luck operating from the DVI port with the notebook closed. They make DVI-Video adapters which usually go around $20. I've got one on hand actually so I'll see if I can get my laptop to display on my TV while closed through the DVI port.
I'll let you know what I find...

VERY cool.

I think this could open up some hot •••• for us in terms of Laptop usages.

Let me know.
G

methezer · Post by **methezer** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 5:52 pm

Well, the DVI->Video adapter works only with G5s and Mac Minis , so no dice there

I did find this though, which was along the lines with my original post...

1-Closed PB. It goes to sleep.
2-Connected to TV using S-Vid output on PB
3-Woke up computer with USB mouse...voila! PB is closed but is displayed on TV.

I'm sure the DVI port works the same way but I didn't have an external monitor (that wasn't being used at the time) to plug into and the dvi-vid adapter doesn't work with the PB.

Things can get weird here if you open your laptop (and want to use the built in display) because the built in display wants to stay asleep. You need to get the system sleeping again before you will be able to wake up the built in display.

I'm not sure if you will like the quality of the video coming out of the PB though. It will work great if you are just watching movies or other video but for text you would really need to find a DVI or VGA display to plug into for good results. Of course, I haven't tried it with a pair of those space man goggles to see what the quality would be like with them

Timeline · Post by **Timeline** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:09 pm

Thanks

I would take the PB down to the store and demo it first.

OK so the mouse woke it in clam shell mode,...that's good.

I wonder bout the quality of the glasses now.
If I was to work with DP I wonder if it would be high enough quality. hmmm.

methezer · Post by **methezer** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 9:02 pm

Yeah the quality using the glasses would be hard to predict. Composite video displays typically can't use as high a resolution as computer displays etc. You may actually lose screen space because all of your windows would appear bigger. But then again, since the experience is supposed to be like a big screen tv maybe it would work out after all. I would imagine the text might appear blurry still though.

Jim · Post by **Jim** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:14 pm

If you attempt to operate your laptop with the lid closed, it may burn up. Laptops ventilate through the keyboard.

I think the Apple manual even tells you not to lay papers on the keys for that reason.